I recently had the pleasure of chatting with the Dutch duo Blasterjaxx. The superstars released an absolute banger ‘16’ with Hardwell & Maddix earlier this month. Thom Jongkind and Idir Makhlaf, hailing from The Hague, have been part of the pioneering days of Big Room. The Blasterjaxx duo have released numerous hit singles and collaborated with renowned artists in the EDM scene, such as Hardwell, David Guetta, Tiësto, Afrojack, and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. You would recognize their tunes ‘Purpose’, ‘Tarzan,’ ‘Narco,’ and ‘Superman’ to name a few.
We’ve gone all in from their journey into depths of their story with the genre, ways of production, ‘16’ itself, and much more! Without further ado let’s dive into the interview.
The Interview
(Please note, the bolded text represents a question, while the paragraph(s) following it represent Blasterjaxx’s answers.)
Thanks for doing this with us guys, we love your music here at EDMTunes. How was the production of ‘16’ for you two? Especially working with Maddix & Hardwell, could you dive into how the collaboration was for the both of you with them?
Well, it all kicked off on a casual Tuesday brainstorm session, pondering over which old classic to remix. Eventually, we settled on Ard Und Jorn’s “16” – there was just this wave of nostalgia that hit us whenever we spun that track, so it was a no-brainer. After a few days of tinkering away at it, we decided it needed that extra techno flair, and who better to bring that than Maddix?
Now, Maddix wasn’t just any collaborator for us. We had a blast working together on our first Collab, ‘Purpose,’ back in 2022, so it felt like the natural move to team up again. Hardwell caught wind of the track and a month later, he was willing to throw down his own spin on it.
And the rest, as they say, is history. We’re absolutely thrilled with how everything came together, and we’re itching to drop this banger at every show. Hard work, collaboration, and a sprinkle of serendipity – that’s the recipe for success, my friend.
You both have been around for awhile now, what has been your favourite festival to play at so far? And what would be a dream venue/festival you’d like to play at?
Picking a favourite club or festival is like trying to choose your favourite song, impossible! Each one has its own unique vibe and energy, you know? Now, if we’re talking dream venues/festivals we haven’t hit up yet? There’s a couple that come to mind. Untold Festival in Romania and Coachella would be right up there on our list. Just imagining the energy of those crowds gets us hyped !
How did you guys get into electronic music, what was the moment you guys knew that you were ready to be Blasterjaxx?
Back in 2010, we kicked off our journey by diving headfirst into the world of Latin House music. But then 2011 came around, and suddenly EDM was the voice of the world. We took all those Latin influences and threw them into the mix, birthing what would eventually be known as “Big Room.” Crazy to think that back then, the term “Big Room” wasn’t even on the radar – we were just having a blast experimenting with different sounds. And who would’ve guessed? Our little experiment turned into one of the hottest sounds of that time.
How does your creative process work for you two as the Blasterjaxx duo? Any secrets that you’d like to share that makes your process of production seamless?
To be honest, I believe we’re incredibly lucky we have found each other. We complement each other perfectly, and the chemistry between us is fantastic. This dynamic extends seamlessly into the studio. Whenever Idir needed feedback, Thom was able to provide exactly what he needed. Our ideas aligned seamlessly.
What genre of music do you draw inspiration from? If we opened both your streaming service of choice (Spotify/Apple Music etc) what would be your last listened to track?
In every song we create, we strive to blend different influences together as much as possible. We believe it’s this fusion of styles that makes our duo so strong.
Idir: If you check out my most listened-to song of 2023, it would be ‘Dadju – Trouvez-la Moi.’
Any exciting news for later this year you’d like to share with your fans, would there be a future album/EPs that we should know about?
Keep an eye on our socials, you might have already heard one of our new track buzzing around on the different platforms!
If you both weren’t DJ’s what would you have been?
Thom would have pursued a career as a university teacher, while I (Idir) would have become a car mechanic.
Any last thoughts or closing remarks
We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our fans and everyone who has supported us throughout the years. We couldn’t have reached this point without their unwavering support, and we are incredibly grateful for it.
If you haven’t caught the Blasterjaxx duo live, I urge you to! Check out their Tomorrowland Winter 2024 set below. Stay tuned to EDMTunes as we get to know your favorite EDM Artists better!
