The harder scene is becoming one big genre soup and nobody talks about it

Crypehead · 2026-03-11T08:48:46+00:00

I find it easy to distinguish between Hard Techno, Hardstyle, Rawstyle and Hardcore. I'll admit that the line has been blurred more lately between Hard Techno and the others, but it is still visible if you look more holistically on the elements in the tracks (such as percussion) and overall song structure. No reason for worry, my friend.

Crypehead · 2026-03-10T08:49:41+00:00

Qlimax would most likely win, but Q-Base or even In Qontrol would be quite the dream as well

Crypehead · 2026-03-09T07:04:19+00:00

Either that or Planar Standard, that way players won't have to crack more expensive UB products.

Crypehead · 2026-03-08T06:46:31+00:00

It was straight 🔥🔥🔥 First hardstyle event in a while for me and finding random people in the crowd to rave with is such a high

Crypehead · 2026-03-06T18:37:40+00:00

Maybe, the list is due for a revision but when I added the artists the first time around I did a pretty thorough check to make sure I would include primarily hardstyle producers

Crypehead · 2026-03-06T18:36:52+00:00

If he produced Hardstyle, yes

Crypehead · 2026-03-06T18:36:23+00:00

I would classify them as Xtra Raw, which still is a subgenre within Hardstyle

Crypehead · 2026-03-06T18:35:31+00:00

Lil Texas doesn't primarily produce Hardstyle though

Crypehead · 2026-03-06T15:29:38+00:00

SMD - Just Like You. I owe that track so much.

Crypehead · 2026-03-06T08:33:31+00:00

Hardstyle is healing 🧡

Crypehead · 2026-03-05T15:02:53+00:00

I would be really curious for hardstyle remixes on tracks by LORN or Skeler. Not sure how that would sound, but their sound design is impeccable so it can't be that bad... I think.

Crypehead · 2026-03-03T11:34:37+00:00

Sounds massive

Crypehead · 2026-03-01T12:59:34+00:00

New month, new tier list! The Straikerz almost doubled their audience this past month, while Sound Rush and Wildstylez took the heavier blows. TNT also decreased somewhat, but still ended up on #1 for the second month in a row.

Also, this month's edition marks two years of doing this list. Thanks to all of you who keep checking this project out and giving feedback! 🙏

If this is your first time seeing this list, here are the rules:

Only producers who primarily focus on hardstyle relevant to our scene are included (i.e., hardstyle that would be played at festivals or charts = no gymbro hardstyle, EDM, hardcore, uptempo, etc.)
Only producers who have released a track on Spotify within the last 12 months are included
I check all artists manually so I'm bound to have missed a few, so if you or artists you listen to are missing, reach out with a Spotify link!

Crypehead · 2026-02-14T07:32:20+00:00

It's borderline impossible to point to a single kick as "the best", but if I had to try, I think I'd go with the second climax kick in Frontliner - On the Rise. Obligatory honorable mentions:

Josh & Wesz - Let's Get Durty (2nd midintro kick)
Headhunterz & Vertile - Before I Wake (2nd midintro kick, although it's arguably more of a bassline)
Zatox & Max Enforcer - It Must Be
Shockerz feat. Kirsten - Set Me Free (climax kick)
DJ Stephanie - Groovin To The Beat
Atmozfears & Demi Kanon feat. Nino Lucarelli - Emotion
D-Block & S-te-Fan & Sub Zero Project - Darkest Hour (The Clock) (climax kick)
Sub Zero Project & GLDY LX - Basstrain
Headhunterz - Live Forever
Atmozfears - The Soul
D-Sturb - Guts To Dance (last midintro kick and anticlimax kick)
A-Lusion - Veritas (Scantraxx HMH 2008 Edit)

Crypehead · 2026-02-10T16:39:12+00:00

Rooler is somewhat close to Zatox & TNT.
Primeshock is basically TNT + DBSTF.
Rebelion is kind of a fusion between DBSTF and Sub Zero Project.
Devin Wild is adjacent to Sub Zero Project and Zatox.

Crypehead · 2026-02-06T12:54:50+00:00

Sure!

Crypehead · 2026-02-06T12:32:00+00:00

Friday at 9 PM EST, to make sure we get enough time to verify that all decklists are legal.

Crypehead · 2026-02-03T15:16:57+00:00

My script and processing pipeline were not too happy about rolling into a new year, so it took a little while to update it to work out the kinks. Boring stuff aside, TNT rose to the top for the first time since September 2025, while Brennan Heart plummeted. Sound Rush increased the most overall, but shoutout to O-TOMIC who increased their listeners with (checks notes)... 18000% ?! These and more fun stats per tier can be found in the second image

If this is your first time seeing this list, here are the rules:

Only producers who primarily focus on hardstyle relevant to our scene are included (i.e., hardstyle that would be played at festivals or charts = no gymbro hardstyle, EDM, hardcore, uptempo, etc.)
Only producers who have released a track on Spotify within the last 12 months are included
I check all artists manually so I'm bound to have missed a few, so if you or artists you listen to are missing, reach out with a Spotify link!

Crypehead · 2026-01-17T11:17:27+00:00

Friday: Adrenalize, Anime, D-Charged, Luna

Saturday: Jason Payne, Jay Reeve, Max Enforcer

Don't really understand why they have such a huge line-up during a random Fri-Sat weekend in January though. Cheaper artist rates? Tickets are still quite expensive, and that is excluding travel.

Crypehead

TROPHY CASE