• Rock – Hardstyle hybrid
• Fascinating Oldschool vocoded vocal
• Sets a new bar for the future of Hardstyle
I was expecting something fresh from these four guys, and they didn’t disappoint. “Keep On Rockin’” fuses rock and hardstyle in a new, surprising amalgamation!
Da Tweekaz are notorious for their unpredictable ideas, usually selecting unexplored niches. Ethnic Russian sounds in “Wodka“, for example, or the insane “Frozen” remix – yes, the movie soundtrack – reimagined as a hardstyle tune. Crystal Lake, the authors of unforgettable collabs with Headhunterz, are following a similar creativity path lately. I suggest checking out their reggaeish practice “Sound Of Freedom” reviewed in our latest Speed Round, as an example. These hybrid experimentations are astonishing, considering that hardstyle has super strict boundaries that make it hard to blend with other kinds of EDM.
The quartet of experienced inventors, obviously, is trying to push these boundaries once again. This time by adding “Rock ‘N’ Roll” to the formula! In fact, “Keep On Rockin'” opens immediately with an anticlimax mixed with an electric guitar solo. The explosive mix directly showcases its unique personality! Then, a vocoded vocal repeats a catchy loop. Interesting choice, because vocoded voices aren’t strange for the genre, but here, with this rockish base, we observe them from a different perspective. It seems like a perfect Crystal Lake proposal.
Nothing to complain about the melody, I’m always a fan of the melodic performance of both artists, and I found this one efficient, catchy, and vibrant. Its dynamism makes the aggressive drop almost carefree: a strong hardstyle kick supports it, accompanied by vocoded one-shots.
“Keep On Rockin'” pushes the limits of hardstyle with prudence, without jeopardizing something that might ruin the delicate composition. I suggest listening to it because I found it fascinating how EDM can transform irregular shapes. Other people have attempted this experiment before, but this time around it works really well, and it’s also suitable for a more commercial audience if we can call that kind of hardstyle “commercial.” It’s doing it with personality and creativity, of course.
What do you think?
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