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Molek FMInterview: W&W
Dutch producers Wardt van der Harst and Willem van Hanegem, who make up the guise of W&W, have been widely considered as the next big thing in tech-trance. The talented twosome will be making their stellar debut appearance here in Kuala Lumpur as one of the headliners of the much anticipated Armada Night at Mist Club on 19 February.
Text & Interview: Deck Time Stories
The W&W adventure began when both guys discovered a shared passion for beats and melodies and that’s exactly what drew these guys to collaborate in the studio. Their first single together, ‘Mustang’ became a huge success and proved to be quite the anthem among renowned DJ’s. The boys achieved their first goal, which was to create a heart stumping big room anthem through their first effort, ‘Mustang’.
Their first single led to other noteworthy productions including, ‘Alpha’, ‘D.N.A’ and ‘Arena’. W&W’s extraordinary talent have led the way to recognition and support by today’s dance scene elite and has Armin van Buuren praising them as ‘the best upcoming producer duo of the moment’. If you’re baffled and who and what W&W are about, read on to find out the full deets.
What can the fans expect from your debut here in Kuala Lumpur?
An energetic set with a lot of new and fresh tunes. We’re also going to test out a few tracks from our upcoming artist album.
Why do you think Armada Night kicks more ass than other label nights out there?
The good thing about these nights is that a lot of people know about the Armada brand, and what it stands for. Its reputation attracts a good and well educated trance-crowd.
What were the both of you doing before you met each other in 2007?
Ward: I just finished high school and had some job.
Willem: I was studying economics.
We’ve all read about this ‘chance meeting’ in Trance Energy back in 2007, can you tell us a bit more on that?
Yeah, we actually met the first time at Trance Energy. We had a friend in common and we all went to Trance Energy together. Since then we started to hang out and party every weekend, not making music together just yet. After about half a year we decided to make some music together. That’s how our first release ‘Mustang’ was born.
What was the thing that connected the both of you when you guys decided to work together?
We really complement each other in the studio, the things that one lacks in, the other fulfils it. We share the same enthusiasm when it comes to producing which creates a really inspiring and productive working atmosphere.
How do you guys feel about your quick jump to success?
Of course we’re really happy with what we have achieved so far and we’re proud and grateful for that every day, but our focus lays on the future. We’re currently working on our first artist album right now. The first single of the album Impact was just released and is doing really well at the moment. We also just did a remix for the legendary Marcel Woods’ new single ‘Champagne Dreams’ coming out on the 28th of February on High Contrast Recordings.
You’ve described your trance sounds as being less melodic, more groove and techier than other styles of trance. Who are some of your main inspirations that influenced your style of music?
We listen to a lot of different genres of music to get inspiration, from hip-hop to classical and from techno to pop. But within the dance music scene, Armin van Buuren and Marcel Woods are big inspirations to us.
Some critics have said that W&W is the future of trance, what do you think about this statement?
Well we think it is a huge compliment and let’s hope it turns out to be true! We’re doing our best right now and that’s all you can do right?
Which one of you is more of the party animal?
Ward is the shy one and Willem is more outgoing, but after a couple of drinks Ward knows how to party too.
Who would be more likely to flirt with all the ladies in the party? Willem or Ward?
Willem is more of a flirt, but Ward loves the attention of all the girls approaching him.
Have you had a disagreement during studio time? How do you get it resolved in the end?
Sometimes we’re struggling a bit with where we want to go with a track, but we always find a solution.
What are some of the pros and cons working as a duo?
There are a lot of advantages. It’s never boring for one; we always have fun and cheer each other up when the other one is feeling a bit down. In the studio it’s very easy working with the two of us, as we said before we really complement each other. Also on tour it’s not that hard when you have to wait at an airport for 10 hours, you always have someone to talk to and have fun with! At the moment we have no cons so let’s hope it stays like that!
Can you give a shout out to your Malaysian fans?
Hope to see you all in Mist Club on the 19th of February!
Sitting around at home listening to their goodies will never do justice to your ears so hop over for an endless night of trancing with two of Armada’s most celebrated artists at Mist Club on the 19th of February 2011. The lovely Viona will be handling the decks before W&W and Sean Tyas make their appearance. Get all the details at http://decktimestories.com.