KILD’s adventure with hardstyle started around 2010 when he discovered ‘SMF - Hahaha’ and Melbourne shuffle for the very first time. “I thought it was a very cool and energetic track with a cool dance. And I tried to learn to shuffle.” The Indonesian DJ Says. “I was into shuffling so crazy and started to listen to more and more different tracks. One day I got in touch with euphoric hardstyle and I still remember it was ‘Noise controllers - Gimme Love’. Euphoric melodies, distorted, yet smooth sounds and energetic vibes got me so hyped. It became part of my grown up stories.”
KILD likes a lot of things about hardstyle, he says. “But for me, my most favorite aspect of hardstyle is the rave. Hardstyle raves just hit differently than others. It’s like watching a movie in a super big theater with a massive euphoric sound. Together with a lot of people united as one.”
The DJ says he could show us a list like Harry Potter’s magic words list, when we ask him who his role model is. “But on top of everything it’s always Devin Wild. His sound is so unique. It applies to every day in my life, like dare to be different.”
His newest track ‘Sun Goes Down’ is related to the pandemic, KILD says. “I was just chilling with my midi keyboard and playing around. I remember it was around golden hour, as the sun set. Coincidentally I found the perfect acapella and started writing straight away. At the same time, lockdown was definitely hard for all of us. I had this feeling like man, don’t let the sun go down or there will be no hope. Cliche, but a small story like this behind every song makes the song more alive for me.”
What the DJ likes the most about producing hardstyle is experimenting with different sounds to create a kick. “I have a background as a bass/dj producer for the last 3 years, so most of my sound designs are always out of the box. I still follow the hardstyle main sound, but at the same time I try to create brand new sounds to represent me more. It’s my style to do it like this. I also love writing the melody, because I think heavy hitters kicks accompanied by a beautiful melody is just a piece of beautiful art. The rest will flow and become one.”
In his spare time KILD loves to cook. He used to work as a chef until 2020 when he decided to take a break and focus on his music career. “Even though this pandemic hits hard, I still keep it going. I spend most of my spare time cooking for my girlfriend, family and friends. When they enjoy my food it always makes me so happy. Like I can make people smile with it and they keep asking for more. It makes me want to create more and more. I guess it’s the same with music. When people show you support there is no reason to stop and give up everything, you know the feeling when you feel the love.”
KILD currently lives in New Zealand and his plan is to build a bigger community of hardstyle there. “New Zealand’s neighbor, Australia, has a massive hardstyle scene and community. I have worked with some big names from Australia in New Zealand for some shows, and I want to thank my Australian family for being a part of the hardstyle growth here. Expect me to create bigger and better. And get ready for some crazy tracks from me. Hopefully I get the chance to play at a bigger stage with an extraordinary production one day. The pandemic delayed some of my big plans, but He up there has a better plan ahead for me. Never back down!”