The Partysquad

The Partysquad have reinvented themselves more times than most scenes allow: Jerry Leembruggen and Ruben Fernhout met on a 1998 talent-search tour (Ruben presenting, Jerry as resident DJ) and built one of the Netherlands’ most durable party institutions, now firmly parked in the rave and hardstyle lane.

Dutch chart royalty

Their 2005 debut single “Wat wil je doen” hit the Dutch top 15, and the 2006 album “De Bazen Van De Club” produced a string of chart singles, none bigger than “Rampeneren” with Ali B and Yes-R, a national No. 4 and still their most popular track on HDRR’s tracking. A 2008 hiatus followed a serious car accident that left Jerry in a coma; the 2010 comeback brought “A Msterdamn” with Afrojack and, via Major Lazer’s “Original Don”, a US dance breakthrough. Their production credits even extend to M.I.A.’s albums “Matangi” and “AIM”.

The harder turn

Two decades of Dutch party culture eventually lead to one place: the harder styles. Recent Partysquad output (“Leven Voor De Rave”, “Ik Ga Harder”) trades chart pop for rave kicks, which is exactly why they’re on this radar. It’s the same route the Dutch mainstream keeps taking as hardstyle absorbs the country’s club culture.

On the radar

HDRR tracks the full Partysquad catalogue, around 118 releases. Every new one lands on the Hardstyle Release Radar the day it hits Spotify, with standouts charting in the Hardstyle Top 100. The full tracked catalogue is listed above.