vieze asbak:
For him, that shift wasn’t mea- sured by streaming statistics. It happened in front of crowds.
“When everybody started screa- ming ‘ASBAAAK’ to my song ‘As- bak Anthem’, that feeling is still so unreal to me and I feel so bles- sed. Also, when Polska Jumpstyle blew up after like two years from its original release. At the time, that song was not really meant for a techno crowd, but now it fits in perfectly. I got booked for techno events outside of the Ne- therlands before I was playing techno events in the Netherlands. My name, translating to ‘Dirty As- htray’ was not really something they wanted on the posters. Now that I am playing big festivals all over Europe, I really love that my silly name is going international.”
Hard techno itself has changed dramatically over the past five years. What was once a relati- vely niche movement has be- come one of electronic music’s fastest-growing genres, bringing with it bigger audiences, festival main stages and an inevitable flood of imitation. Vieze Asbak has watched that transforma- tion from inside the scene, and while he welcomes its growth, he also believes the bar for originali- ty has become much higher.
“I think we already came a long way since I started Vieze Asbak in 2020. Back then it was all so stiff and nothing even remotely unserious felt tolerated by others. Now hard techno has become so mainstream that, like other big- ger EDM genres, it has to beco- me more appealing to a bigger crowd. A simple rave stab and a kick is not gonna do it anymore. A track needs to really be unique to even have a chance of becoming a hit.”
Through the record Friesen- jung, the cultural phenomenon he co-produced alongside Tan- tu Beats he reached audience far beyond electronic music. He looks back on it less as a ca- reer-defining breakthrough than as a unique chapter that evolved alongside his own performances.
“I co-produced Friesenjung to- gether with Tantu Beats. I’m not sure how much this did for my DJ career at the time. I think this song didn’t really fit the vibe of my sets. After the original song I made a sped-up version, which fitted way better. Then Lil Texas and me made an uptempo remix, which I still play sometimes. Joost Klein even performed this song at Coachella, legendary. I am still very honoured that I could be a part of such a big song.”
That openness to experimenta- tion extends naturally into co- llaboration. Rather than thinking in genres, Vieze Asbak is more interested in ideas. His catalogue moves comfortably between har- dcore, techno, rap, internet cul- ture and bass music because he rarely begins with the question of where something belongs.
“Genres are constantly evolving, and techno as well. I don’t think I even make ‘hard techno’. I don’t know what to call it. I just know when I like something, I would love to work with that. When working with artists outside of the scene, I get so many new insights and creative ideas. I think hard techno needs to get super creative now. It has not reached its limit. I can’t wait to see it.”
Like many artists of his gene- ration, Vieze Asbak has built an audience through social media. Viral clips, streaming platforms and short-form content have all played a role in introducing his music to listeners around the world. Yet he is also aware of what has been lost along the way.
“Yes, social media is a great way to find music, artists and art that you like. Amazing artists may- be would have never gotten the recognition they deserve if they weren’t on social media. On the other side, I feel like maybe social media has killed the excitement of finding something new when going to a rave. When I went to festivals myself a few years ago, I loved finding random stages with new artists that I had never heard of.”
The current appetite for faster BPMs and increasingly extreme sounds has prompted endless debate about the psychology of a new generation of ravers. Some see it as a response to social pressure, digital overload or wi- der cultural anxiety. Vieze Asbak offers a far simpler explanation.
“I can’t talk for everybody, but for me, hard music gives me such a big energy boost. I love extreme music such as hardcore, indus- trial, metal and other experimen- tal stuff. I don’t think it says much about the world I live in. It’s just a personal taste. I like to go crazy. This is easier when this music is playing instead of maybe house music.”
“Vieze Asbak was never intended to become well known. I just made songs that my friends and I wanted to listen to, and somehow people found them.”
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