1001Tracklists Spotlight: Adrenalize

2019 has set the bar to be quite the busy year for Adrenalize, also known as Malthe Mehlskov. The 22 year old hardstyle DJ and producer has put out two strong tracks and is now fresh off the release of his latest single “Tomorrow.” Listen to Malthe’s Spotlight Mix below and get to know the euphoric producer through our exciting feature interview!

Hi Malthe! Thanks for sharing this Spotlight Mix with us! Could you tell us a bit about the mix and also highlight three tracks that you’ve decided to include?

Hi there! Yeah of course, thanks for the invite. Okay so I think this mix is really defining the Adrenalize style and sound. Very euphoric and uplifting. I included “Get Up” which I think is my biggest and best solo track that I have released so far, and it really shows who I am and what I wanna tell people with my music. And then we have my new song “Elektronic Symphony” together with my good buddy B-Front. The best of both worlds, hardstyle in its purest form. And of course my brand new single “Tomorrow” ft. ADN which is the follow-up track to “Get Up”!

You’ve been producing hardstyle and DJing all throughout your younger years, so what was it that caught your interest with the electronic dance music scene in the first place?

Electronic music has always been a part of my life. When I was a kid my father introduced me to Daft Punk, Kraftwerk, Eiffel 65, etc. And I guess it just stuck with me. I have always been fascinated with synthesizers and sound designing. There is just something magical about it! So obviously I had to learn how to make it myself.

How would you describe your style of music? The Adrenalize hardstyle sound is very unique and we’re interested in what goes on in the studio when you’re producing a tune! Could you give a little insight into your creative process, favorite programs and plugins?

I think that you could say that my music sounds very Scandinavian. melodic, euphoric, uplifting. I always try to come up with something new and something that nobody in the hardstyle scene has done before. That’s maybe why I don’t release as much music as some other artists do. It’s really important to me that every song I put out has a different or fresh feel than the previous one. I listen to a lot of other genres, and I get inspired by that a lot. And then I always try to bring those elements into hardstyle. And for favourite plugins and programs I’ll have to say Sylenth1, Virus TI Snow, Spire. And manipulating vocals into leads/sounds. That’s where the real magic happens! Trust me.

You’re originally from Denmark but currently reside in The Netherlands. How do you think the hardstyle scene compares between the two countries?

I don’t even think that you can compare it. Netherlands is like the capital of hardstyle music and events, whereas in Denmark sadly there is not too much of that. There is a good amount of Danish hardstyle fans, but if they wanna experience it then they can easily go to the Netherlands and see a high- uality production festival with all of their favorite DJs. In Denmark there’s maybe just 3 smaller club shows every year. It seems like people in Denmark have a very bad opinion and eye on hardstyle. I remember once talking to a Danish guy and we were talking about the big indoor event Qlimax. And he said something like “yeah I heard that people who go to Qlimax, they just get locked inside there for 9 hours and they shoot out ecstasy pills every 10 minutes for the crowd to use,” so yeah... sad haha.

Your new track “Tomorrow” is out now as a follow up to “Get Up,” and it’s a very uplifting tune! Tell us more about what inspired it! Was there a message that you wanted to convey?

Thank you! I started working on the song quite long ago. Actually it was a few months after the very sad passing of Avicii. I have always been a huge fan of his music and he always inspired me, still does. So I started the song as a kind of tribute to him. Adding elements and instruments that he might have used. So I mixed the Avicii style with my own and then “Tomorrow” was born. I’m proud and happy with the end result!

You recently released “Elektronic Symphony” with Roughstate label head B-Front! Do you remember the first time that you got to meet each other? How did your collaboration come to be?

To be honest I don’t really remember how our first meeting happened haha. But we did talk for probably a year about doing a song together, and then eventually at some point we actually made a studio appointment. The creative process of “Elektronic Symphony” was very smooth to be honest! The first studio day we had a big part of the break and chords done, but we were struggling a bit with the melody. Then I remember getting home in my own studio the same night, and I played around for like 10-15 minutes with the chords that we did earlier. And then I had the melody you now all know in the song. And I remember then I Facetimed Bob and showed him the melody and he liked it instantly, and he had an idea for how to use it in the drop. But I didn’t get at all what he was trying to say haha. So the day after Bob had pretty much nailed the whole drop with my melody! That’s teamwork right there ;)

With the summer season coming up, you’ve got quite the lineup of festivals coming your way with EDC Vegas, Defqon 1 and Electric Love Austria being some of the recent announcements! What can fans expect from your sets at these shows? Certain Adrenalize IDs perhaps?

Yes! Great and fun shows coming up. I think they can expect a mix of party music that makes you wanna dance and go bananas, music that will make you cry or have a smile written all over your face, and yeah just having a good time and feeling euphoric! I always try to have new music in my sets either to test it out for myself to see how it works on the dancefloor, or also because you wanna please those hardcore Adrenalize fans with something brand new that they haven’t heard before.

At only 22, you’ve accomplished a lot! What are some of your most memorable moments throughout your career? And what’s the next step for Adrenalize for the rest of 2019?

Hard to say, there is so many! I think the first time I ever played a huge show was when I was 15 and I turned 16 right after my set in the Ziggo Dome. Will never forget that moment. Playing at Defqon mainstage for the first time ever two years ago was also a big thing for me. Releasing “Get Up” was also a very memorable moment. The next step is to show the world Adrenalize 2.0.