Hardwell & Armin Van Buuren – Off The Hook
The collaboration that we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. The current world’s #1 DJ, Hardwell, has teamed up with the former world’s #1 DJ, Armin Van Buuren, for an unexpected, yet shockingly good, collaboration called “Off The Hook.” While few expected Hardwell to team up with Armin because of their traditional genres, talented producers have the ability to move between genres, and Hardwell and Armin both have some serious talent. “Off The Hook” showcases the best of both producer’s styles, as the big, high-energy kicks of Hardwell slide right in alongside the uplifting melodies and stabbing synth arrangements of Armin. “Off The Hook” is out now on Beatport, so get your copy here.
Fans actually got their first taste of this one way back in March 2015, when the track was dropped live during Armin’s set at Ultra Music Festival in Miami. That early debut set off months of speculation and Shazam screenshots before the studio version finally landed officially on September 14, 2015, on Revealed Recordings. It ended up serving as the second single off Armin’s tenth studio album, Embrace, and dropped with both a radio edit and an extended mix so club DJs had a version built for longer sets.
What makes “Off The Hook” click is exactly what the original writeup called out: it’s a genuine hybrid. Armin built his career on the emotional, big-melody side of trance, while Hardwell made his name on stadium-sized, drop-heavy big room. Instead of watering each other down, the two styles swap lanes completely for four and a half minutes, with Hardwell’s punch carrying the low end while Armin’s synth work handles the euphoria up top. It’s the kind of pairing that looks strange on paper and then makes total sense the second the drop hits.
The track’s staying power is part of the story too. “Off The Hook” was popular enough on release that it went on to pick up official remixes from artists including Mark Sixma and Fisherman & Hawkins, both of which found their own homes on Armin’s A State of Trance radio show. For two artists who came from opposite ends of the festival main stage, that’s not a bad legacy for one collab.
Stream “Off The Hook” below and see for yourself why this crossover worked so well.
