Hardwell and Will Sparks Team Up on “Twisted”
2023 seems to be the year of breaking the mold. That couldn’t be more true with the release of this new collaboration “Twisted” from Hardwell and Will Sparks. If a collaboration from these two came out 5-7 years back, it would most likely sounded like a mix of synth-blaring big room house with the rubber-band beat and bass line of a Melbourne bounce tune. But in current year, both of these artist’s are in very different places.
For one, Hardwell took a massive break from touring and signaled his return with his sophomore album. Since then, he’s dropped a few new singles and remixes and even a Dance Dance Revolution inspired track. Meanwhile, Will Sparks has ventured into sub-genres that have taken him beyond Melbourne’s scene. We’re talking some psytrance, hardstyle, and festival-style house. But where these two intersect is in the growing sound of main-stage techno and that is where “Twisted” comes into play.
For old-school ravers, they might be reminded of 2007 classic “Your Mind is Twisted” hook from Greg, Jeroenski, and Roog. The song had such a grip in the early 2010s that even Fedde Le Grand couldn’t help adding his own spin on it in 2014. But unlike the original’s glitchy, electro-house grit, Hardwell and Will Sparks concoct a modern techno avalanche. The drum beat is cacophonous and met with these tactile synths. As they meet up with the hi-hats, “Twisted” becomes a bellowing beast that becomes a perfect fit for rage-ready audiences.
Make sure to check out “Twisted” by Hardwell and Will Sparks on Revealed Records out now.