Hardwell & Friends EP Volume 1 Review

 As a way to kick of an exciting and promising Summer for the label, Hardwell joined forces with other producers and vocalists to deliver his first batch of his Hardwell & Friends EP series. This EP features collaborations with the likes of Kaaze, Jonathan Mendelsohn, Alexander Tidebrink, KURA, Anthony B, Atmozfears, M.BRONX and Maddix. Take a look at the reviews of each track bellow.

We Are Legends (w/ Kaaze feat. Jonathan Mendelsohn)

 This first track is pretty much the main track of the EP based on the reaction from the fans. The fan reaction is noticeably positive and its easy to understand why, in this track we can hear a mixture of Kaaze's melodies and Hardwell's uplifting touch on the energy and overall flow of the track. Also the vocals from Jonathan Mendelsohn add more depth and emotion to the track making it feel and sound more complete and trully "legendary". This is one of the most awaited Hardwell tracks of all time and one of the best sounding ones, making it one of the best tracks on this EP. 

Rating: 9.2/10

We Are One (feat. Alexander Tidebrink)

 I still have mixed fellings about this one. First premiered as an instrumental with the How Deep Is Your Love acapella by Hardwell at Ultra 2016, We Are One, just like We Are Legends, holds a very special place in Hardwell fans' hearts. From the mind blowing and emotionally driven melody to the energy and flow of the drop, this track seems to be pure perfection but there is always a catch... in this case the vocals. Even though I got used to them, I see myself taking a listen to the instrumental version (that you can purchase at  revealedrecordings.com) way more than the vocal mix. The vocals seem to "interrupt" the overall emotion and flow of the track's melody in a weird way, different than what the HDIYL vocals did during Hardwell's Ultra 2016 set. But overall, this is still an amazing track on this EP.

Rating: 8.7/10

Police (You Ain't Ready) (w/ KURA feat. Anthony B)

 This one is an amzing mixture of 2 sounds. This tracks revives the classic reggae based sound of the original Police by Anthony B and it adds the characteristic KURA's jungla style to the table. This one seems to be club/festival ready as it features an Hardstyle-ish second drop ready to make the crowd jump to the kick. Overall, I consider this to be a worthy sucessor to Calavera, even though similarities are few since this is more of an hardkicking and a more banging track compared to it's predecessor.

Rating: 8.5/10

All That We Are Living For (w/ Atmozfears feat. M.BRONX)

Another big one. This one was first premiered at the final United We Are show at Germany and ever since, this track has also been really awaited for by the fans. This track features a beautiful and fluid melody mixed with the emotional and catchy vocals by M.BRONX leading to an uplifting hardstyle drop inspired in the classic Atmozfears sound with Hardwell influences all around. All around, I have to admit this is probably one of the best tracks from the EP, since it joins two of the most influential styles on the scene and it really lives up to it's name.

Rating: 8.6/10

Smash This Beat (w/ Maddix) 

First played by Hardwell at Ultra Miami 2017, this track has everything to be an overall festival banger. From the uplifting build-up to the "crowd interacting" break, this track is perfect for the mainstages. We can hear alot of Maddix's influences in the drop as on the intro and outro, aswell as some of Hardwell's work on the break and build-up. The "Smash This Beat" pre-drop vocals also add a nice overall flow to the whole track making it a really great track. To sum it up, this track is a really good track for festival and club use but some casual listeners might find it overwhelming at some point.

Rating: 8.2/10

 Overall, this EP is filled with amazing tracks, most of which fans have been dying to get their hands on. Even though each track has its ups and downs I feel like this EP is a good way to start this initial EP trilogy, making fans looking foward to what is coming next.

Overall Rating: 8.7