They are Germany’s leading Hardstyle brand. With regular club shows at their home base Bootshaus Cologne, festival hostings, COVID proof events and show throughout the entire country, Musical Madness has had a major impact on the German Hardstyle market for 15 years already. I sat down with Daniel and Benny, the founders of Musical Madness, to talk about their history and future. Keep on reading!
Hi Benny and Daniel, first of all, how are you these days?
Actually quite busy with all the new Madness shows coming up. Still feels a little weird after such a long break but we really enjoy filling up the dance floors again. So yeah, life could be worse 🙂
Can you tell us a bit more about Musical Madness, when did you guys start with it and what was the idea behind it?
Musical Madness started as a just-for-fun project in 2006 when all the bigger clubs stopped playing electronic dance music after its big commercial hype in Germany. We’ve initially kicked off the project as some sort of sanctuary for the die-hard fans. Back then, we didn’t even know about the potential the name MADNESS had. It all grew very organically within the years.
A few weeks back you finally celebrated the long-awaited Madness comeback. How did that feel?
Surreal. After 1.5 years, you don’t even know what it is to be surrounded by so many people anymore but it felt like we weren’t the only ones in desperate need of a good rave. The vibe and energy was just out of this world and we really enjoyed seeing all these familiar and happy faces after such a long break.
If you’d have to describe Musical Madness in one sentence, what would that be?
Madness is a family gathering, a huge community of dedicated die-hards, all with the same passion: Hardstyle.
You’re doing all sorts of events, from shows at your ‘home base Bootshaus and other clubs, tours, COVID proof events at Lanxess arena, stage hostings at New Horizons, and much more. What was the most memorable Madness event for you as the organizers?
After 15 years in the business, you don’t just have that one most memorable show anymore. A lot of milestones have been reached and the list became endless. Usually, these milestones also are the ones that get stuck in your head until forever. Another reason to reinvent yourself all the time.
You have extremely dedicated fans – the Madness family. How do you manage to stay close to them and keep them as dedicated as they are?
Being one of them! We try to stay as close as possible to our fans, not only via social media but also on the dance floor. This is super important because we’ve built all of this together. We listen to our community. And the family vibe is infectious 🙂
On October 8, Headhunterz, Wildstylez, and a bunch of other amazing Hardstyle artists will play at your next event. What can we expect from that night?
Both Willem and Joram have performed at Bootshaus several times before and delivered memorable sets but they’ve never been there together at one show. Also, they do an amazing job with their Art of Creation label and we proudly support their artists, especially the new ones: A-Rize, Last Of Us and JGSW. That combination will hopefully give the night a very special touch.
Are there any events coming up we should be aware of?
We have just announced a brand-new Sefa show on Halloween called ‘This Is Sefa’. The show will take place at Warsteiner Music Hall, a massive concert venue in Dortmund and Sefa will bring his piano and a couple of musicians for his performance. Frenchcore meets Classic! One of these special shows we really love doing every now and then. Come join us!
What can we expect from Musical Madness in the future?
We already have ‘secretly’ announced to work on a Madness festival. A new home for every Hardstyle addict in Germany. Something, we’ve had on the bucket list for quite a while but last year, we also found the perfect venue to finally make it happen.
Besides that, we have another big show on our list but this will remain a secret for now 😉
Thank you very much for the interview!
You will definitely find me at the Headhunterz & Wildstylez show this Friday at Bootshaus, who will be there? 🤩
Find information and tickets for the upcoming Musical Madness shows HERE.