After an incredible start to 2024, Creeds stopped by to reflect on his career and discuss the current landscape of hard dance music.
For more than 15 years, French artist Creeds has been pushing the boundaries of music through his productions encompassing a wide range of sounds from hardstyle, psy trance, and hard techno to the insane BPM of hardcore and Frenchcore. Not only has this talent consistently repped the sounds of the harder styles for years, but he’s also recently launched into stardom with the release of the iconic “Push Up,” which has welcomed a new wave of fans to the harder styles.
For “Push Up,” Creeds used harder sounds like punchy kicks and eerie melodies to create an accessible record that has reached mainstream popularity. Of course, this record has served as the catalyst to showcase Creeds’ true essence, which is deeply tied to hard dance music. He’s also continued to innovate with his newer performances, Creeds LIVE and Creeds + Helen Ka, at festivals like EDC Las Vegas.
Taking time to reflect, Creeds stopped by to chat about his career, the current landscape of hard dance and hard techno, staying true to his vision, and so much more. Make sure to stream “Closer” on Spotify or your preferred platform, and read on for the full conversation with this French sensation!
Stream Creeds – Closer on Spotify:
Hi Creeds, thank you for taking the time to chat with us at EDM Identity! You’ve just released your brand-new track, “Closer.” What does this record mean to you and your career, considering it’s a follow-up to “Push Up?”
Well, it was created around the same time as “Push Up,” so indeed, it can be taken as a follow-up. The idea was the same as “Push Up.” It has a recognizable melodic hook on top of an old-school reverse bass kick. Even people who are not in the proper “hard techno” scene would appreciate it!
Can you share more about how your production process differs when you approach creating more mainstream records like “Closer” versus “Body Drop” that more aggressively encompass the harder styles?
I’ve always wanted to make more “accessible” tracks for years. Due to the struggle of keeping one vibe to fit a certain genre for my audience and career development, I’ve never allowed myself to make it. Now that “Push Up” has opened doors for a new crowd, I’m super happy to explore new forms of music without boundaries and the limitation of thinking, “What would people say if I went this way?”
You’ve been in the scene for many years, but when you released “Push Up,” your career launched into stardom. During that time, did you find it difficult to stay true to your sound and style after creating a record that worked in mainstream and hard dance fanbases?
It’s been 15 years since my first release on SoundCloud, so I’ve tried different ways to express myself, like experimenting in multiple genres, without having the audience to share it with. Now that I see “Push Up” working for both hard and mainstream scenes, it’s a deliverance for me to go back in time and make the music I like, regardless of the style. I’m happy to be in the studio and explore lower or higher BPMs without questioning myself on the “mainstream or not mainstream” subject.
You know, there’s one answer that many people say when asked what they listen to daily: “I listen to everything.” I feel this way as a producer. I think there’s no bad music, but there are different sensibilities. I’m sure that many producers make music because they need to do it or feel empty inside. However, the true power of passion will always lead us to keep doing what we do, even if it means losing some people on the way!
Do you ever feel pressured to cater to that section of fans expecting records similar to it when you perform, or do you have a different mindset when you approach planning out your sets?
I will say it out loud right now. If people expect me to make tracks like “Push Up” over and over, they will be disappointed! I don’t feel any pressure because people who follow me are as curious as I am. Even if they don’t recognize themselves in a particular record that I do, I know they’ll find something good in the next ones.
For my DJ sets, I keep the hard techno vibe alive, but I wish to implement more accessible stuff, too. As a reference, Skrillex is the perfect example. He managed to bring a new vibe to the dubstep scene, and now, he goes for what he likes with an awesome sound quality. That’s exactly the way I want to go!
Speaking of your performances, you also played EDC Las Vegas a few weeks ago. How did you prepare for your debut at the wasteLAND stage with Helen Ka, and how did you feel after stepping off the stage?
EDC Las Vegas was such an awesome experience! I was supposed to play solo between Devin Wild and DEAD X B2B Levenkhan, who are purely hard dance, so we decided to switch my solo set to the one I have with Helen Ka which is more into the hardcore sound. We made a mix between my hard techno tracks and the ones I have with Helen Ka. The audience was so nice! It felt good to see the ocean people who were enjoying the hard sound we love in Europe!
Whenever you play with Helen Ka, you two tend to go into the faster BPMs of hardcore and Frenchcore music. What is the difference between Creeds and Creeds + Helen Ka?
The idea behind the Creeds & Helen Ka project is to blend Frenchcore and hardcore music with sung French vocals. By herself, Helen Ka has many projects outside of hardcore. When we work together, we love to create oppositions between her angelic voice and lyrics, and the fast BPM kicks on top of sweet melodies! It’s important for us to establish this project and for fans to know that it is way harder than my solo one.
In addition to your solo sets and sets with Helen Ka, you also have Creeds LIVE, which takes your performances to another level. Can you share more about what fans can expect when they see Creeds LIVE?
I want to bring the concert vibe to hard techno. Playing instruments on stage has always been a goal for me in my career, and the live show clearly goes in that direction. People can expect some sung portions by Helen Ka alongside many of my solo tracks. Ultimately, I implement the keyboard and synths to deliver new versions of my previous tracks. We also have a special light show for the whole experience created by an awesome French team. We can’t wait to show it around the globe!
Your production style has always focused on faster genres like psytrance and hard dance. Everyone is calling it hard techno now, so what are your thoughts on the explosive rise in popularity once again, even if it’s under a different name?
I see many arguments on social media around the “techno / not techno” debate. In my opinion, it’s nonsense. If you think about it, we now refer to everything mainstream as EDM, and it literally means “Electronic Dance Music,” which could apply to any dancefloor!
Many artists and DJs also say that hard techno is the new EDM. That means it’s currently the music that gathers most of the youngster ravers now, so let it be. I hate that we have to put labels on everything because, in the end, we’re all together on dance floors to enjoy a moment out of time. Let’s not limit ourselves to a hashtag.
How would you compare the crowds when you play in Europe to those in America, where the harder styles are still less popular?
I felt an unbelievable energy from the American crowd. It was similar to when European techno fans discovered harder sounds in clubs. You can feel the need to let go and vibe to something animal and raw. I love this energy so much, and I can’t wait to play again in America to keep the vibe growing!
To end on a fun note, what’s one hard dance record you always have to play when performing?
There are two tracks I can’t help but play: “Fascinating Rhythm” by DJ Isaac and “Too Cold” by Sickmode and Rooler. These two tracks are absolute bangers that can save you anytime you feel you’re losing the crowd. I’m still waiting for better records, but I haven’t found them yet!
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