Maddix on His Music: “I Want People to Feel Like They Can Forget About Life for a Moment”

We caught up with Maddix before the end of the year to discuss “Girls Go Freak,” his EXTATIC label, and the moments that defined his 2025.

Dutch DJ and producer Maddix has earned mainstage status and cultivated a global audience with a genre-defying sound rooted in the hedonistic energy of 90s rave culture. Blending elements of techno, trance, and big room house, all while blurring genre lines, he has carved out a distinct sonic identity that channels the spirit of raving and bridges the underground with mainstream appeal.

This year was a monumental one for Maddix, marked by a set on Tomorrowland’s mainstage and a summer residency at Amnesia in Ibiza with his record label EXTATIC. Maddix closed out 2025 with a standout appearance at Dreamstate SoCal and the release of “Girls Go Freak” with Reinier Zonneveld and Sarah De Warren, a warehouse-inspired, hard techno-trance hybrid built for mainstages.

We caught up with Maddix to reflect on the growth of EXTATIC, the evolution of his sound, his latest single, and sharing the decks with Armin van Buuren and Oliver Heldens at Ultra Miami. Read on for the conversation!

Stream Maddix, Reinier Zonneveld, Sarah de Warren – “Girls Go Freak” on Spotify:

Hi Maddix! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us. Your new single, “Girls Go Freak,” is such a high-energy collab with Reinier Zonneveld and Sarah de Warren. What was the spark behind this collab, and what did you want the track to capture sonically?

It was so much fun creating this track! Reinier Zonneveld, for me, is someone I look up to a lot; he is the king of that relentless techno sound. When he asked me for a collab, I instantly said yes. We aimed to create a harder techno/trance blend that will not get out of your head. A warehouse rave track that still works on a festival mainstage basically!

What was the creative process like for “Girls Go Freak,” and how did you, Reinier, and Sarah while making and how did you work together to shape the final track?

Sarah sent over the vocal to me first, and I loved it instantly. I showed it to Reinier, and he instantly got inspired. Reinier and I scheduled a studio day, and we basically finished the track in one day. Reinier is amazing to work with and crazy fast in the studio. After that, we could play test and had some minor tweaks, but that’s it!

Your sound is described as being inspired by the old-school rave era. What elements from that time speak to you the most, and how do you channel that energy not only into the way you produce tracks but also into the way you build your sets for clubs and festivals?

It’s the “rawness” of that era that speaks to me. In the ’90s, things weren’t perfectly polished; the acid lines were screaming, the 909 kicks were distorted, and the tempo was high. That’s the energy I want. In the studio, I use modern production techniques to make it sound crisp, but I try to keep the sound design aggressive and old-school.

When I build my sets, I try to mimic that old-school rave curve — starting high energy and just never letting go. Whether it’s a club or a festival, I want people to feel like they can forget about life for a moment. It’s constant energy, but always with some recognizable elements in there.

One of your more recent standout sets was at Dreamstate SoCal, a primarily trance festival. As an artist who has defined his sound within the mainstage and techno realm, what role has trance played in your artistic journey?

Trance is massive for me. I listened to it a lot back in the day, and I use many elements of old trance hits in my tracks. I also did some reworks of trance tunes like “Lethal Industry,” “Traffic,” and “Advanced.” For me, there are no boundaries in genres; it’s about the overall vibe! Playing Dreamstate last month was special because it is a dedicated trance festival. I’m honored to be able to play the main stage, even though I don’t play pure trance. I think we’re seeing a beautiful merger right now where the lines between “tech trance,” “hard techno,” and even “big room” are completely blurring.

Earlier this year, you went “Face2Face” with Armin van Buuren at ASOT for the first time. Then, you joined him and Oliver Heldens on stage at Ultra Miami for a b2b2b. Looking back, what were those experiences like from behind the decks? Did you have a different approach to both?

Those were definitely highlights of 2025. The Face2Face with Armin at ASOT in February was special because it was the first F2F for both of us. It was new, I was nervous, but I ended up loving the more playful way of DJing a lot. With a F2F, you really have to pay attention to the other DJ, as he can surprise me, and I need to interact. It makes me super focused, but as I said, it’s also very playful! Everything went perfectly, and I’m really happy Armin chose me to do this F2F at ASOT.

The B3B at Ultra with Armin and Oliver was a different beast. It was pure fun. Every one of us prepped a list with tracks, and then we just went with the flow, the vibe. I think you could see how much fun we had up there, just vibing and raving with the three of us! The crowd there went insane, and I think I can say it was one of those moments where you just had to be there!

The last time we spoke, you had just launched your label, EXTATIC. Now that there have been over two years of releases, what are your thoughts on the imprint’s growth so far? Where do you plan to take it next?

I’m incredibly proud of EXTATIC and the amazing artists who released some insane music in the last few years. There have actually been a few tracks with massive success! We’re growing, but one thing stays the same: every track that I release, I want to be able to play in my sets. For this reason, I’m really picky with the releases, but personally, I’d rather release less than too much.

Up next, we want to host more EXTATIC events. Actually, a week ago, we hosted our first-ever Asia edition in Malaysia, which was a massive success with 4,000 ravers! It makes me really happy to see the community growing. We’re also always looking for new producers who are not afraid to try new stuff.

With the year almost over, what was your favorite moment of 2025, and is there anything you’re particularly excited about in the new year you want to share with readers?

Picking one moment in such a great year is impossible! [Laughs] But since we talked about both Ultra and the F2F, I’m gonna pick my first time at the Tomorrowland Mainstage. That has been a lifelong goal ever since I started, and this year, that dream became a reality. I’ll never forget that moment!

For next year, I have some really cool new tracks and collabs coming up. Two of those are long-awaited, and I’m sure fans will be really happy to see the tracks released. Also, bigger shows, more shows, I’m excited and ready!

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