Preface “Number one DJ in the world”. It’s a title, recognition, an award. But receiving this award also raised the bar for Robbert. The year in which I was able to travel with him, it became increasingly clear to me that winning this title was not the ultimate goal, but only the beginning of something much bigger. From the premiere of his own documentary to a tour across North America. From a back to back set with Tiësto at Tomorrowland to headlining at Madison Square Garden. New tracks, a new album, a new tour, a residency at Ushuaia – the moment Robbert became the number one DJ, his career began to skyrocket. And I was lucky enough to stand beside him. Parallel to Robbert’s development, I can also clearly see my own development as a photo grapher when I look back at the photographs. Within a short period of time I moved up from taking photographs in clubs and cafés to shooting at the Ultra Mainstage. Suddenly I was playing with the big boys that I, as a photographer, had always looked up to. It meant I had to speed up my development. And it also raised the bar for me to an unprecedented level. The bond that grew between me and Robbert gave me the opportunity to capture every thing he experienced from the perspective of an insider. I stood behind him during every show, next to him at every meet and greet. I saw him falling asleep after a show, producing in his hotel room, giving one interview after another. I got on planes with him, saw him during photoshoots and sat down with him for a quick bite. I saw him crowd surfing and deciding to play one more track. I saw him interacting with professional colleagues and with friends from his hometown Breda. I was able to capture his most stressful, energetic, lonely and blissful moments. During my year with the number one DJ of the world I observed a guy with an immense passion for music, someone who deeply loves his fans, family and friends.
Apart from documenting his year as the number one DJ, this book is also my way of paying tribute to Robbert’s hard work. It is a word of thanks for giving me the opportunity to develop myself and present my work to an incredibly large audience. From the moment we began shooting, Robbert enthusiastically embarked on an unfamiliar adventure, starting with his mother’s embrace and ending up in the arms of thousands of fans around the world. Through this wonderful book I would like to share these experiences, and everything in between, with you. Lying before you is an impression of 365 days in the life of the number one DJ in the world. Many thanks to Robbert, Anna, Sorted Management, Anna Agency, Revealed and all the others I was fortunate enough to work with during this period. It’s been a blast.
Joep van Aert
hardwell 365 days as one
i am hardwell (première in amsterdam) In October 2013, during Amsterdam Dance Event, Hardwell held the world premiere of his ‘I Am Hardwell’ documentary in Amsterdam’s oldest and most famous cinema, Tuschinski. The documentary provides a captivating insidelook on Hardwell’s rise. With the motto “If you can dream it, you can do it”. 2015 saw the release of the sequel film ‘I AM Hardwell – Living The Dream’, again premiered during Amsterdam Dance Event and following Hardwell on his world tour, asking the question “The problem with dreams is what happens once they’ve come true?”. The documentaries are directed by Robin Piree. The young filmmaker followed Hardwell since 2011, filming each and every step he made. In the beginning Robin was known for his spectacular aftermovies, but with these documentaries he established himself as a talented filmmaker. “The Dancetour Breda aftermovie he made for Stappen & Shoppen was the first work I’d seen from him. I remember being struck by the video, because it perfectly captured the emotion of that moment. After I contacted him it didn’t take long before we started traveling the world together. We never intended to make a documentary but with all the footage in place we were able to show my incredible journey. Fun fact: the first movie was premiered with an open end… would the boy’s dream of becoming the number 1 come true? Literally the next day I was announced as the new number 1 DJ of the world. This scene wasn’t originally part of the documentary as most people have seen it.”