EDM-icons Mark Sixma and Darren Styles came together to create the electrifying song “Louder,” where Mark created the vocals and Darren completed it with production. Upon hearing the track, you may find that you’ll want to dance forever, making it perfect for a music festival.
Darren Styles is a DJ & producer that loves to make his dance music with high-tempos and heart-snatching sounds. He found success in the 1990s by being a part of Force & Styles, where he was responsible for pioneering the genre happy hardcore.
After releasing a record for Nukleuz and other labels in 2002, his solo career as Darren Styles started. Some of Darren Style’s most listened-to songs today include “Switch” and “Us Against the World (Da Tweekaz Remix).” Additionally, he has performed for fans for over 20 years at festivals and clubs worldwide.
Similarly, Mark Sixma’s dance music also has global appeal. Born in Breda, the same Dutch capital that bred Tiësto and Hardwell, he’s performed at festivals and has his music in videogames and movies. By starting out DJing at parties and a local club called De Spock, Mark Sixma soon became interested in producing trance and house music aside from just mixing music.
His natural talents landed him ‘Tune of the Week’ status on Armin van Buuren’s radio show, A State of Trance, and his next single landed him a record deal with Armada Music. His musical skills have also led him to perform on huge stages like EDC Las Vegas, Creamfields, TomorrowWorld, and Ultra, among others. One of his most popular songs is the “When in Rome” remix, with over 22 million plays.
Although the artists created the hard dance track “Louder” together virtually, it was their first time meeting in person, where Respect My Region had the opportunity to interview them while in Miami for Ultra Music Festival. In the interview, we learned about their collaboration, music interests, COVID hobbies, and more.
Mark Sixma & Darren Styles x Respect My Region Interview
RMR x Mark Sixma & Darren Styles Collab Interview
RMR: How did the collab for “Louder” come about?
Darren: Well, Mark came up with the original concept and hit me up and said, “do you wanna jump on board and get involved?” I loved the vocals and original concept, and I was 100% down.
Mark Sixma: This was new terrain for me. I’ve been listing to Darren’s music for a long time now, and I wanted someone to be on it who would know what to do with it. Darren’s name was the first to pop into my mind, and I was so happy he decided to go for it.
RMR: Did you guys know each other before the collaboration?
Darren: We’ve never met before. Today is the first day we actually met. We’ve worked online and spoken to each other that way.
Mark: We’ve been talking about the music that influences us from way back, and we have a lot of things in common in those ways.
RMR: Are many of your collaborations facilitated online?
Darren: A lot of people live in different countries, and sometimes they can be traveling all over the world, so you don’t get the time these days to actually physically sit in the studio together, but being in the studio together is the best way to do it.
Mark: I’m going to try to do more physical meetups because there is something special about having fun in the studio together. I did it recently with Wayne Nelson, and we both work in the same program, so it was super easy, and it brought back so much of the fun.
RMR: How do you gain inspiration to make music?
Darren: When COVID-19 first came about, and we were just trying to make it work in the studio, my inspiration was dry. It makes you realize how you feed off of seeing other people play and the reaction you get from certain songs. By not doing shows, you can’t tell what’s going to work with the crowd, so it’s important for me to play shows to get inspired.
Mark: I experienced the same thing. In the beginning, I was super productive, and then after a while, there was no new music and nothing exciting happening, so no new inspiration. Seeing the crowd’s reaction and how the song sounds in different environments is important. It’s the difference between the speakers from your phone verse hearing it in an environment where it’s supposed to be played.
RMR: So, would you say you make music for your fans?
Mark: Well, at first, I played music because I liked making music; even if nobody was listening, I would still make music. But, of course, you want to take the fans on a journey and connect on a level. It’s all about that connection in the end, for me at least.
Darren: No same; I feel that the more music you make and the longer you’re in it, the harder it gets. As much as you are making music for yourself, you sometimes do tailor your music to how the crowds work in certain areas. So it’s a bit more of a challenge trying to thrust out what you personally love when it doesn’t always translate well, and you have to tailor it slightly.
RMR: How do you mentally prepare for a show? Do you still get nervous?
Darren: I do, yeah, as soon as I play my first track. Especially when you walk into the club and you hear the person performing before you, my stomach always flips a bit. Once I actually get on to play, in with it.
Mark: For me, it is more like a “super-focus-mode.” Before the set, I don’t want to talk to anyone or take pictures or anything; I just want to get in the right mindset. For the big shows, when I see the crowd, it’s not so intimidating. But if I play a smaller show and there are people I know they’re watching, I get more nervous from that. I have to say, after COVID when I played my first show, I did get nervous from that because I wasn’t as used to it anymore.
RMR: How has COVID affected your progression in music and life? Did you pick up any hobbies?
Darren: Going from playing almost every weekend for about 20 years to being off for 18 months was a big change. Initially, I was excited about the break, but after time I was just thinking about when everything was going to come back. Then I started to gradually pick it up again. I also started to play golf a lot because we had a lot of time and just hang out with the family more.
Mark: I was ready to go back. I did a lot of video games with some of my friends, and I also spent a lot more time with friends and family because when you are touring, you miss out on a lot of stuff. You still have groups and the phone, but it’s not the same as being in person. I became an uncle during COVID as well, and it was amazing to be a part of that and see my niece.
RMR: Would you say your favorite music is the genre you play or something else?
Mark: I listen to lots of different music. I go from some of the hard stuff like what Darren makes, some hard dance to classical music or anything as long as it resonates. But of course, I will only play the music that I like. I hate to be in a pigeon-hold on one thing, and then sometimes people want to hear the same thing you already did, but to keep it interesting for myself, I need to try new things and obviously bring out different influences and combine what you are already doing. I don’t like to do the same trick.
Darren: Same, really; I’m quite an eclectic listener. I love loads of different styles of music. I’ve always been into the hard stuff; it’s where I started DJing, so that’s where my love is, but I’m really into it all. I think you have to be as well because you draw influence from other stuff. I always say that my genre of music is a bit like a melting pot of other styles of music, just faster and harder. That’s how it’s always been, since the 90s, I’d say.
RMR: If you could be reincarnated as any animal, what would it be?
Darren: A bird, because I have a cockapoo who is just so lovely. Such a lovely temperament. She is so happy all the time, and I just think that is what I’d wanna be.
Mark: I want to say an eagle or something. I just want the ability to fly and oversee the whole thing. Won’t have to sit in airplanes either.
Connect With Mark Sixma
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
Connect With Darren Styles
Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
