DJ Isaac Talks ‘Let Yourself Go’ And 30 Years In Hard Dance

DJ Isaac interview talks about ‘Let Yourself Go’, reflects on 30 years in hard dance, and shares how his early rave roots and Defqon.1 2024 still connect to what he plays today. *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="request-WEB:a2f07ed0-604a-49ae-ba89-5da310484262-18" data-testid="conversation-turn-38" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant"> DJ Isaac begins the year with Let Yourself Go on Scantraxx, a solo release following collaborations including Spaceman with Showtek and Berlin with D-Block & S-te-Fan. It comes after a period where much of his output involved working with others, making this release a more direct reflection of his own direction at this stage in his career. The track draws from the early rave and techno records he first heard growing up in the north of Holland in the late 80s and early 90s, while still keeping the harder sound he has been associated with for decades. That same mindset was clear at Defqon.1 2024, where he closed the mainstage with TNT and changed the set minutes before going on, choosing to respond to the crowd instead of following what had been prepared. Outside of touring and releases, he also speaks about valuing time with family more as the years go on, even as constant travel and jet lag remain part of the routine after 30 years behind the decks. *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id="request-WEB:a2f07ed0-604a-49ae-ba89-5da310484262-23" data-testid="conversation-turn-48" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant"> Hey! Great to meet you! How has 2026 been so far for you – what’s been good and bad? Hey, great to meet you too! 2026 has been good so far. I kicked off the year with my new release ‘Let Yourself Go’ on Scantraxx, which I’m really happy about. The last couple of years I did a lot of collaborations, ‘Spaceman’ with Showtek, ‘Berlin’ with D-Block & S-te-Fan, so it was nice to come back with something solo that feels 100% me. Besides that I’ve had some good quality time with the family between gigs, which I’ve learned to appreciate more and more over the years. Bad? Well, 30 years in and the jet lag still kills me. That never gets easier! When, why and how did you first fall in love with techno, and why the harder stuff in particular? I grew up in a small town in the north of Holland. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s the rave scene was exploding across Europe and I was completely hooked from the moment I heard those early acid house and techno tracks on the radio. I got myself a small Casio sampler and an old tape recorder and just started messing around. When I was 15 I worked at a record store that sold house and techno CDs and vinyls, so I could get a nice discount. Because I was already DJing at that point, I quickly noticed the harder stuff just hit different on the dancefloor. More energy, more power. It felt more honest to me, more pure. No pretence, just energy and emotion. What have been some of the most influential and defining moments so far for you as an artist? So many, but a few really stand out. Releasing ‘Bad Dreams’ in 1995 and having it blow up was when I realised this could actually become my career. And then more recently, closing the Defqon.1 2024 mainstage together with TNT. That was something else. In a time where hardstyle keeps getting harder, we proved that our sound still does its job. The energy on the field was indescribable. The funny thing is, we had a whole set prepared so we and the production crew knew what to expect from each other. But 5 minutes before we went on, we looked at each other and decided to do something completely different because that’s what felt right in the moment. Looking back, best decision ever. And that’s the golden rule of being a DJ: don’t prepare sets, feel the crowd. Where does inspiration come from for your productions? Everywhere really. The dancefloor is a big one. When I’m playing a set and I feel the crowd responding to a certain energy or melody, that goes straight back into what I do in the studio. I also get a lot from old rave music from the ‘80s and ‘90s, that stuff still inspires me. And funnily enough, driving my car is when a lot of ideas come to me. Probably because it’s one of the few moments where you’re not distracted and actually have time to think. Other times I just sit down in the studio with a blank project and see what comes out. Some of my best tracks started with no plan at all. Tell us about your new release on Scantraxx ‘Let Yourself Go’? What was the aim you had with it, and what you wanted it to say? With ‘Let Yourself Go’ I wanted to capture that pure rave feeling I’ve been chasing my whole career. After the success of ‘Feel So Good’, ‘Berlin’ and ‘Rise’, the bar was high, but I also didn’t want to repeat myself. What I wanted was to combine those early 2000s trance sounds with the hardstyle and techno sound