Zany
Origin: None
Raoul van Grinsven, otherwise known as Zany, is the definition of a Hardstyle legend. One of the original pioneers of the style, a member of the notorious Donkey Rollers, and an ever-present force pushing the genre through evolutionary trajectories – Zany was at the start and isn’t going anywhere.
As the frontman of Fusion his back catalog of hits is as extensive as it is impressive. Supreme classics like ‘Nothing Else Matters’, ‘Pure’ and ‘Widowmaker’ have been routinely added to with modern hits, such as ‘Execute’ and his most recent track ‘Free For All’ with Ruthless. Furthermore, Zany has two studio albums to his name, the genre defining ‘The Fusion of Sound’, and the more recent ‘Planet Zany’.
For well over a decade, Zany has been performing at the top of the scene – he has played at every major Dutch festival multiple times, and at a host of massive international events. Why? Quite simply, a Zany performance is guaranteed to get the party going. A combination of on stage energy, a dj’s eye (or should that be ear?) for progression, and a classy mixing style has always been the foundation of his performing success and little has changed over the years.
Today, Zany is still busy in the studio creating the next Fusion hit, and continues to perform week in week out across the Netherlands and beyond. Never one to be limited by restrictive categorisations, he now seeks to share his love for hardstyle in a more expansive manner. That is, with a freestyle sensibility.
Hardstyle is, and always will be, about the party. It has the ability to excite, evoke euphoria, and cast bass faces upon every crowd, at every party. Approaching the genre with a freestyle mentality allows Zany to evolve the genre once again, reminding us all that Hardstyle is fun and diverse – these is no better man to spark this change.
