Hardwell is still in his early twenties, but he’s already put in the work of someone much older. The Dutch producer and DJ has helped redefine a genre, hit the road with the world’s best, and started his own record label – and he’s still got candles to burn.

Robbert van de Corput, as they call him back home, got a head start when he started DJing at age 13 after being inspired by the parties he saw on MTV. Just a year later, he went straight into playing local clubs after signing to a local Dutch label and has been blooming ever since.

The signature Hardwell sound is a hybrid of trance and house — dubbed big-room house — but he doesn’t like to get caught up on the labels. It’s booming, it’s seizing, and it engulfs the gigantic crowds by hypnotizing them into a state of dance. It’s the ability to conjure up these types of atmospheres that has gotten him listed as #6 in DJ Mag‘s top 100 deejays in 2012 and a #1 spot on Beatport.

Tracks like “Spaceman” and “Zero76” have been huge for the young star, but with years of discography already in the bag, that’s barely touching the surface. In 2010, he founded Revealed Recordings, a home for those enormous tracks and other artists who come with a fresh, versatile style.

And there’s an impressive stack of remixes in there as well. Putting his twist on big timers like “Who Dat Girl” for Flo Rida with Akon, and “Where Have You Been” with Rihanna, he’s certainly not afraid to toss that personal flare into the mainstream.

Hardwell is often hailed as “a new kid on the block,” but in fact he’s already been around it a few a times. He’s just stacking on his successes.