Hardsoul

Dutch house duo Hardsoul is best known for producing a number of club anthems after the turn of the century, most notably their international breakout hit "Back Together" (2003), but the brothers who comprise the duo are also accomplished DJs, particularly DJ Roog, and successful label owners. Hardsoul is comprised of brothers Rogier van Bueren (aka DJ Roog, one of the Netherlands' top house DJs) and Greg van Bueren. Their recording career began in the late '90s with a couple releases on the After Midnight subsidiary of the Dutch house label United Recordings (Do What I Gotta Do, 1998; Late Night Sessions, Vol. 1, 1999). In 2000 the brothers founded their own United Recordings subsidiary, Hardsoul Pressings, on which they issued a few 12" releases (All Nite Long, Never Gonna Stop, Tricky Bizniz #1); they also released a double-disc CD, Planet Hardsoul (2000), on United before switching label affiliation to the American house label Soulfuric Recordings. Their first release on Soulfuric, La Pasión de Gozar/Latino Directions (2001), was a massive success, as "La Pasión de Gozar" became an international club anthem and was licensed for numerous mix albums. Their next Soulfuric release, Back Together (2003), was an even greater success. Featuring vocalist Ron Carroll, "Back Together," like its predecessor, became an international club anthem and was licensed for number mix albums. The track's popularity spawned an accompanying double-disc mix album, Hardsoul: The Sound of Love and Dedication, Vol. 2 (2003); another related double-disc mix album, Soulfuric in the House (2003); and an international re-release of Back Together in 2004 on ITH Records, a subsidiary of Defected, a popular U.K. house label. Also in 2004, the brothers revived their Hardsoul Pressings label and proceeded to release a series of new productions (Bounson, 2005; Don't Let Love Weigh You Down, 2006; Deep Inside, 2006; et al.). Their success continued with club favorites such as "Über" (2005) released on Toolroom Trax; "My Life" (2006), a follow-up collaboration with vocalist Ron Carroll; and "Self Religion (Believe in Me)" (2007), their first release on Defected proper. Awash in success, they also founded an offshoot label of their own, R&G Electronics, in 2006. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi