The German DJ duo HBz, comprised of Nils and Niklas, has taken the German music scene by storm in recent years. Their remixes and original tracks have gained immense popularity, accumulating over half a billion views on YouTube and propelling them into the top 10 most-listened-to YouTube artists in Germany.
With their distinctive style ranging from Bounce to Hardstyle, they have secured a permanent place on main stages as well as in the hearts and Airpods of their fans – the #hbzfamily. Their songs have been streamed over 530 million times on Spotify. The single "KING KONG" was featured in the German Top 100 Single Charts for half a year in 2021, earning the duo their second gold record following their award for the single "DEINE AUGEN." Their remix of TREAM's "LEBENSLANG" was another major success, having been played over 63 million times on Spotify. After being honored with their third Gold Award at the beginning of the year, they soon celebrated their next chart success with "TATTOO," a collaboration with FiNCH.
THE INTERVIEW
CR: Hello Nils and Niklas, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing?
HBz: Hello, thanks for having us! We're doing great, just keeping busy with music and touring.
CR: Tell us a little bit about yourselves, what is the story behind your stage name ‘HBz’?
HBz: HBz stands for "Hamburg Boyz," a nod to the city where we were both born and raised. We chose it because it represents our roots and the love we have for our hometown.
No, just messing around. We are not from Hamburg, but from a small town near Hannover and the meaning behind HBz is a secret. In every interview we give a different explanation, but we kind of running out of creative answers.
CR: The track ‘Forever’, tell us a little bit about the producing process, and how did you connect with VIZE and ItaloBrothers to create this masterpiece?
HBz: The track "Forever" was a collaborative effort. We had been fans of VIZE and ItaloBrothers for a while, and the opportunity to work together came up. The production process was a fantastic experience of brainstorming, swapping ideas, and refining the track until we all felt it was perfect.
CR: We see you are on a massive tour this year. How was Ikarus festival and what was the highlight for that?
HBz: The Ikarus festival was phenomenal! The energy from the crowd was incredible. It was our first major festival show of the year and it felt amazing to celebrate outdoors with the crowd again after such a long winter and indoor season. We had a huge firework at the end of our show, which gave the set that grand finale. It was an amazing experience.
CR: What is the best advice you both have received while pursuing your career as a DJs/Producers?
HBz: The best advice we've received is to stay true to ourselves and our music. Trends come and go, but authenticity is timeless.
CR: We know Dance music scene is huge in Germany how did that influence you as an artist? Also, which club in Germany is your favourite to attend.
HBz:The German dance music scene has had a massive influence on us. Germany has such a diverse and amazing club scene and there are so many clubs that we love to play at, but also love to just be there as guest. Our favourite clubs to attend has to be Bootshaus in Berlin and Neuraum in Munich; the atmosphere in both venues is unparalleled.
CR: Who has been your biggest supporter since your guys started your producing career?
HBz: Our biggest supporters have been our families and our team. They've always believed in us and our music, even when we were just starting out.
CR: You guys are busy as it is, what do you like to do during your down time?
HBz: In our downtime, we love to explore the cities we're touring, find good food spots, and catch up on sleep. We also hit the gym, try to stay fit and healthy and we love to just take a drive around and listen to some new tracks.
LIGHTING ROUND
1. Favourite Fast Food?
Hamburger
2. Go to meal when you’re sick?
Water and chicken soup.
3. Favourite drink to order?
Milkshake
4. First Rave as an attendee?
Yellow Claw in Berlin
5. First celebrity crush?
None
6. Favourite comic book character?
Spiderman
7. All-time favourite song?
Oh, there are too many.
8. Go to vacation spot?
Austria!
9. What is your guilty pleasure?
Cars.
10. What is your hidden talent?
Still looking for that one.
11. Which social platform do you use a lot?
Insta & TikTok.