Who is Gunz For Hire? Gunz For Hire Songs, Music, Discography & Artists Like Gunz For Hire
Gunz For Hire is a Dutch hardstyle duo consisting of Adaro (Thijs Ploegmakers) and Ran-D (Randy Wieland). They built their name on raw, aggressive kicks paired with cinematic melodies and a Día de los Muertos aesthetic that made them instantly recognizable in the hard dance scene. 4D4M has been following them since digging deeper into Dutch hardstyle exports. Adam puts Gunz For Hire at the top of the raw hardstyle tier, and this article covers why.
Who Is Gunz For Hire?
Gunz For Hire combines two Dutch producers who were already respected individually before joining up. Adaro had roots in euphoric hardstyle, Ran-D in rawstyle, and together they balanced both directions into something with a clear identity. The Netherlands is the global capital of hardstyle and both members are deeply embedded in that scene.
Their Mexican cartel and Día de los Muertos aesthetic was built into the music from the start. The tracks are darker and more cinematic because the visual and sonic identity were developed together. Dia De Los Muertos, their 2013 breakthrough, became one of the most iconic hardstyle tracks ever and established the template they’ve refined ever since.
They came up through Scantraxx, one of the most respected hardstyle labels globally, and went on to headline Defqon.1, Qlimax, Dominator, and the full circuit of European hard dance festivals. Both members run active solo careers alongside the duo, which makes their consistent output even more impressive. Their fanbase is international, with strong followings across Europe, Australia, and North America.
Gunz For Hire’s Sound Explained
Raw hardstyle starts with the kick drum. More distorted and heavier than euphoric hardstyle, the raw kick is the defining element of the subgenre and Gunz For Hire engineers theirs with precision. Above that they layer Spanish guitar, orchestral elements, and cinematic intros that make tracks feel like short films before the drop.
Their vocal approach varies across releases. Sometimes featured singers carry full hooks, sometimes chopped samples do the work. Either way the production quality is high and holds up to a fanbase that scrutinizes every detail of a kick design. Tempos range from mid-range hardstyle to uptempo at 150-160 BPM.
For anyone exploring hard dance music, Gunz For Hire is an ideal entry point into raw hardstyle. They have enough melodic accessibility to pull in new listeners while never watering down the core sound.
Top Tracks by Gunz For Hire
Dia De Los Muertos
Their signature track and one of the most recognized hardstyle songs globally. The Día de los Muertos theme runs through the entire production. Still gets massive crowd response at festivals years after release.
Every Breaking Wave
A melodic raw hardstyle track with a strong emotional arc. One of their cleaner, more polished productions with a kick that sits perfectly under the top line.
Bang Bang (feat. Ava Silver & GLDY LX)
A vocal-driven collab with a commercial edge that doesn’t compromise the hardstyle foundation. Accessible without being soft, and the chorus works outside of festival contexts.
Hard Knock Life
Leans fully into the outlaw aesthetic with relentless forward momentum. Built for late-night sets when the crowd needs something unrelenting.
Plata O Plomo
Named after the cartel phrase, this is one of their heavier kick designs. Dark and aggressive, it consistently appears in their live sets.
Bella Ciao
Taking the Italian partisan anthem into raw hardstyle was a bold move that landed perfectly. Crowd response live is exceptional and the cultural weight of the source adds something real.
Welcome To The Underground
Almost a mission statement for the duo. The intro builds perfectly into one of their more punishing drops and captures the outsider ethos of the hardstyle scene.
Firestone (feat. Ava Silver)
The contrast between Ava Silver’s warm vocals and the aggressive production creates genuine tension. One of their more emotionally resonant tracks.
Sorrow (feat. Ellie)
Melancholic rawstyle with a strong vocal. Shows Gunz For Hire can handle emotional depth beyond aggression and spectacle.
I Like The Way You Kiss Me (Uptempo Edit)
A trending pop track flipped into uptempo hardstyle. The transformation works and it’s built for maximum festival energy.
Soldier
Militant-themed with a production that marches before exploding. Purpose-built for mainstage festival slots.
El Mariachi
Traditional instrumentation in the intro snaps into contemporary rawstyle. The genre blending highlights their range as a production duo.
Los Bandidos
Another cartel-narrative track with a cinematic intro that feels like a short film before the rawstyle takes over.
La Familia
Has unexpected warmth despite the hard production. Frequently cited by fans as the track that most captures the community ethos of the Gunz For Hire brand.
Immortal
Orchestral and dramatic, delivering the grand emotional payoff that works as a closing track at a major festival mainstage.
Why 4D4M Vibes With Gunz For Hire
Raw hardstyle rewards deeper listening and Gunz For Hire is proof. The production craft is real: kick engineering, thematic consistency across releases, and quality collaborations. There’s genuine artistry underneath the aggression that becomes clear once you’ve spent real time in the catalogue.
The Día de los Muertos visual identity is memorable in a genre where artists can blur together. In a crowded festival lineup that kind of brand sticks. From a DJ standpoint their tracks are also just incredibly functional. They build well, drop hard, and hold the floor. Dia De Los Muertos, Plata O Plomo, and Bella Ciao can anchor a set at the right moment without requiring much work around them.
Staying committed to a specific sound in the EDM subgenre space takes real commitment. Raw hardstyle doesn’t offer mainstream crossover the way softer genres do, and the fanbase is demanding. Gunz For Hire stayed in that lane and kept improving. That kind of integrity is worth respecting. For anyone mapping out the harder end of dance music, Gunz For Hire is required listening.
Gunz For Hire Discography
| Track/Release | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dia De Los Muertos | 2013 | Breakthrough single, iconic anthem |
| Hard Knock Life | 2014 | Raw hardstyle heavy-hitter |
| Plata O Plomo | 2015 | Cartel-themed rawstyle track |
| La Familia | 2016 | Community-themed fan favorite |
| Welcome To The Underground | 2016 | Underground hardstyle statement |
| El Mariachi | 2017 | Mexican folk meets raw hardstyle |
| Firestone (feat. Ava Silver) | 2018 | Vocal collaboration |
| Sorrow (feat. Ellie) | 2019 | Melancholic rawstyle |
| Bella Ciao | 2020 | Italian anthem in raw hardstyle |
| Immortal | 2021 | Orchestral festival epic |
| Bang Bang (feat. Ava Silver, GLDY LX) | 2022 | Accessible vocal collab |
| Every Breaking Wave | 2023 | Melodic rawstyle with strong hook |
| I Like The Way You Kiss Me (Uptempo Edit) | 2024 | Pop flip in uptempo format |
Live & Touring
Gunz For Hire built their live reputation on the Dutch festival circuit, playing Defqon.1, Qlimax, and Dominator. Their sets are high-energy from start to finish, no chill-out sections, just relentless forward momentum and big melodic moments that define hardstyle at its best.
Internationally they’ve expanded into Australia and North America, following the global growth of hardstyle artists outside Europe. Their tracks travel because they’re known globally from streaming and festival broadcasts. The b2b format Adaro and Ran-D use keeps energy dynamic across a full set runtime.
FAQ
Who are the members of Gunz For Hire?
Gunz For Hire consists of Adaro (Thijs Ploegmakers) and Ran-D (Randy Wieland), two Dutch hardstyle producers. Both run active solo careers alongside the duo. Adaro came from euphoric hardstyle while Ran-D had already built a reputation in rawstyle before they combined their approaches.
What genre is Gunz For Hire?
Gunz For Hire primarily makes raw hardstyle, characterized by heavier and more distorted kick drums and higher aggression compared to euphoric hardstyle. They sit in the broader hard dance space within electronic dance music, with uptempo elements appearing in some releases.
What is Gunz For Hire’s most famous song?
Dia De Los Muertos, released in 2013, is their signature track and one of the most iconic hardstyle songs ever. The Día de los Muertos theme, cinematic production, and devastating raw drop made it instantly recognizable. It still appears in live sets and hardstyle retrospectives regularly.
Where are Gunz For Hire from?
Both Adaro and Ran-D are Dutch. The Netherlands is the global center of hardstyle since the genre developed there in the early 2000s. Their music carries that scene’s DNA clearly in both production style and the festival culture that shaped their live approach.
What labels has Gunz For Hire released music on?
Gunz For Hire came up through Scantraxx, one of the most respected hardstyle labels globally. Scantraxx has been home to many of the biggest names in hardstyle and its quality standards are well known in the genre. They’ve released on other hard dance imprints as their career expanded.
How does Gunz For Hire compare to other hardstyle artists?
In production quality, live reputation, and catalogue depth they sit near the top of raw hardstyle. Artists like Rebelion and Warface occupy similar territory but each with different aesthetics. What sets Gunz For Hire apart is thematic consistency and the cinematic quality that makes their productions memorable across years of releases.
Where can I listen to Gunz For Hire?
Gunz For Hire is on Spotify with a full catalogue of originals and collaborations. They’re also on YouTube where official videos and live festival recordings are available. Their social channels on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X are regularly updated with new releases and tour dates.
Listen to Gunz For Hire
Gunz For Hire Online
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Official Website | gunzforhire.com |
| Spotify | Spotify Profile |
| @gunzforhire | |
| Facebook Page | |
| Twitter/X | @gunzforhire |
| YouTube | YouTube Channel |
