The Partysquad: Biography, Discography and More | EDM Encyclopedia
Introduction
The Partysquad is a Dutch DJ and production team consisting of three members: Jerry Leembruggen, Ruben Fernhout, and Lorenzo Biemans. Active since the early 2000s, the trio has established a consistent chart presence in the Netherlands, with 12 singles reaching the Dutch Top 40. This chart history, accumulated over multiple years, demonstrates their sustained ability to produce commercially successful tracks within the Dutch music market.
The group’s activities extend beyond their own artist releases into production work for other artists. They contributed production to British rapper M.I.A.’s fourth studio album Matangi, which saw release in 2013. They later returned to collaborate with M.I.A. on her fifth studio album AIM, released in 2016. These production credits connect The Partysquad to international recording projects, placing their Dutch electronic production style within a broader musical context outside the Netherlands.
The confirmed discography of The Partysquad spans from 2006 to 2018. Their first documented release arrived in 2006, marking the start of their recorded output. Their most recent confirmed release dates to 2018. Across this period, the trio has released projects in both album and EP formats, accumulating a catalog that includes four confirmed albums and four confirmed EPs. This range of release formats shows their engagement with different approaches to distributing their music, from full-length collections to shorter, more focused projects that allow for different types of statements.
Genre and Style
The Partysquad operates within the hardstyle electronic music genre, a style with deep cultural roots in the Netherlands. Their specific production approach distinguishes itself through a fusion of hardstyle’s aggressive sonic characteristics with elements drawn from hip-hop, dancehall, and other urban music forms. This cross-pollination creates a sound positioned at the intersection of Dutch hard dance culture and Caribbean-influenced rhythm traditions.
The hardstyle Sound
The trio’s production work for M.I.A. illustrates how they adapt their style to different contexts. On Matangi (2013) and AIM (2016), The Partysquad applied their characteristic production techniques to hardstyle tracks that merge electronic intensity with M.I.A.’s global pop and hip-hop sensibilities. This adaptability reveals a production approach flexible enough to function within both club-oriented Dutch releases and international album projects that demand different considerations.
Their sound incorporates several identifiable production elements. Distorted, heavy kick drums associated with hardstyle djs form the rhythmic foundation, layered with vocal samples and hooks that reference dancehall and hip-hop vocal styles. The basslines in their productions carry substantial low-end weight, driving tracks forward with physical force suited to large venue sound systems. Tempos in their work align with the energy levels expected in hardstyle and related Dutch club genres, maintaining the intensity that defines these styles.
The Partysquad’s production approach also reflects the Netherlands’ position as a center for hardstyle and related electronic music forms. Rather than adhering strictly to one subgenre’s conventions, their productions draw from multiple styles circulating through the Dutch electronic music network. This allows their tracks to function across different DJ set contexts, from dedicated hardstyle events to broader club nights where genre boundaries are less rigid.
Key Releases
The Partysquad’s discography includes four confirmed albums and four confirmed EPs, released between 2006 and 2018.
- De bazen van de club
- Total Los! De Mixtape, Volume 1
- Total Los! The Mixtape Vol. 2
- Nachtwacht
- Ik ga hard
Discography Highlights
Albums:
De bazen van de club (2006): The trio’s debut album, arriving in their first documented year of release activity. The title translates to “The Bosses of the Club,” establishing their assertive presence in the Dutch club scene from the outset of their recorded career.
Total Los! De Mixtape, Volume 1 (2008): Released two years after their debut, this mixtape-format project expanded their catalog with a different structural approach to album construction. The title’s Dutch phrase “total los” conveys a sense of complete release or going all out.
Total Los! The Mixtape Vol. 2 (2009): The second installment in their mixtape series arrived the year, maintaining their release momentum with a direct sequel project that continued the format established by its predecessor.
Nachtwacht (2018): Their most recent confirmed album represents a notable gap from their previous full-length release, arriving nine years after the second mixtape volume. The title references the famous Dutch painting “The Night Watch” by Rembrandt.
EPs:
Ik ga hard (2010): This EP’s title translates to “I Go Hard,” reflecting the aggressive energy characteristic of their production style. The release arrived in the same year as their Hollertronix collaboration.
Hollertronix #10 (2010): Also released in 2010, this EP places The Partysquad within the Hollertronix release series, connecting them to a specific lineage of club music releases that spans multiple artists and volumes.
Badman Rave EP (2012): Released two years after their 2010 EP outputs, this project’s title combines dancehall terminology with rave culture references, encapsulating the hybrid approach that defines their sound.
Wake ‘m Up (2014): Their most recent confirmed EP release arrived in 2014, four years before their final confirmed album.
The chronological distribution of these releases reveals concentrated activity in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Multiple projects arrived in close succession during the 2008 to 2010 period, with two albums and two EPs released across three years. this dense output period, the gaps between releases lengthened, with only three confirmed projects arriving between 2012 and 2018.
Famous Tracks
The Partysquad, comprising Jerry Leembruggen, Ruben Fernhout, and Lorenzo Biemans, built their discography across a distinct evolutionary arc in Dutch electronic music. Their debut album, De bazen van de club (2006), established their presence in the Netherlands, translating club energy into recorded form. Two years later, the mixtape format allowed them a different creative outlet: Total Los! De Mixtape, Volume 1 (2008) arrived first, with Total Los! The Mixtape Vol. 2 (2009) swiftly after.
The 2010s saw the trio shift toward shorter, harder-hitting releases. The Ik ga hard EP (2010) signaled a move toward harder styles, a direction cemented by the collaborative Hollertronix #10 EP that same year. By 2012, the Badman rave EP captured a crossover point between hip-hop attitudes and rave mechanics. The Wake ‘m Up EP (2014) continued refining this approach. Their second full-length album, Nachtwacht (2018), arrived a full twelve years after their debut, showcasing a veteran act distilling their experience into a cohesive statement.
Live Performances
Since the early 2000s, The Partysquad has maintained a consistent presence in Dutch venues and festivals. Their thirteen-year gap between studio albums did not equate to inactivity: the team remained active behind the decks, with their EP and mixtape releases serving as direct injections of new material into their sets. The mixtape format specifically suggests a DJ crew attuned to the demands of live performance, where flow and momentum outweigh standalone track considerations.
Notable Shows
Their twelve singles charting on the Dutch Top 40 provided a foundation for audience recognition during performances. Chart presence translates directly to crowd response, giving the trio immediate anchors within longer sets. The Total Los! mixtape series, released in consecutive years, points toward a period where recorded output directly served their live repertoire, capturing the energy of their events and distributing it to a wider audience.
The shift toward EP releases in the 2010s aligns with the demands of modern electronic rave music performance, where shorter release cycles allow DJs to rotate material rapidly. The Badman Rave EP (2012) and Wake ‘m Up EP (2014) represent a practical approach: functional tracks designed for immediate deployment in high-energy environments.
Why They Matter
The Partysquad holds a specific position in Dutch electronic music history. Twelve Dutch Top 40 singles since the early 2000s represents measurable commercial impact within a fiercely competitive national scene. That consistency across multiple decades demonstrates an ability to adapt as genres shifted around them, from the club sounds of 2006 to the harder styles embraced in their later EPs.
Impact on hardstyle
Their production work extends beyond their own catalog. The trio contributed to British rapper M.I.A.’s fourth and fifth studio albums: Matangi (2013) and AIM (2016). This collaboration places them within a broader international context, connecting Dutch dance music production to a globally recognized artist known for genre experimentation.
The group’s format choices also reflect broader industry shifts. Moving from full albums to mixtapes to EPs mirrors the electronic music industry’s evolution away from long-form releases toward single and EP-driven distribution. The Total Los! mixtape series captured a specific moment in Dutch club culture, while their later EPs embraced the faster release cadences of the streaming era. Their catalog documents a working production team navigating two decades of structural change in how electronic music reaches audiences.
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