Hard Attack didn’t start with a masterplan. It started with a feeling that wouldn’t go away. Youssef and Gysèle are the minds behind this revolutionary project.

A sense that something was missing — not louder sounds or bigger names, but space. Space for variation. Space for visuals that mattered. Space for an identity that felt personal rather than programmed. “It came from a personal need.” 

“To create an event where variation and visual identity carried more weight than they did at the time.”

What began as necessity slowly took shape as instinct. From the outside, the formula seems clear. Artwork that hits before the first kick ever does. Lineups filled with unfamiliar names, live acts, new talent, and more women behind the decks. But Hard Attack lives beyond structure. Creativity spills out of the booth and into the room itself — through a dedicated VJ, the mysterious creator, and the Digital Darkroom: a VR-driven space that bends perception and invites people to step sideways out of reality.

Yet the most important element is invisible.

“We want to keep an open vision, to reflect, to evolve, and to stay open to change.”

That openness runs deep. Even when the lights are off and no one is watching, the mentality stays the same. “We’re pretty down to earth,” Youssef says. “We’re just genuinely passionate about music — and we like sharing that, with each other and with others.” That sincerity seeps into everything they do. Conversations come easy. Connections stick. Over time, something real has formed. A community — not forced, not branded, but grown. From day one, Hard Attack chose trust over control. Fewer rules. Less politics. Less obsession with how people should behave. 

“We didn’t want to put too much emphasis on rules or strict forms. And yeah, sometimes that clashes with how the world works.” 

Still, the intention remains: keep the space human. What the project has given back can’t be measured in numbers. “Mostly, it brought us a feeling of ultimate creative freedom,” Youssef says. The long-awaited realization of Hard Attack merchandise wasn’t about expansion — it was about expression. Another way to build without compromise. 

For Youssef, ideas are never just ideas. They hover, wait, and grow heavier with time. “For me, an idea is always more than an idea,” Youssef reflects. “It’s about timing. About meeting the right people.” During the creation of the first edition, something shifted.

“That’s when it became stronger — and eventually more of a feeling than a concept.”

That feeling is what Hard Attack hopes to pass on. It starts early — with a lineup announcement paired with artwork by Nawwin. Not just information, but an invitation. A sensory spark. “I hope we can share our creative freedom with our visitors,” Youssef says. Hardcore veterans stand shoulder to shoulder with newcomers experiencing their first night inside the scene. 

“We love it when someone comes in curious — and leaves completely sold.”

Togetherness and community aren’t side effects; they’re part of the intention. Most of the work happens in silence. Long before the doors open, long after the last track fades out. “I wonder if people realize how much time goes into it,” Youssef says. “The event itself is actually the least of the work.” Planning, communication, socials, follow-up — an endless loop that never fully stops. If Hard Attack could speak, it wouldn’t lecture. It would remind:

“Stay true to yourself. And be kind to each other.”

Right now, Hard Attack isn’t chasing a destination. There’s reflection, but no hunger for growth just to grow. “We don’t have a concrete future vision,” Youssef says. “Not too big. Small, focused, meaningful. That’s how we like it.”

January 24 marks the next moment in that ongoing story. After breaking expectations with last year’s January edition, Hard Attack returns with a new chapter at 160K in Rotterdam. On Saturday 24 January 2026, from 20:00 until 06:00, the space will fill with early hardcore, gabber, early terror, and raw energy. The lineup brings together Akemiö Grey, Emission, Gysèle, Jiggly Desh, Marticos Hell, Rotschop, Verzetsstrijder, and more — a carefully chosen mix for both longtime devotees and first-timers. Tickets are still available, offering a chance to step inside this world before the night disappears.

Not as a statement.
As a feeling.