Paul Elstak

Paul Elstak is one of the defining DJs and producers in Dutch hardcore. He helped shape gabber while opening up melodic happy hardcore to a wide audience. The tension between hard beats and catchy melodies continues to drive his career.

Born in The Hague, he learned to DJ through extensive practice with records before starting as a DJ at Rotterdam nightclub Bluetiek-Inn in 1987. There, he played alongside house pioneer Peter Slaghuis; he later formed Holy Noise with Rob Fabrie and Richard van Naamen. In 1992, Elstak founded Rotterdam Records, a label that gave the city’s emerging hardcore scene a platform. For gabber, he long used the name DJ Paul, while releasing happy hardcore under his full name; that distinction ended with the launch of Offensive Records in 2001.

In the mid-1990s, “Life Is Like A Dance” took him into the Dutch Top Ten. “Luv U More” reached number two in the Dutch Top 40, while “Rainbow in the Sky” peaked at number three. The success of his more upbeat tracks met with resistance from parts of the gabber scene, but Elstak later returned more firmly to hardcore. Decades later, he co-produced Joost Klein’s “Europapa”, bringing his happy-hardcore sound to the track.

Today, Elstak is at home both at hardcore parties and events celebrating that decade. On stage, the energy of his gabber roots meets the melodies of his happy-hardcore years.