In a move uniting trance nostalgia with hardstyle energy, Armada Music and Q-dance have officially launched a long-term collaboration that reshapes electronic music’s past for the future. The exclusive partnership grants Q-dance access to parts of iconic catalog tracks from Armada, opening the door for a wave of high-powered hard dance reinterpretations.
The Deal: Classic Tracks, Reimagined by the Hardstyle Elite
Taking to Instagram, Armada co-founder and CEO Maykel Piron, shares that the collaboration is more than a one-off remix drop. “We’re handing over the keys to our catalog, and they’re reimagining some of the most iconic dance tracks with their signature hardstyle sound,” Piron shared. That catalog includes timeless trance and house anthems. These have shaped dancefloors for decades—tracks that now find new life through the harder lens of Q-dance’s top-tier producers.
Already released are a power-charged remake of Kosheen’s “Hide U”, and the current highlight: “Saltwater” by Chicane featuring Moya Brennan, newly interpreted by Ecstatic & Audiotricz. The remix dropped June 13 via Q-dance Records, reworking Chicane’s sweeping trance classic into an emotionally charged hardstyle juggernaut. The iconic ethereal vocal remains. But now, bolstered by soaring synths, thunderous kick drums, and the euphoric intensity that defines the Q-dance sound.
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Two Worlds, One Vision: Armada and Q-dance Collaboration
At its core, this partnership marks a bridge between two powerhouse scenes. Armada, the world’s largest independent dance label, and Q-dance, the global standard-bearer for hard dance. Armada offers a vault of classics and a legacy of innovation, while Q-dance brings explosive energy, a loyal global fanbase, and a track record for trendsetting within the harder styles.
The two brands aren’t just co-signing releases. They’re integrating at multiple levels. Armada’s publishing arm will now administer Q-dance Music’s catalog worldwide, and act as co-publisher for select Q-dance artists. The collaboration includes strategic artist support, long-term career development, and a commitment to new creations. It all begins starting with a writing camp at Defqon.1 inside the Artist Village.
BEAT Music Fund Joins the Mission
This isn’t just about creative crossover. Armada is also leveraging its BEAT Music Fund, which acquires and revitalizes premium dance catalogs for today’s market. This ensures not only preservation of these legacy tracks, but reinvigoration through high-impact remakes aimed at modern fans of harder dance genres.
The partnership represents a rare instance of two genre leaders merging forces without compromise. Where one offers emotional resonance and history, the other delivers physicality and future-facing sound. With several remixes already out and more in the pipeline, Armada and Q-dance seem determined to remind fans why these classics mattered—and how they can still move the dancefloor in 2025.