Hardwell tags ‘Mind Control’ as eighth album single, hosts Reddit AMA with surprise drop of ‘Spaceman’ rework20220327 214315 UMF Rudgrcom R3B 8101 2048p Logo

Hardwell tags ‘Mind Control’ as eighth album single, hosts Reddit AMA with surprise drop of ‘Spaceman’ rework

by: Ross Goldenberg Jun 24, 2022

Forget managing the situation, manage your mind.

Just like with “PACMAN“—and pretty much every other Ultra ID—there’s really no other way to open this article than by saying the lyrics from “Mind Control” have more than likely been memorized in the months following Hardwell’s comeback. It’s been a week filled with updates from the Rebels Never Die creator himself, who took to Reddit to host an ask-me-anything and address a slew of burning questions that everyone has had on their minds since he enacted his sabbatical towards the end of 2018. But before we take a moment to dive through the lengthy list of notable answers that the Revealed Recordings head provided, the eighth single from his sophomore album has landed on the road to September 16.

“Mind Control” is the single that officially takes the Rebels Never Die tracklist past half-court and there’s a case to be made that it almost flew under the radar relative to Hardwell’s other Ultra IDs that have dominated the conversation these past few months. And even though it may not have been talked about as much as other album singles—like “PACMAN” or “GODD“—”Mind Control” upholds the unending pattern that every new Rebels Never Die delivery has emphatically outclassed the single that’s come before it. “Mind Control” brings Hardwell’s new-age persona directly into the trance window, which isn’t necessarily anything new to him considering tracks like “Echo” with Jonathan Mendelsohn or “Off The Hook” with Armin van Buuren. With an A State Of Trance-ready, clock-ticking buildup served with a sample courtesy of Will Smith, “Mind Control” blows the bigroom-techno—the genre label that Hardwell expressed in his Q&A feels most fitting—floodgates directly open to the other side.

And that’s a perfect segue into the new information that Hardwell supplied in his ask-me-anything on Reddit. First and foremost, he had teased in his reply to us to be on the lookout for something following the Q&A’s conclusion, with the 2022 rework of “Spaceman” from his Ultra set being gifted for free as a private SoundCloud link through the Revealed Recordings Discord. For those wondering if it’ll eventually wind up on streaming platforms, Hardwell disclosed that a Rebels Never Die deluxe edition—with the new IDs and edits from his Jerusalem show—is in the cards sometime following the album’s full delivery in September. Hardwell also confirmed that Rebels Never Die won’t see a traditional album release and will follow the bimonthly single pattern up until its title track fills the 14th and final single spot the day before his UBS Arena show. Hardwell also readdressed the age-old question about “Music Box“—his unreleased ID with Martin Garrix from 2014—saying that they felt the track is long past its time and if they work on something else, it’ll be from scratch. He also confirmed that the handful of dates on his current Rebels Never Die tour poster aren’t the only ones in place for this year, with more show announcements for later this year in the pipeline.

Stream “Mind Control” above, read through our recap of Hardwell’s Q&A below, scan through his full Reddit thread here, and listen to his Rebels Never Die rework of “Spaceman” here, available exclusively in his label’s discord.

Featured image: Rutger Geerling

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