Paul Elstak

Paul Elstak, born on 14 January 1966 in The Hague, is one of the defining figures of the Dutch hardcore and gabber scene. His DJ career began in 1987 as a resident at Rotterdam's Bluetiek-Inn club, where he first worked alongside house pioneer Peter Slaghuis. Together with Rob Fabrie and Richard van Naamen he formed Holy Noise, which reached number 8 in the Dutch Top 40 in 1991 with "James Brown Is Still Alive". In 1992, the Euromasters track "Where the Fuck Is Amsterdam?" helped lay the foundations of the gabber sound, the same year he founded Rotterdam Records. Singles such as "Life Is Like a Dance", "Luv U More" and "Rainbow In The Sky" dominated the Dutch charts throughout the mid-1990s. In 2001 he launched Offensive Records to refocus on hardcore productions. He gained renewed mainstream attention in 2024 when he co-wrote and co-produced "Europapa" for Joost Klein, the Dutch entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Today Paul Elstak plays hardcore, nineties and freestyle parties across Europe and has also been spotted on the decks in Ibiza.