Maddix: Acid, Techno and No Apologies
- Roman Cigan
- Jun 28
- 3 min read
Before Pablo Rindt became Maddix, he was a kid in the Netherlands who couldn't sit still — djembe, piano, drums, whatever was in reach. That restless musical energy never really left him. It just found a new home in FL Studio during his high school years, and from that point on, he was chasing something most producers spend careers trying to define: a sound that belongs entirely to them.
His early releases in 2013 and 2014, distributed through Armada Music and Spinnin' Records' sub-labels, showed ambition but also a willingness to experiment. Tracks like "Rampant" and "Riptide" on Revealed Recordings — Hardwell's imprint — made it clear he wasn't building a career conventionally. He was testing the edges of big room, electro house, and eventually letting those walls fall altogether.
The Track That Started a Movement
By 2018 the sonic evolution had kicked into a higher gear, and "Ecstasy" in 2019 landed like a declaration of intent. But the track that really announced Maddix to a wider world arrived in
October 2022. "Heute Nacht" — German for "Tonight" — is one of those rare records that feels both completely of-the-moment and somehow timeless. Built around hypnotic 303-style acid synths, relentless percussion and a robotic text-to-speech vocal that lodges itself in your brain, it dragged the 90s acid techno aesthetic straight into the festival main stage without losing any of its edge. Over 125 million streams across platforms, with more than 115 million on Spotify alone. That's not a track finding an audience — that's a track creating a movement.
A Stage Built for Crowds
On the live side, Maddix has never been a studio-only artist. He's the kind of DJ who needs the room, the crowd, the feedback loop. Appearances at Ultra Music Festival, EDC, Dreamstate, Parookaville, World Club Dome and Mysteryland have turned him into a genuinely global touring act, headlining club shows across continents. His audience is strikingly cross-genre — pulling in underground techno heads alongside EDM faithful — which speaks to something real about the music itself rather than just marketing.
Collaborations That Cross the Divide
Collaborations have played a defining role in shaping his trajectory. The Hardwell connection runs deep, spanning years and multiple records including "Bella Ciao," "Revolution," and 2023's "Acid" featuring Luciana. He's also worked alongside KSHMR, Timmy Trumpet, Blasterjaxx and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, while his remix output covers everyone from Tiësto and Armin van Buuren to Fred again.. and Swedish House Mafia. Support from Amelie Lens, DJ Umek, Lilly Palmer and Hi-Lo has helped bridge the gap between his sound and the pure underground — an endorsement that matters in those circles.
Building Something of His Own
2023 marked a milestone year. He entered the DJ Mag Top 100 at #95, ranked #11 on 1001Tracklists' Most Played Producers list, and placed #7 as Best Selling Techno Artist on Beatport. More importantly, he launched Extatic Records (XTTC) in partnership with Revealed Recordings — a label of his own, built to house the harder, darker direction his music had been pushing toward. Crossing 500 million streams and hitting #1 positions on Beatport and Spotify's Editorial playlists in the same period wasn't a coincidence. It was years of building something that actually stands for something.
His DJ Mag ranking has climbed steadily — #69 in 2024, #53 in 2025 — and with "Transmission" already out in 2026 on Extatic Records alongside Olly James and Hannah Laing, the pace isn't slowing. If anything, it feels like Maddix is only just getting started with the next chapter.
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