(Photo By: Ruudbaan)
When you follow your dreams, it’s important to have a companion who can fully understand what you are going through. This could be a boyfriend/girlfriend, a husband/wife, a family member, a business partner, or even just a best friend. Having such a companion will help us fight the loneliness and doubt that crosses our path. He/she will encourage us to persevere and push us to work hard. If you don’t have such a person just yet, don’t worry; the right person will eventually come into your life.
For Idir Makhlaf and Thom Jongkind, aka Blasterjaxx…it took them well over 20 years to find this companionship. Even though they had worked on music projects together in the past, nothing was ever too serious. Individually, they both had their own projects as well – Thom produced under the name Scalix and Idir was called Macosta. In 2010, Thom teamed up with another producer and formed the name Blasterjaxx. However, due to differing visions for the project, the duo ended and it quickly became a one-man project. Determined to fill the missing role, Thom reached out to Idir and asked if he wanted to be the new member in Blasterjaxx. He accepted the offer and the rest is history. 
They were both studying at a University in the Netherlands, but decided to drop out and pursue music full-time. They now live in the same house and are together 24/7. Thom says, “Our friendship has always been so natural. I think it’s a gift because I could never see myself working with someone else.” According to Idir, “I used to get into a lot of trouble because I hated school so much. When I met Thom, he really encouraged me to get my life back together and encouraged me to start making music full-time.” They both help one another overcome the different obstacles they face while pursuing this career together. They hold each other accountable and when one of them starts to act different, the other one is always there to put him back on track.
Since joining forces, the two have been unstoppable. In December 2012, they launched their debut EP, Reborn, which was released on Laidback Luke’s Mixmash Records. Just one year later Tiesto released their single “Loud and Proud” with Billy the Kit on his label, Musical Freedom. Getting Tiesto’s stamp of approval was extremely beneficial for their career. They did two official remixes for his world-renowned trance hits “Adagio for Strings” and “Love Comes Again”, and later collaborated with him on a remix for Ultra Music Festival’s “United” 2013 anthem. In addition, they released their new single “Faith”, which charted in the Netherlands and then later in Sweden. To top off 2013, Hardwell released an edit of their original “Fifteen” on Revealed Recordings. The track quickly reached #1 on Beatport. In 2014, DJ Mag ranked Blasterjaxx as the #13 DJs in the world. The two have now collaborated with the likes of Laidback Luke, Hardwell, Afrojack, David Guetta, and Nicky Romero.
The best part about this success? It’s shared. They are experiencing it together, not alone. It’s actually interesting that the two have such great chemistry because they have very different personalities. While Thom is talkative and outspoken, Idir is much quieter and prefers being in the background. Despite the stark contrast in personalities, the two have no trouble getting along. Their passion and love for music is what connects them. At this point, they couldn’t even picture themselves working with someone else. They are not just roommates…they are best friends.
Watch Aspire to Inspire Live featuring Blasterjaxx here:
