Madam Snowflake Takes Defqon1 by Storm

From Digital Diva to Hardstyle Queen:
Madam Snowflake Takes Defqon1 by Storm

How the "Mixterverse" created a pathway to perform at the world's largest Hardstyle EDM festival.

Utah native Emily Richards, known to the world as Madam Snowflake, isn't your typical hardstyle vocalist. With a background in classical piano and opera, her path to rocking one of the biggest hardstyle festivals in the world, Defqon1 in the Netherlands, is anything but conventional. This article explores Madam Snowflake's unique journey, from self-proclaimed "sharing-averse" youngster to digital music pioneer and now, a global collaborative music phenomenon.

Sharing, it seems, is the cornerstone of Madam Snowflake's success. Admitting her childhood struggles with sharing, she highlights her fortuitous about-face, becoming one of the first artists to embrace the internet's potential for music distribution. Her early days on MP3.com, giving away millions of downloads, fueled national tours and a residency at the House of Blues, solidifying her reputation as a digital music pioneer.

"Giving my music to the commons does feel like exposing a piece of my soul..."

But Madam Snowflake's story takes a fascinating turn. After a prolific career under her birth name, Emily Richards, she adopts the moniker "Snowflake" and embarks on a new chapter – building her own music company and acquiring ccMixter.org, a collaborative music haven. Here, she sheds the traditional artist role, sharing not just finished tracks, but her acapellas and stems from over original 150 songs. The "Mixterverse" thrives on this open exchange, with Madam Snowflake's vocals remixed thousands of times, finding their way into everything from grocery stores to video games.

"Giving my music to the commons does feel like exposing a piece of my soul," she admits, "yet sharing in this way has opened the world to me, and me to the world." This creative symbiosis, where global artists infuse her work with fresh energy, inspire her in ways she never could have imagined.

This June, Madam Snowflake takes center stage at Defqon1

The plot thickens when Dutch DJ “Promo” reaches out, revealing a surprising truth: Madam Snowflake, unknowingly, has become a hardstyle icon. Her vocals fuel an impressive list of festival hits across the Netherlands. Initially skeptical, a trip to Amsterdam dispels any doubt. Videos showcase massive crowds singing along to her lyrics, a surreal and exhilarating experience.

"You have to give to receive," Madam Snowflake reflects. "I've always liked that phrase though I didn't really understand its meaning until my voice found its way into a style of music I've never heard of, on the other side of the world from me in the Netherlands."

Years spent recording in her home studio culminated in a dream come true: performing live alongside the very hardstyle artists who championed her music. This June, Madam Snowflake takes center stage at Defqon1, not just as a vocalist, but as a testament to the power of sharing and artistic collaboration.

Directly after she returns from Defqon1, Emily “Snowflake” Richards combines both past and present in her next monumental chapter -- she’s written and produced her own musical, Rise Up Babylon, in a unique format -- another first for this digital music pioneer. An audiobook musical, soundtrack, and YouTube documentary are set for release later this year.

Visit Madam Snowflake's ccMixter page here.

Visit Madam Snowflake's website.

Follow Madam Snowflake on Instagram and YouTube.