Eelke Kleijn’s multi-decade long journey from novice trance producer to one of the most respected names in electronic music has been far from a straight line. Despite a high level of success early in his career, Eelke Kleijn struggled over the years trying to find his true sonic identity. After taking a year off in 2016, he announced his own label in 2017, with the first release aptly named "Home.”

Eelke Kleijn first began to discover electronic music at the age of 7. He would use his double cassette deck to record songs directly off the radio. Eelke would record anything he heard that had a dance sound to it and try to change the order around or experiment when possible. Over the years he began to dive deeper into the world of electronic music and started to release music at the age of 18.

“Back then trance was the biggest sound. I was definitely inspired by that. I got into touch with another guy [who I started to produce with]... As someone who had never released a record, we started making music and it took off pretty quickly. It got into Armin and Tiesto’s playlists quickly. From being a duo who had never released, we went to putting out 10-12 records a year. It worked for me for 1-2 years but it quickly got still… I didn’t feel like I was doing the music I loved. I was more into lower tempos and progressive house. After 3 – 4 years I put an end to the project and went out on my own.” 

After getting his start in the world of trance under the monikers M.I.D.O.R and Six4Eight, Eelke Kleijn began releasing under his name in the early 2000s. From about 2003 – 2009 his sound and production were well received and remained experimental. While Eelke worked to define himself and find label partners, he produced a wide variety of electronic music. Reflecting back on the period brings up mixed emotions. “When I look back, I see myself as someone who was still learning how to find my preference. I was getting all these different influences, and I was pretty much releasing everything I made. When I look back critically, there are some records that stood the test of time but there are also some that are dated and I might not even remember the name. ‘Luigi’s Magic Mushroom’ is still a favorite of mine and I work it into sets every now and then.”

As he started to find more success and recognition, Eelke began to work on another aspect of his career that ultimately came around earlier than he had anticipated. Around 2010, he scored his first movie trailer and quickly realized that it was a passion. “I got to try some pitches for tracks in film. Around 2010 – 2011 the first one landed. I spent a lot of time writing records for TV after that. A lot have landed in trailers. It’s something I love to do… It’s quite different than the music I write for myself. You have unlimited possibility on a track for the music side, on a movie pitch you’re trying to fit into a box.” 

During this time period, Eelke’s star was quickly rising. He was releasing a wide variety of music to critical acclaim and was seeing many of his songs chart outside of dance music. Although from the outside looking in, it seemed as if he was hitting his stride, the reality was far from this. “I was still trying to find what sound I really wanted to give to people… Some of them [my records] had trance roots, some of them were inspired by Cocoon and Sven Vath… From the outside, it might have looked like a solid plan, but I was really still trying to discover myself… I felt like I could never bundle my sounds into one label.”

In 2014 it seemed as if Eelke Kleijn’s mainstream popularity was at its apex. For the self-proclaimed underground artist, this caused a bit of an identity crisis. After a string of successful releases with Spinnin’ Records, and a massive remix for John Legend, Eelke felt that he needed to take time off in order to reset and focus on the founding of his label. “The records were so successful that it became a slippery slope. I considered myself an underground artist, but then you do one track that’s a crossover and each one just begets the next. By the time you’ve made 4 records you don’t even recognize your own sound… It caused me a lot of stress and was a main reason as to why I took a year off from releasing music in 2016. I had to do a lot of self-reflection.”

Since his return, Eelke Kleijn has been on an absolute tear. After founding his label, DAYS Like NIGHTS, in 2017, Eelke has released two full albums as well as countless singles. He recently premiered a brand new live performance for the iconic, Cercle, and put out a stunning track to go along with the livestream. Although he was very proud of his performance and the ability to perform live again, Eelke recalls the experience as being a relatively intense one. “We talked to them for almost 2 years in advance… It had been 1.5 years since I’d played a live show anywhere. It was quite a challenge. I spent 4 weeks leading up to the show just playing the show at home and rehearsing, at least 3 times a day… Cercle is truly live so any mistakes will be in there forever… I had not seen a crowd in front of me for so long and then all of a sudden you’re in France with a huge team working on the show. It was overwhelming. To be really honest I don’t think I enjoyed the moment… When it was done, it was satisfying.”

For Eelke going forward, the world is his oyster. His major goals are to produce his fifth studio album. “I want to play more guitar on that. I only started playing guitar 3 years ago, I’m not comfortable on stage with it yet but I’m okay in the studio. I’ve taken an interest recently in the indie dance and indie rock scene. My next album will probably have a bit more crossover to that sound.” Furthermore, Eelke would like to build out his live show more and bring it to more places around the world. He hopes that his next album will facilitate further opportunities in the world of film and TV as well.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was more than a political flashpoint. The reunification of Germany sparked a cultural movement that transformed the country into one of dance music's iconic scenes. Sven Tasnadi’s groove is indelibly rooted in the classic sound of house music. And perhaps it’s because he came of age in this storied era when Germany became one scene united under house and techno

He says that what first drew him to house and techno was the spirit of the culture. “The first club nights I went to the people was very tolerant, and there was no stress inside or around,” he explains. People at the regular clubs were there for the look and he says, “The feeling inside a techno club or house club was completely different. And that was something that was very important for me at that time back in middle of the 90s.”

While he danced to acid and Chicago house records that formed his musical DNA, he began to wonder how it all worked. He wanted to understand how the mixer blended two records so perfectly together. And how a DJ could program a journey with only a crate a vinyl and two turntables.

He quickly moved from dancer to DJ. And while there were DJs like Sven Väth that he looked up to, he says he wasn't "inspired" by anyone to DJ. He did it because he was overcome with curiosity. And he wanted to understand how to create the sonic footprint of the club.

That sense of curiosity eventually led him to be a shapeshifter in the studio. Tasnadi effortlessly slides between chunky tech-house, heartfelt and soulful deep house, and ethereal trip-hop and ambient. He says, “God, give me the talent to be versatile. So why shouldn't I use this talent?” Not that he’s a big believer in any religious ideology.

His parents may have also guided him towards his eclectic taste he says. The music he heard while growing up ranged from Elvis to local German musicians. His parent's wide-spanning tastes informed his music that shifts and melds with his moods.

There is a clear sonic pathway that runs throughout his music. Yet he says, “I think it's part of my own style that I have no style.”

Tasnadi has long been a fixture of the Leipzig dance scene. And Moon Harbour Recordings, also based in his hometown, has become his imprint of choice since he first released on its sublabel Cargo Edition in 2007.

He met Moon Harbour's label owner Matthias Tanzmann in 2005, and they quickly bonded. Tanzmann has always supported Tasnadi’s eclectic spirit. The label has grown from a purely deep house imprint to encompass many of the nascent sounds of classic dance music. And Tasnadi has grown alongside it.

The greatest example of this can be found in his 2018 album Bridges. The album was largely collaborative and saw Tasnadi working with artists like Huxley, Supernova, and Moses Medhi. He wrote it as the conversation around immigration reached a fever pitch in Germany. The spirit of tolerance that defined early rave culture has never left him. And he knows the best way to build community is through understanding.

“For me, it was always important to build bridges, instead of building walls. And try to talk with each other, try to understand each other. And that's what I tried to show with this album, because I work with a lot of people from different countries. We are all loving the same things. We love our children, we love music, we love to be together. And there are more things that bring us together than divides us. No matter where you're from.”

As Spanish DJ/producer Bastian Bux sits in his studio, he recalls the day he fell in love with dance music. He walked into his older sister's room awestruck by the techno banging from her speakers. He told her that the music sounded like it came from outer space. Bastian admits he was never interested in a proper job. A fitting description from a kid who imagined he’d be an astronaut. Who now spoke to me from the helm of his spaceship.

He fell in love with dance music because of his desire to dissect it. It was just like the machines he took apart at home: mysterious, electronic, and full of moving parts. He needed to understand how each circuit sparked joy on the dancefloor.

Bastian explains how that experience awakened something in him at eight years old.

“This is not something that is coming from a proper band. I cannot guess which instrument is this [sic]. I need to know. I need to discover how this [has] been done. And this was my very beginning. This was the main reason why I started my passion about dance music because I wanted to discover how it was done.” 

Bastian was a bit of a troublemaker in primary school. He spent a lot of time in detention in a room stacked high with books, magazines, and random CDs. 

One day he discovered a PlayStation game called Music 2000. He rushed to a friend’s house to play. He says, “I will always remember what I felt when I played this game for the very first time. My life changed and that was the moment where I knew 100% that I wanted to do this the rest of my life.” 

He found work at a local radio station. In between coffee runs and photocopies he begged to be in the DJ booth. It was his first contact with proper DJ equipment and production software.

A friend at school who was a hip-hop dance teacher heard he worked at a radio station. And assuming he was a proper DJ asked Bastian if he would put together a quick mix together for a dance competition. With his budding skills, he created his first mixtape and got his first paying gig as a musician. He quickly became sought after for his skills.

By the time he was in his early 20’s his production game was strong. Enough that he earned a mainstream radio hit. The code he sought to crack when he first heard the thump of techno from his sister’s stereo was cracked. 

“It was not my intention to make a mainstream dance song. But it came into the radio without me knowing what would happen. It was amazing. I was able to help my family go out from all their problems finally. It changed my life. But after two years, I started to feel not really happy about it.” 

Bastian says the expectation to be a hit machine led to depression and self-doubt. “I was trying to catch the formula of success all the time. And I was not happy. It was not fulfilling me.”

He thought he had everything he dreamed of since the third grade, but he knew it wasn’t right. So, he quit. He took his savings and plunged it into learning a new craft. He picked up graphic design and coding. He thought he was out for good. Until his friend and Suara imprint owner, Coyu hit him up a year later to check in. Bastian had never stopped making music, and it was time to re-emerge.  

Bastian says quitting was one of the most important events of his life. “To have the opportunity to realize how important it is to enjoy what you are doing. You can be really successful. You can make interesting money. You can travel. You can be famous. And you can be absolutely unhappy. And when you are somehow listening to yourself and trying to find what fulfills you, it works.” 

His rebrand has allowed him to be more authentic as he truly realizes his boyhood dreams. He's released music on John Digweed's Bedrock, Nicole Moudaber's Mood, and Sven Vâth's Cocoon. He's become a resident of the lauded Elrow parties across the planet. He's dropped his sexy and eclectic brand of house and techno in forty countries. He's even opened for the legendary Jean-Michelle Jarr, someone who he grew up listening to.  

And while he’s been open and honest with me about his previous career and how he struggled to break free. He wants to leave that in the past. It’s why for the first two years of the Bastian Bux project, he chose to obscure his face. His tagline explains, “Reducing everything surrounding a DJ and producer to its essential element.” A statement written by a friend encapsulates all that Bastian Bux believes.

He’s been given the gift of perspective he says, “You need perspective to properly learn things and to give them value that they deserve.”

He explains that after the most difficult period of his life, he found the will to make decisions that make him happy. And when you consider how many artists have not made it to the other side, it’s important to acknowledge how grateful one can be for that perspective. 

“I felt so unhappy, so sad. It was probably the worst moment of my life. And can you imagine? I was this kid, having no money, dreaming about being booked to play around. And after two, three years of success, I was not happy. You know, it was so hard for me psychologically. I had to speak with a lot of people to not fall deep in a shit hole. I learned how important it is to be able to see with different eyes from different angles.”

What genre would you describe your music as?

Retro Futuristic Martian Groove

Where are you from?

Chile

What age did you start DJing?

21

If you weren't a DJ, what would you be doing for your career?

Astronomer

What's your favorite artist/style of music outside of dance music?

Frank Zappa

Francisco Allendes describes his music as retro-futuristic Martian groove.  
A definition without constraint. Because he says, "Anything can be done in the Martian way." It's a way for the Chilean artist to compress a library of influences into a unified sound. 

He discovered his passion for gorgeous soundscapes at eight-year-old. A neighbor who was obsessed with classical music shared tapes of Mozart and Vivaldi with him. Enamored with their complexity and beauty, he set his heart on learning the violin. 

Unsure of his dedication, his father said no. However, his mother tried to get him lessons in secret. The secret only lasted a day, he says, because they did a terrible job of hiding the violin.

His parents became his most ardent supporters. His mom would drive him all over Chile to perform with youth orchestras. He is incredibly grateful for their support.

“I started taking classes and right away they both were very enthusiastic for me," He explains. "Of course to have this support from the family is a lot because I know many people that don't have the support from their family. And this already cuts your legs if you don't have love and support from your [family] to do what you want.”

The neighbor who first unveiled his passion for music wasn't the last of his friends to guide his musical journey. His eldest brother introduced him to rock music and took him to his first concert, legendary guitar virtuoso Steve Vai.

But it was a friend who gave him two of his greatest musical gifts. Francisco joyfully remembers his friend Camila a flutist in his youth orchestra. She introduced him to Bjork and gifted him his first guestlist experience.

Camila was so obsessed with Bjork that she learned Icelandic. When Bjork came to town, Camila and Francisco snuck into her hotel. They managed to speak to a violin player in her orchestra who was so impressed by the young Chilean girl's Icelandic he invited them to the concert as his guests. The first time Allendes heard Bjork, he was only two meters from her.

With such a patchwork of influences, Allendes continued to learn instruments and explore. He bought a guitar and a keyboard. And as high schoolers do, he joined a band. But he was struck by how different he was from his bandmates.

“Every band that I was part of I was the more committed.” He said. “I need to find a way to do my music on my own. I don't want to be dependent on a drummer that likes to go party on Friday night and doesn’t come to rehearsals. Real rock and rollers, they come even if they didn't sleep.”

So he started to make weird noises on his computer. He figured that so many of his idols found pathways to sound through synthesizers, so why not him? 

A couple of years later, he ran into Camila again on a bus coming home from school. After catching up, she said four words that would change his life, “Do you know techno?”

Allendes was already DJing. Well, kind of. He was a selector. He couldn't mix records yet. So the idea that anyone could play music on three turntables was mind-bending. 

Camila’s boyfriend was a DJ, and she brought him to his first event. When he heard dance music for the first time, he realized the weird beats he made weren’t too far off. So, he decided to focus on recreating the sound of the dance floor.

Allendes was dedicated to his craft from the gate. Even at eight years old he was determined to make his passion a profession. However, he always retained a sense of realism. He made a deal with himself that if by 30 he wasn’t successful, he’d quit. He was only a few months shy of losing the deal. 

He already had an attempt to live in Spain under his belt by the time he released the Llovizna EP on Luciano’s Cadenza imprint. It was huge to be validated by such a luminary in Chile’s house music scene. The songs were hits, but he still had trouble getting the proper visa to live and work in Spain. 

Six months from his 30th birthday, he got a random Facebook message from a girl who worked in Ibiza. She wanted to help, but the claim seemed too good to be true. He was used to getting messages from producers looking to collab. It turned out that she was a talent buyer for legendary Ibizan USHUAÏA, and she wanted Francisco to be a resident.

“My first summer in Ibiza was very painful,” He says. Because he worked at one of the clubs, he was able to go everywhere. And he took full advantage. But he quickly realized that he couldn’t party like a tourist for the rest of his life. 

He limits how much he goes out. He exercises five times a week. And his kids help keep him balanced because no matter how late he’s out, he gets up at 7 am to get them to school.

Throughout his career, he depended on the help of others at every step. It’s been his community that has had the most impact. And if it’s taught him anything he says, it’s that you must be humble. 

“So many people want to come in the scene that has a vision of something that is not real. And this can really can make your head go cuckoo. So, it's very important to be humble. I want to do this until I die. I mean, maybe sixty, seventy years. So, I have to be healthy. I have to be focused. I have to be humble. I have to be thankful.”

What genre would you describe your music as?

Melodic house and techno

Where are you from?

Yorkshire, UK

What age did you start DJing?

23

If you weren't a DJ, what would you be doing for your career?

I would have followed in my dad's footsteps and become a farmer.

What's your favorite artist/style of music outside of dance music?

Alicia Keys without a doubt.



“I was 11 years old listening to this trance classic, counting bars, listening differently. I remember thinking, is this how 11-year-olds listen to music or is it how producers in the making hear music.” Luke Storrs, AKA Franky Wah, has many musical moments from his past for which the memories are so vivid, he can recount who he was with, what he was wearing, and where he was. Despite seeming to have a brain built for music, Luke tried out many other things in life before determining that success in music gave him the greatest feeling over any other type of success. 

“I’ve gone in and out of all sorts of stuff in my life. I did football, bodybuilding… I came in seventh in mister universe. I competed on world stages at bodybuilding, I played against Manchester United in football in a stadium at age 16... none of it filled the purpose I was seeking in music. You strive towards these goals… but compared to playing the main stage of Creamfields, it just didn’t feel the same.” 

Luke’s first release came in 2017, a proper tech house EP heater called ‘House Party.’ Although the track was received well and has high-quality production, Luke’s sound has changed tremendously over the years. As he has matured, the music he listens to has changed and he has fought to define his own identity. “I think age had a lot to do with it. When you’re younger your musical palette is less influenced and you’re playing/making more what you hear outside. As I grew, tech-house didn’t stimulate me enough in the studio… I took piano lessons for three years and wanted to put it in my music. I couldn’t do that with tech-house.”

It took Luke time to fully realize where he wanted to take his sound. There were many moments over the years that helped push him across the line. He described attending Sonus Festival in Barcelona as a pivotal moment for his sonic transformation. “I had one of those moments to a record by Bicep (‘Opal - Four Tet Remix). I remember coming back after thinking I needed to play and make music like that. It was a sign from the universe. The feeling I had on the dancefloor, I had to replicate that in my sound.”

Luke’s sound began to transform in 2018. Although he was not producing the type of melodic house that he is now, the seeds of growth began to show. His ‘Motives EP’ was highly experimental and felt melodic for something in the world of tech-house. He followed this with the track ‘What Have You Done’ and ‘Disco Inferno,’ all of which strayed from his earlier sound and incorporated melodies and deeper bass sounds. 

For Luke, it was about slowly breaking the mold. “Tech house can be formulaic. I was trying to stay in the boundaries of the genre while also pushing and staying fresh. One of the EPs was with Steve Lawler and it helped open doors for me. The work rate was so high, in 2018 I put out 48 records. I wanted people to see my stuff. Eventually after ‘Get Me High’ (January 2019) I wanted a fresh start where we worked to be more strategic about rolling out music.”

‘Get Me High’ turned out to be the pivotal track of Luke’s career. It launched him into different conversations and allowed him to start 2019 with a fresh perspective. “So many different people were able to play it. Tale Of Us and Solomon were hammering it, but so was Tiesto and Nervo… Annie Mac supported it and premiered it first.” The support felt universal and led to a collaboration that to this day, still blows Luke’s mind.

Legendary DJ Sasha told Luke that the track was a staple in his set, and when he was building his entire sets around when he would play it out. Eventually, the two linked up in the studio to produce the incredible ‘Haunted EP.’ “For anyone aspiring to climb that ladder… I’m from a village with 800 people. There’s no scene… Anything is possible. [Sasha] is an icon. To work with him, it was so career and life-affirming for me. Am I really at this level where I’m worthy of working with this kind of artist?”

The inspiring moments kept coming for Luke. In 2019, he was booked to play the main stage of Creamfields. He describes the experience as one of the first moments where he truly felt like his career was on the right path. “I always joke that the stage is pretty much the same size as the village that I come from. We live for those moments as artists. I had flown in from Ibiza playing at Hi. It was the first real feeling of wow this is going somewhere… It keeps me going, looking forward to these moments.”

Since conquering the main stage of Creamfields and releasing music with Sasha, Luke has been on an absolute tear. He has since released music with Anjunadeep, collaborated with Lee Foss, and taken the Beatport #1 throne with his biggest song yet, ‘The World You See.’ The Cristoph collaboration released on Pryda was just another moment of recognition for Luke. “We’re great friends now. We’re planning a tour together with you guys over the pond. WE’ve got more music coming. Some are more universal sounding, but mate we’ve got some absolutely disgustingly dirty warehouse records coming too.”

For Luke going forward, it’s all about continuing his climb up the ladder while remaining humble and self-critical. He is working on a visual component to match his plans of a live performance, and will be launching his own label soon full of “big dark dirty warehouse music.” 2021 is looking to be another landmark year for this rising star, and per Luke’s instructions, we best keep our ears to the ground for his coming releases. “Believe me when I say, you are not ready for the next collab with Cristoph. Just remember this conversation”

What genre would you describe your music as?

Melodic, acid house

Where are you from?

Liverpool, UK

What age did you start DJing?

15

If you weren't a DJ, what would you be doing for your career?

I’d have probably pursued acting.

What's your favorite artist/style of music outside of dance music?

Hip-hop

When DJs are starting their careers, the balance between scoring gigs and making a living can be a tough line to walk. In the early stages of a career, it is difficult to earn enough on weekend gigs to support oneself. For Andy of Bontan, doing anything besides DJing was never a consideration.

“I was DJing five times a week in my local town just so I had enough money to not have to have a daytime job. I would play all night, wake up at 1 PM, make music all day, go back to DJing at night. I would play anywhere for anything just because I knew it’s what I wanted to do. I bit the bullet and was playing these crap gigs to just save money and not have to hold a full-time job.” 

Andy’s parents got him his first decks when he was 14. At age 16 Andy started to fall more and more down the rabbit hole of house music, hearing it when he went out and with his friends. His first gig came one year later when he entered a local DJ competition with a friend. “We were 17 at the club. We lied about your age in order to get in and ended up smashing it. I remember being so nervous and there were probably 7 people there.” 

The true breakthrough for Andy came when he was 18 and finally had the opportunity to see high-level professionals but on a show. Andy had never been to a proper concert before and his very first experience was one he would never forget. “There’s a big house festival that happens every year there [Southport]... I went when I was 18, and it was a life-changing experience. The first guys I saw were Dennis Ferrer, Masters at Work, and Kerri Chandler. They were the first DJs I’d ever seen in my life and it just grabbed me.”

As Andy began to focus more on getting his career off the ground, the first natural step was to release music. Unlike many who take years to get their tracks heard, Andy struck gold early on with a massive remix that is still played on dancefloors today. One of Andy’s best friends happens to be a fellow tastemaker, Josh Butler. Josh sent Andy his track ‘Got A Feeling’ to remix and for Andy, the remix was automatic. 

“This one in particular felt a bit different. It took four hours. It’s taken me months before to do records but there was something about this. It was so simple and good. Kaveh [Pleasurekraft] helped me tweak it a bit but it was just easy and we knew it was too good not to release… It did feel slightly different. ‘Call You Back’ with Josh as well was one of those. I had a vocal for a while and it took me six months working on it until Josh stepped in and helped me push it through. We did that in a day as well.” 

The connection between Andy and Josh runs deep even to this day. The two have played back to back countless times, even going on a special tour together in which they played extended (6+ hours) sets together. They have released many tracks together as well, most recently ‘Set Your Soul on Fire.’

Speaking on their relationship, Andy talks about how seamless it is for them to play together. “Our sounds are different but when we come together to play it just works… We don’t share what we’re gonna play. If we prepared it wouldn’t be authentic… It’s exciting when you see DJs play BTB and it’s a journey. We don’t force moments, we like to go in blind and just see where it goes. Deciding the first track is always funny, we get on the decks and whoever finds the track they want to play fastest gets to go first… We did rock paper scissors one time to decide the billing on our BTB Be True Tour… Josh won that one and it’s stayed that way ever since.”

Similar to his early success on the ‘Got A Feeling’ remix, Andy had a lucky turn of events that pushed him into a primetime festival slot early in his career, assisting in the speed with which people discovered him. After touring for only about a year, he got booked to play the iconic Creamfields festival. “I was booked to open the stage (Pete Tong Stage). We got a call right before saying they had to move my set time from 3 PM to 10 PM. I’d only ever played to 250 people… I had to switch up my whole set and it was hands down the most scared I’ve ever been before a gig. I also got the streamed live, my Facebook blew up and it just changed my career.”

Despite early success, it was important for Andy to stay fresh and maintain an output of music that was not too repetitive. Around 2015, Andy’s early sound became an incredibly common one. More and more artists started to dip into his brand of deep house and he felt it was the right time to make a change. “I had the EP with Hot Creations and I wanted to actively go in a different direction. I wanted to create melodic house but with a club-ready feel… it felt like those earlier records could’ve been made by anyone.”

Andy continues to tweak and develop his sound, with his recent output showing an incredibly diverse range of productions. “I started listening to old acid house and getting more history about older music in order to try and influence my sound in a positive way and keep it authentic.” Bringing freshness to his releases is key for himself, his fans, and his live performance. Andy likes to be able to play a variety of styles live, by switching up his sound recently he has opened the door to this. 

“It was getting to a point where I was getting bored making the same sounds for every track. I don’t want fans to get bored either. Sometimes I dip into the Latin tribal feel. I just go in there and make something based on what I’ve been listening to and playing out recently. It can’t be the same every time. I like to keep it fun and exciting when I perform and the studio piece has to be the same.” Andy’s next track is a collaboration with Mele and will be out in mid-July around the same time as his BTB performance with Josh Butler at Elrow NYC on July 24th.

Hungarian DJ and producer Reelow, aka Renato Károlyi, was expected to be a musician. His mother was a singer, his father played the guitar, and his grandfather was one of the most important music curators in Hungary. With a background so weighted in classical, his slippery tech-house style doesn’t exactly fit into the family business. 

He lived under immense pressure to succeed in music. And he has. He’s flexed the speakers at world-renown clubs like Fabric, Privilege, and Sankeys. His inspired and infectious beats are supported by respected artists like Marco Carola, DJ Sneak, Adam Beyer, Monika Kruse, and Joseph Capriati.

As a kid, it seemed his path was obvious. He went to the best music school in Hungary. He was hyperactive though. So despite his love for music, he struggled to focus. When he picked up the trumpet, he started to feel a sense of purpose. And he really began to appreciate the beauty of music when he joined a symphonic band.

All went according to plan until he went to his first rave. “I went to my first rave when I was really young,” he says. He was fourteen. “Then I had my first cigarette. And I had [my] first everything I wasn't supposed to do. I started everything super early.”

He found his people, and he found his music. He also found himself at his first crossroads. Brasswind instruments aren’t simpatico with smoker's lungs. And his teacher forced a decision, trumpet or DJing. Reelow says it was an easy choice, “I said, well it was nice to learn from you but, I'm off. I'm out. So, I bought my first decks. I bought my first speakers and a mixer.”

His parents, like most parents, didn’t understand his new community. They also wondered why all of his money was spent on records, CDs, and event tickets. He was happy to go without lunch if it meant he could spend that money digging for the freshest beats. Reelow wanted to help them understand. “They didn't really see the art. So, I had to prove them wrong." 

It wasn’t just the community and the music. He fell in love with the adventure of crate digging. The thrill of tracking down one of only five copies of a record in all of Hungary. The disappointment when you buy it and the record has a scratch. “It was the whole package.” He explains, “Everything was a journey.”

When he got his first big gig in Budapest he invited his parents and it clicked for them. They were happy he was happy and successful. They experienced the beauty of a breathing dance floor. They also let him know that it was the last time they’d go to the club because it’s just not for everyone.

The financial crisis in 2007 had a devastating effect on Hungary’s clubs. And the years that followed only got worse Reelow tells me. “Step by step the clubs were closing down. There were more problems with the police and drugs. Everything was just so messy.”

He also recognized that he needed more room to grow as an artist. So he moved to London. And he experienced an unexpected level of support and love. It quickly became one of his favorite cities.

He may have soaked up the UK club culture a bit too much.  A few weeks of non-stop raving drained his bank account. He worked for six months at a high-end hotel to recover. He spent his nights illuminated by the glow of his computer crafting crispy cool basslines.

He loves London. But it’s a machine that will quickly eat you up without the proper support system. He decided to get enough money to move to Ibiza, and that’s when his career blossomed again. He began to sign records to labels like Rawthentic, Elrow, and Solid Grooves. And he began to soak up the life of excess, but he had already learned an important lesson about balance. 

“I planned this career for the long ride. Nobody said you will be able to do afterparties for the rest of your life, it isn't gonna work.” Reelow reads, practices yoga, and meditates daily. It’s the best way for him to prepare himself for those days when he goes straight to the club from the studio.

Throughout his journey, Reelow said that house music has been the one constant. He imagines because house music has been constant for over three decades. The sound has gotten warmer and more powerful. But its vibe is still identical to the early days of rave.

“House music has been always here, and it's always gonna be here.” He goes on to explain that there is no wrong place for house music, “In a club or at the beach. In an afterparty or when you're cooking it's the ultimate connection for me in the electronic music.”

What genre would you describe your music as?

Some of my tracks have afro-house vibes and some are very melodic and tech-house. I like to produce whatever I feel like doing and not follow a specific genre. What's important is to put my own "signature" in my productions.

Where are you from?

Zurich, Switzerland

What age did you start DJing?

I started around 2005 but wasn't really into it in the beginning. I always wanted to play my own tracks, which I didn't have at that time.

If you weren't a DJ, what would you be doing for your career?

I would be in the studio and work as a ghost producer.

What's your favorite artist/style of music outside of dance music?

I grew up with Hip Hop like N.W.A, 2Pac, Biggie, and the whole East and West Coast story. But one of my all-time favorites is also Depeche Mode, always inspiring and timeless music.

“I couldn’t even imagine getting to this point. I told my friend ‘imagine doing a track with Nic Fanciulli…’ we couldn’t even fathom that happening in real life and for myself, it felt far away. When Black Coffee played ‘Foolish’ out I was going crazy.”

For AJ of Black Circle, discovering house music took time. Finding the sound he wanted to put his heart and soul into, is a journey he has just begun. A self-proclaimed hip-hop kid, AJ grew up on the sounds of NWA, Biggie, and 2Pac. In 2005 he had his first encounter with house music, hearing a track by Mousse T. “I was into it but I was still kind of against dance music as a concept. It was a step-by-step, sneaky process, slowly getting more and more into it.”

Growing up in Switzerland, AJ focused initially on listening to local artists. At the time, he was not aware of other artists or the larger, global house music scene. Discovery for AJ was a process of just listening to everything and determining what he liked and didn’t like. This fascination with sound over artist led AJ to begin producing music before he learned how to DJ. “To be honest I never followed artists, I always followed the sound. I was obsessed with tones and sounds. How does a certain sound come from a synthesizer? How do I bend the tone? Create a melody? I was really interested in the music production side of it. Creating something that comes 100% from me.”

Although AJ started the Black Circle project in 2019, his music career began long before that. He had the opportunity to play his first gig in 2011 after being discovered by a local DJ who had seen the music he was posting on Youtube. “I went to his agency to meet with him, I was shaking I was so excited. I thought yes, I did it, he invited me to play… I thought I made it right there. He gave me my first gigs, I totally fucked up on my first one, I didn’t know what a CDJ was. The mix was terrible but that was the first experience.” 

As AJ began to dive deeper into the world of becoming an artist, he ran into a wide variety of roadblocks. AJ worked for many artists as a ghost producer, stepping into their studios to work on projects that were assigned to him. “I didn’t have any contacts so it was a tough beginning. I was making a lot of pop music, pop electronic, and deep house. Until 2019, it was an up and down experience… It was hard to keep motivated after just getting rejected by so many labels over and over again. It was like producing for nothing… If nobody can hear your music then what’s the point?” 

A lack of a studio/access to a place where he could create music that was true to himself began to drain AJ’s creativity. Although ghost-producing was a good entrance to the industry, it did not prove to be a satisfying career. Additionally, cultural and familial pressures to have a “normal job” ultimately forced AJ to take an extended break from music. 

“My goals at the time were not attainable. I stopped making music for five years before I returned to create Black Circle. I was working at the airport, my girlfriend at the time didn’t like the idea of me being a DJ… I come from a culture where deviating from the norm is not as accepted. My parents wanted me to have a regular job and the idea of being a DJ was not acceptable. I didn’t have the support. When I quit everything to focus on being a DJ again, it was a tough time between us all.”

 As he started Black Circle, AJ set a high bar for himself and immediately got to work. He knew roughly the kind of music he wanted to create, and as always for AJ, followed the sounds that he liked. “I was just trying to find myself. I liked going to gigs and watching DJs show their sound. I knew how to produce, but it was not complete. The track ‘Autumn’ was not the quality I wanted. You can from this track to now, the quality keeps rising. ‘Foolish’ on I think the whole quality to my sound improved. My mastering and mixing got better as well.”

After starting Black Circle, AJ did not have to wait long for a positive response. Almost immediately he received support from headlining DJs as well as remix requests and collaboration opportunities. “I made ‘Journey’ for Nic [Fanciulli] after connecting with him because he was supporting my music. I first sent the track to Black Coffee. One month before it came out, I saw that Black Coffee was playing the track in Ibiza every single Saturday at his residency. It went #1 on Beatport immediately. Matthias Tanzmann also supported the track so I reached out to thank him. He asked me to send him music, I asked him to collab, he said yes… I thought, oh shit what is happening.”

For AJ, these special moments are what make it all worth it. It is a step-by-step process, climbing the ladder slowly but surely. “It feels like you’re dreaming and hoping that you don’t wake up except in this case it was real.” 

2021 started quietly for AJ, although he has a tremendous amount of work in store, and lofty goals for himself going forward. He has a collaboration with Nic Fanciulli coming out soon Pete Tong’s label. The track was born from a canceled show and the two decided to create something for the people staying at home. He will also be releasing a collaboration with Andrea Olivia in September and will be making his way to the US for live shows as soon as possible. AJ’s Black Circle project has just begun, but he is clearly destined for greatness. Humble, driven, and talented, we cannot wait to see what he has in store next. “I know that I’m climbing stairs in my career. The more I deliver, the more is coming. My ultimate goal is to go to the Grammys.”

Ferreck Dawn has been on a winding two-decade journey from raver to global house mainstay. Each unexpected pathway led him towards realizing his most authentic work. Even when he struggled to feel connected to his output, he presented the playful grooves and sultry swag that defines his sound. His 2018 Defected debut, “In Arms,” is the culmination of that journey. It was a moment of activation for Ferreck.

 Ferreck says his life changed when he attended his first festival as a teenager. “I wasn't the age of actually being allowed. The thing is you have to be 18-years-old. A 16-year-old shouldn't be at an event like that usually. So, I got a bit lucky.”

 At the time Sensation was the gold standard for dance events. Larger-than-life production, arena trance, and 45,000 people dressed in white. How could he not fall in love with dance music?

 Ferreck said, "That kind of opened my eyes. I was completely blown away by that event, everybody in white and the music and the DJs. And that's definitely the moment in my head that I realized this is something I want to get into. "

When you listen to his music now, it may be surprising that he got his start in hardcore. He still likes his music a little tough these days. When he goes out he prefers techno. Maybe it's not so surprising when you consider the Dutch are possibly the biggest consumers of hard dance in the world.

After a few years of banging it out, he felt like he was stuck on a roundabout and needed to pick an exit.

“I didn't find this genre to be very fresh and innovative. And I got fed up with it at a certain point. So, after I think about four years I figured, I'm gonna do a 180. I started to notice that I felt a lot better listening to house music.”

He's held on to a memento from his formative DJ years. The name Ferreck Dawn is the yin to his old DJ name’s yang. As a hardcore DJ, he went by Dusk. And he says he wanted to flip that vibe, “In my head I’m figuring that I'm going to do a 180. So, I'm going to go for Dawn and Ferrick. It's just different way of my real name.” It was also an easier way for people in the UK and US to pronounce his given name, Freek.

He began to feel more comfortable with his new direction. And in 2011 he signed a four-year deal with Spinnin'.  In 2014 he released “Love to Deep,” with Spinnin' regular Redondo. Garagey house was having a moment. And “Love Too Deep” pulled on the thread of classic tunes like “Show Me Love.”

Ferreck seized the moment. He said it was the first time he felt that music could be a career. “It went on to BBC Radio One daytime radio in the UK. That was definitely the moment that I told my girlfriend, listen if I'm ever going to do it, this is the time.”

Spinnin’ was at its peak. Ferreck was grateful for everything he learned and accomplished there, yet he still fell short of his most authentic self. 

“They [helped] me go into a direction that's successful. They're really great at doing the music they do. But at a certain point, I definitely felt like this is just not for me.”

He never felt pressured to follow trends. And Spinnin’ supported a transition to what resonated with him. 

“Slowly, but surely, during those four years, you can hear my music transition to house music more and more. And then, when the four years were over, we shook hands in a very friendly way. And I went on to different labels that I felt are better suited for the music I do.” 

As the door closed on Spinnin’ it opened on a label that has been at the pinnacle of dance music for nearly 20 years. Ferreck signed his breakthrough track “In Arms,” to Defected in 2017. And it was an incredible full-circle moment for him.

“From growing up and slowly and surely going from gabber to house and techno, Defected has always been there. So that's always been a label that I thought wow that's something if you can release on Defected! It's actually happening, that that was such a cool moment.”

“In Arms” was intended to be part of a two-track EP for Defected sublabel DFTD. Ferreck finished the second track, “Lovers & Haters” (out summer 2021) in December of 2017. Sam Devine broke “In Arms” while on tour in 2018. The track resonated with the dancefloor, and she ended up dropping it everywhere on tour. Defected decided to put all their power behind it as a single on the main label. And it’s Ferreck’s most successful record to date. 

Ferreck has continued to release music that feels authentic and personal. And as he rounds the turn on another leg of his journey, he's hopeful about the future of dance music. And he’s overjoyed that the world has caught on to what Sensation opened his eyes to at 16.

“I'm excited that house music is thriving. Still, after 20 years, there's definitely no slowing down. Probably even picking up pace. It's getting bigger and bigger. It's amazing how dance music kind of exploded in the US. It's very cool that throughout the world everywhere people enjoy this kind of music. When it originated at end of the 80s that they said it was just a short thing. It’s amazing that it's so powerful and keeps growing.”

Event producer, label manager, and DJ are just some of the jobs that Dan Faulwasser, also known as Dan Drastic, calls his own. Growing up in Chemnitz, Germany, Dan was a child of the early techno scene in Germany. “In the 90s, I was 15 and my cousin was a DJ. He took me to a really shitty party somewhere in the mountains, but they let me play records for 30 minutes… It was hard because I didn’t know the records, it was hard but no one cared. Pretty quickly I stumbled upon early techno and early house, a lot of hip hop as well. Commercial hip hop that blended with house. Becoming a DJ was a plan [for me] suddenly.

Coming from a place that was not a major metropolitan center, Dan had to work harder than most just to discover music. Living in East Germany as a kid, he would record songs directly off the radio that they were streaming from West Germany. According to Dan, the quality of the music often depended on the weather and getting a clean signal. “I didn’t know the names of tracks but I always had new stuff. We listened to everything… the techno stuff came later with the early 90s.”

These days, Dan works full-time as a label manager for the iconic Moon Harbour Records. He also runs their radio show and plays the occasional gig when the right opportunity comes around. For Dan, it was an interesting journey to get to this point, one that started with him throwing his own events in his hometown. 

“At some point we just found a space, an old factory, and started making partiers there. We actually did it by the books. If the police came we wanted to make sure we didn’t get shut down. It was nothing nice but it was fun. There would be one toilet for 300 people but we had two floors with different music… we always tried to have a techno floor and a house floor but in Chemnitz, the techno floor was the busy floor.”

As Dan worked to help foster a positive scene in Chemnitz, the rest of the country followed suit. Germany as a haven for techno is in part made possible by the government. Clubs are allowed to stay open all hours with very few restrictions. The scene is vibrant with an incredible community around the underground sounds. Although Dan got his start promoting and DJing in Chemnitz, he eventually moved to Leipzig where he transitioned to an industry role, focusing on becoming a label manager for Moon Harbour. 

“I moved from Chemnitz to Leipzig because the scene in Chemnitz was not working anymore. I had no job at the time and it just felt right. In Leipzig, there was already a good club scene. There’s an art university here which means every year there’s new people coming in that are open-minded. People are friendly and accepting, there are no closing hours so the clubs can stay open all weekend.”  

After settling in Leipzig, Dan quickly joined the Moon Harbour family, releasing music with them until eventually, he joined the team as a label manager. Despite their long-running success, running a small independent label is no easy feat. In today’s music scene, especially on the electronic side, there is a tremendous proliferation of independent, and artist-driven labels. In almost 20 years of existence, Moon Harbour has managed to consistently sign high-quality music, and identify incredible up-and-coming talent in an ever-growing scene.

“For us, we only release music that we really like. Music that we think has some sort of longevity. We focus on tracks that we think aren’t just about a trend happening right now. It needs to be timeless. It’s also about working with artists who want to stay with us. We don’t want artists to see us as a springboard for the next step, we want to have a relationship with them.” 

Dan has been with Moon Harbour for about 15 years now. In his time with the label, the electronic music scene has changed drastically. When Dan started in 2006, the biggest trend in electronic was a more minimal style of music. This was reflected with early releases from Matthias Tanzmann, Marco Faraone, and Luna City Express.

Over the years, music production has become more accessible, allowing more people to experiment and create high-quality music. With youtube courses teaching music production, and the need for a studio becoming less important, there has never been more amazing music being created. “The sounds have become more complex and layered. It’s [tech house] turned back into house. House has always been more full and groovy. People are getting so much better at mixing their music as well. The product you receive as a demo in the last 5 years is so much higher quality than it used to be. It’s not just a couple of loops and let’s call it a day. A lot of artists are making relatively original tracks, working with vocalists… the bar is just higher now.”

Even for a veteran like Dan, it can be hard to keep up with a revolving door of new talent and production concepts. “When I started making music in the early 2000’s I borrowed a version of Fruity Loops Studio that only had like 8 tracks I could use… making good music now is easier than ever… This is another reason why I stopped making music, I’m just not good compared to these guys now. There are enough people who are really good that they don’t need me anymore.”

In the last few years, Moon Harbour has continued its run of excellence. Recent releases like ‘Scratchin’’ by Detlef and Cloonee, and ‘Evolve or Die’ by Hot Since 82 are just a few examples of how Moon Harbour stays fresh and consistent. Focusing on quality tech house and deep house, with an eye always on the future has allowed Dan and his team to stay at the top of their games for decades. Dan releases 3-4 Moon Harbour radio shows every month, highlighting new music that the label enjoys, and Moon Harbour will continue to release music regularly for years to come.

“We have always had our lane. Kind of on the deep house scene while also doing tech house when we can. The idea is to not get too cheesy or mainstream, while also not going too deep.”

Both members of Guz, Freek Geuze and Wouter Simons have long histories in dance music. Both from Holland, their eponymous meeting at a 2016 WMC party in Miami led to a fast friendship. And eventually an avalanche of music that was vastly different than anything they had produced under other aliases.

Their break-out hit “Playing With My Heart” on Toolroom in 2017 solidified the duo's slinky tech house sound. Both had found earlier success in their other projects but felt a renewed sense of authenticity with their new direction. However, Guz was supposed to be a studio project. Geuze continued his work as part of Spinnin’ mainstay Redondo. Simons pulled double duty as a festival organizer and on his solo project SIMUN.

They continued to press and scored releases on tastemaker labels like Simma Red, Sink or Swim, and Relief. Finally, in 2019 they decided it was time to take the show on the road. Their 2020 was already planned out with releases on Spinnin and Big Beat on the horizon. 

It was all a dream come true for Simons who started DJing in bars as a teenager. He remembers telling a bit of a white lie to get on stage for the first time. “I worked at a bar during my school period. And when the bar the owner sold the bar, I had to look for another job. And I go to another bar and just tell them, I can play music. I never played music before besides [in] my bedroom.”

Because he has spent so much time in nightlife, there was never really a point where he had the aha moment where he decided to go all-in on being a career musician. “I never thought about it that way, actually. Because, I also work at an event company. I never had a day in the morning [where] I was thinking ‘shit, man, I have to go to work’“

The advantage to working on two sides of the industry, Simons says, is being an impartial observer of nightlife culture. 

“You see everything backstage. You see a lot of guys. They're doing stupid things and you think, I don't want to do that.”

Another obvious advantage he appreciates is networking. Because had it not been for learning how to navigate multiple sides of dance music, he met his partner in crime, Freek.

Working together has opened his eyes to the beauty of collaboration. Simons's work on his own was fantastic. But he says the Guz project has added something new to the equation. Geuze has always stood out because of his ability to create catchy hooks that make themselves at home in your memory. It’s not easy to craft dance floor-ready hooks. And Guz’s success is an example of how underground grooves and commercial sensibilities can be so compelling. 

Simons says he’s excited about the future of Guz. As 2020 dawned, while Freek was more comfortable staying in the studio, Simons was ready to tour. But when COVID knee-capped the industry that was put on hold. They instead spent their time in the studio and found new artists to bring into the equation. 

"Thin Line" with boy wonder John Summit, is built around a slinky soulful vocal and a throwback piano house riff. It's an essential slice of old-school flava with a modern flair.

Their collaboration with Ferreck Dawn “Knock Me Out” further pulls on the old school thread with a dash of filtered disco house. The early oughts disco-house era heavily pulled from the iconic Salsoul Records catalog to recapture a sense of nostalgia for the disco era. Ferreck and Guz masterfully sample Inner Life’s 1981 record “(Knock Out) Let's Go Another Round” to create a modern disco-house classic.

Simons is excited to emerge from lockdowns. It means he can begin throwing events. He says he’s ready to hop on a plane and DJ again. He’s also excited about what this means for the future of dance music he says because “With dance music everything is possible.”

Yousef believes that you can will something into existence. This unique ability is central to his long career as a DJ, producer, event organizer, record label owner, and dance music activist. It played a pivotal role in pulling off The First Dance, the first legal, unmasked, and non-socially distanced dance music event held in the UK in over a year. He witnessed house and techno evolve from the illegal warehouse parties that birthed the UK rave scene. And 30 years later amidst the uncertainty of a waning pandemic, he organized the most covered event in dance music history. The First Dance received an unprecedented seven billion engagements across the internet.

Yet he says he'll only allow himself to linger for a moment on its significance.  “In my mind, I'm already looking at what's next. I'm already in direct contact with the powers that be in the government to make sure that electronic music is now going to be considered a legitimate art form in the UK, because at the moment, in essence, it's not.”

He insists it’s a travesty that, “They don't understand the 30-year history and the footprints and the cultural and economic exposure of what has happened from the UK [to] the world.” Especially to someone who has been around since the beginning of the movement.

Young Yousef was big into early hip-hop and electro. He was captivated by the culture similar to how he’s absorbed dance music into his DNA. Even before he was 10 years old, the DJ wheels were turning. "These albums called Street Sounds Electro. They were the first albums that were sequenced. And I was fascinated why the music didn't stop."



He was a seven-year-old breakdancer who discovered he loved to cut beats when his parents bought him a ghetto blaster. He was enchanted by the idea of playing two cassettes at once, almost in sync. Barely big enough to carry the huge boombox, he would drag it to breakdancing completions in his neighborhood. Not long after that, acid house began to envelop the Northwest of England.

“My older brother, who was maybe 15 at the time was going to illegal raves in these huge warehouses. And he’d bring in these little mixtapes and over a quite a short period of time I started stealing his tapes and listening. And these mythical 12-inch records would suddenly start appearing and was like, Okay, now I'm interested in that.”

 Like hip hop, dance music was counter-culture. And Yousef has always been interested in anything that's not mainstream. "Not to stroke my chin. I'm just curious about what else people are doing. I don't measure a record's quality in terms of its commercial success. I measure the record's quality if it makes me feel good."

He was enamored with a DJs ability to seamlessly weave records together into a story. His brother provided a pathway into a new counterculture that enveloped him fully.

“Then he introduced me to this DJ. And this guy was mixing on three decks instead of two. And I couldn't figure out two decks. I’d never looked at a set of decks at this point. This guy called Carl Cox. He was the first DJ that kind of blew my mind. And eventually went on to DJ at my wedding.” 

When he was around 15 fell into some glass on the street that resulted in a scar on his nose. Enough time passed that he forgot about it. And then, a friend asked him if he wanted to buy a pair of Technic 1200s from his father. Seeing them sealed the deal. “It was honestly like seeing Angel Gabriel. But at the time, it was 600 pounds, I remember. And it may well have been 6 million because I never even had six pounds at the time and never anything. We didn't have any money at all.”

He went to sleep hopeful, but with no clue idea how to get them. “And I woke up the next morning, and the first letter I ever received in my life was from the local authorities. It's an apology for the scar on my nose because I tripped over something and ripped my face to shreds on the glass. And it was 650 pounds. And I went off and bought those decks. It was literally the next morning.”

He always envisions what he hopes to achieve long before he understands how to make it real. He famously got his big break after winning Muzik Magazine’s Bedroom Bedlam DJ competition in 1998. It led to him scoring residencies with Ministry Of Sound and Liverpool’s super club Cream. Yet even before he played at his legendary hometown spot, he lost sleep over the logistics of DJing there.

 “Cream got renovated by Steve Dash, a famous sound engineer from New York. He is the greatest of the greats. He introduced the concept to the UK of floater turntables. Which was the 1210s on big, thick elastic bands. And bear in mind, I was just a raver at this point. So, I go every week. I used to go home, some nights, I couldn't sleep worrying about how I'm going to use those decks.”



Yousef had spent countless nights as a punter at the famous night club and when he was finally asked to play there was like, “someone from New York that's been hitting the baseball, and eventually got signed for the Yankees.”

It was there that he honed his world-renown talent for long sets. “Even though I thought I was quite an accomplished DJ and [could] do all these tricks. I listened to Carl Cox and Roger Sanchez and Derrick Carter and all these guys that owned the music properly. And what I learned when I started playing six-hour sets is that's when you become a proper DJ, you have to start again. Learn how to embrace the room warm-up, take it to peak, keep people entertained, and really explore music. I learned in The Annex at Cream. It's put me on to the rest of my career with confidence.”

During his six-year residency at Cream, he grew less connected to the sound of the club. He struggled with the thought of leaving a place he called home for so much of his life. But in 2006 Cream opted to give him a night to capture the spirit of what brought him to Cream as a wee raver.

The name Circus was born from a Miami afterparty he says, “I was in a crazy afterparty in a penthouse on Collins Avenue, Miami. And all the UK and Americans were there and it was going nuts. And it was just like a circus.”

While Yousef was on his first vacation in a decade he received the news that Cream was shuttered. He says, “I was obviously heartbroken. Because I felt like I’d been dumped by my girlfriend. Because the place was so personal to me.” But it also meant his event was no more.

Luckily a fellow Cream alum Richard McGinnis – the owner of Parklife Festival and Warehouse Project - insisted they turn Circus into a club.

On opening night, they expected 100 people and 500 showed up. And Yousef says it was beautiful, “Everyone had a great time. It had everything about the annex room. Great music, new house and techno and an inclusive atmosphere. That's everything that I really insist upon is that people are made to feel welcome.” 

The spirit of what’s made Circus a success started at Cream and continued that opening night. 

“You know I've always said, and it might sound like a bit of a corny cliche, but the people who pay to get in are the only important people in the club. So I've always tried to make sure that people feel included and have a good time together. The music's kind of serious. The attitude, it's silly. So that's the way it's worked.” 

Community has been so central to Yousef’s life. So he does all he can to give back as much as he receives. “I think that's my default setting,” he says.

"My attitude is it's really important that you contribute to the scene. Because if you are concentrated on taking out from the scene, It's not gonna serve you." 

His activist spirit is what led him to organize what may go down as the largest community organizing effort in dance music history. The First Dance arose from Yousef’s crusade to help people in dance music get back to work.

It led him to conversations with Liverpool’s political establishment, the UK government, and even Prince William. And because Liverpool had done such a great job with mass testing for COVID, the city was granted a license to run one of several test events in the UK to understand the efficacy of lifting COVID restrictions. With only three and a half weeks' notice, Yousef and his team turned an empty warehouse into an event site.

It was a complicated effort that put on display the best parts of dance music culture. When the world shone a spotlight on rave culture its best parts were revealed: community, love, and great music. And after 30 years it’s a signal to the powers that be dance music should be taken seriously. 

Yousef says, “It should be nurtured and cherished, and understood. We're working on it to make sure that within a short period of months, the government will finally have to take our what we do, seriously and permanently.”

The worldwide media attention that dance music received from The First Dance would’ve been unheard of 30 years ago. Yousef sees the positive reactions as a springboard to make the government understand that the music community are clearly professionals that should be protected. And he says, “If we pull that off, I'll give myself some props.”

Whether Matt Caines is laying down one of his deep, sexy, and sophisticated DJ sets or building an immersive world of lights, sound, and art he’s always a storyteller first. Even his musical taste as a teenager was focused on it, “Something that kind of brought you out of body and took you somewhere.” The co-founder of experiential event brand Art With Me says, “I like storytelling, I think it is really important for musicians and DJs and artists.”

He started his journey when he attended the first Electric Zoo festival. Stunned by the sense of community and fully immersive atmosphere he followed the path of the young raver. He fell through the rabbit hole and began to explore the New York club scene.

He became a fan of Richie Hawtin after going to a few of his shows. A failed attempt at seeing his favorite DJ brought him down a path that would eventually turn into a career.

“I remember going to a couple Richie Hawtin shows and I was like, Okay, this stuff is awesome. And I remember wanting to see him one day at a club in New York. And they were very strict on the door policy and didn't really want a 23-year-old kid there. Not enough money to get into that one. But I walked into an event off the street, which really brought me to where I am today. And that event was Cityfox, it was the first Cityfox pop up in SoHo." 

Cityfox’s fully immersive event experience was a revelation to Caines. “Between the lighting and the sound, it had something special about it. "Ironically, by going to that party, I ended up helping launch the Cityfox experience in New York” 

That night was transcendent. And he set an intention to involve himself in dance music. Call it a coincidence, call it the law of attraction in action. But his subsequent move into a DJ house would bring things full circle.

He moved in with Rishi Patel. The co-founder of Plus8 Equity (owned by Richie Hawtin and John Aquaviva), Rishi was heavily plugged into the NY underground dance scene. Their home was the spot for the afters.

Late one night after a Cityfox event, Caines walked into his kitchen to find his roommate chatting with Cityfox’s promotional partner, Gunita Nagpaul, from Listed Bookings.

“Rishi turns around and was like, ‘Matt, you need to talk to this woman’ and Nita spoke to me for about four hours.” She let him know that he had barely scratched the surface on dance music. And that his most life-changing moments were yet to come. “[She said] ‘You want dance music, I'm gonna’ give you dance music. You're gonna’ work our next event. I didn't know what I was getting into.” 

Living in that home taught him an important lesson about community, he says. “We've got to be flexible in life. And we gotta be open to being vulnerable and relying on people or asking for help. Everyone inside this community really does like to help each other. They want to see everyone do well. I think as a scene we want to see everyone be successful. And there's plenty to go around.” 

He quickly learned the back end of event production, and his fledgling DJ career blossomed. Caines played a pivotal role in the development of the Cityfox brand. And he went on to help build Brooklyn Mirage.

After a stint in Utah working for Summit Series – an organization that holds conferences for young entrepreneurs, artists, and activists – he moved to Tulum. He knew it was a risk, but he wanted to create something of his own.

Art With Me is the culmination of his work in the industry. A unified vision that gathers music, art, wellness, food, family, and ecology into a dynamic festival experience. It was co-founded by Caines, David Graziano a longtime burner and Tulum hotel owner, and Jorge Mondragon owner of one of the largest talent agencies in Mexico, Celebrity Management.

“David Graziano, a longtime burner really wants to create an event that was like a Burning Man on the beach [and] celebrates the creative arts. So, we want to take all creativity and use it as inspiration to make positive change and impact in the world.”

An ideal day includes yoga, a workshop, hanging with your kids, checking out big art on the beach, delicious delectables, and a night capped off with dancing.

Caines spent years in nightlife and he understands that his audience has matured. Art With Me is about balance. It can’t always be about warehouse raves and all-nighters. 

His demographic is reflective of his friend group. It's come to include parents, unattached adults, and younger festival addicts in search of experiences with purpose. Art With Me aims for balance through cultural experiences he says, “We want to highlight the most artistic things per industry, per pillar as we call it. And bring it all together to share with the world.” 

The cultural hurdles aren’t lost on him though. Bringing a largely international audience to a country that struggles with poverty comes with responsibilities. The organization takes them seriously.

Art With Me carves out 20-30% of the budget to give back to the local community. They also insist that locals never feel priced out. Caines says they offer free programming to the local community. “We've invested a lot of money to offer programming for free for people that can't afford the ticket. So, by charging a ticket to international people who come to the event, it actually subsidizes programming for the local community.” 

He also points to a waste management awareness program the festival ran in 2019. In exchange for 15 pieces of plastic, attendees could see the iconic Mexican grupero band, Bronco. 7000 people took part.

Caines' goal is to gently guide conversations. “[People] always like to say what's right and what's wrong. And I don't really know, technically, especially from a creative standpoint, that what I'm going to say is really right or wrong. And it's not like there's a better way. There's different ways to look at things. And I think when you can turn around and you can inspire people to change their perspective, it’s a real unique and amazing thing. And that can come from someone being inspired with a sense of awe and seeing something that's never been done before. And to shift their perspective is really powerful.”

Everyone discovers electronic music in a different way. Whether it’s a close friend showing you music at a young age, the radio playing in the car, or a chance encounter at a club, each story is unique. The first time Max Chapman fully understood that he loved electronic music was after a night out in Sydney. “[i saw] Art Department on a boat in Sydney Harbor. After I was getting in a cab and they were sitting on a curb waiting for their driver. I offered them a lift to the afterparty and I ended up spending the night with them. I played 4-5 gigs the whole time I was in Australia. I didn’t know anything about DJing but I loved it and wanted to hone my craft.” 

Growing up in Essex on the South East coast of the UK, Max has been a self-proclaimed beach boy his whole life. Although there was not much of a music scene in Essex, Max still found himself immersed in the sounds of electronic music at an early age. “I was about 13 and I wanted to learn how to mix. I worked at a fish and chips shop to save money, bought some decks early on, and learned how… about 4-5 years later I got into electro.” Max didn’t think too much of music as a career until hanging out with a friend who produced music. After learning the ropes and buying some basic equipment, Max’s career as a producer began. His love for DJing quickly followed. Traveling to Southeast Asia and Australia exposed him to new sounds and when he returned to Essex, he secured a residency at a local bar on the beach. 

The journey from local resident to international headliner was a lengthy one. Max was attending an event at the legendary club Sankey’s in Manchester and had a demo CD which contained what would become his first ever release. “I lost the CD. A guy found them who owned a label and he called me and said he wanted to sign all the tracks. Two weeks later it [‘Don’t Go’] got played on Radio 1 and two weeks after that I got my first gig at Sankeys. I was playing Manchester every month, slowly crept into London after that. The promoter who ran Paradise and Circoloco started putting me on lineups for Sankeys Ibiza… they still book me to this day.”

Max Chapman’s progression as a music producer has been filled with self-reflection and an ever-evolving sound. His early work had a consistent deep/minimal sound, inspired by the likes of Hot Natured, Jamie Jones, and Art Department. “I’d create a very simple bassline and then try and jack the melody in it up and down. It was a very very fun time making music then but when I look back, it sounds awful to me.” 

Although his early music did not translate to a quick breakout, Max decided to start a label of his own. A bold move for an up and coming artist, Max describes it less as a business decision, and more as a gut feeling it was the right move. “If it fails it fails. So many people told me not to do that because I hadn’t put anything out yet. It’s so much more common now to do. When you have that platform and a little bit of backing, it enables you to utilize promo and distribution and work harder on the track rather than putting it into someone else’s hands.” 

After a few years of consistent output, Max started to break through in 2016 with a handful of high-impact tracks and rare live show opportunities. Although it was a period of great success for Max, looking back on the era is not always fun for him. He released ‘Get Freaky’ with Elrow music, and quickly followed it with his biggest track to date, ‘La Fiesta.’ Max’s tech-house era had arrived, inspired by the sounds of Ibiza and Latin house. 

“Around that time it was more about what was going on when I was out DJing. Honestly, it was one of the worst times for me in the clubs. When I go back now and listen to that music it feels boring to me and soulless but at the time I loved it and the crowds loved it. Personally, that tech house phase is the least favorite of my work. Things changed for me when I started going to  Ibiza. [Club] Amnesia specifically. I heard a Spanish vocal over a tech-house tune at the club and it was influential for me. I went and made ‘La Fiesta’ in 3 hours and Jamie Jones signed it. Since then I’ve taken more time on my music. Focusing on quality over quantity.”

Although the music no longer speaks to Max, the energy and experiences remain influential. When discussing Ibiza, Max was at a loss for words. “It starts with the air that you breathe when you walk in off the plane. I know it sounds cliche… but you feel the music, you feel the moment so much better than any other place.” Around this time, Max had the opportunity to take his newfound Latin-inspired tech house sound to South America. 

Max’s favorite type of set spans 2-3 hours and takes place in a large club. This reality came to life when he was booked to play Lost Beach in Ecuador, headlining the first-ever Boiler Room set at the venue. “People traveled from all over South America to come to this place. Moneteninto is a tiny town. Little surfer town in Ecuador. People came from all over the place, I don’t even know where people slept to be honest… It was amazing. It’s brilliant to be on a beach in warm temperatures. As long as it’s got a huge sound system, good lights, I’m happy.”

Despite a storied and lengthy career, Max is just now finding his groove on the production side, finally in a place where he feels he can create the kind of music he really wants to. “All I listen to when I’m not working is more melodic music… Bicep is a hero for me… When I was making tech house, I slowly started to mature and evolve and realized my music was soulless and dead. There was no feeling to it. Now I use more melody and chords and I’ve never been more in love with my own sound.” Max has even started a new alias which he has yet to unveil. He plans on releasing more melodic, emotion-filled music under that project. 

For Max, a sense of direction has him feeling like the future is promising and will bring new and exciting things. “I found a new love for making music. You can hear in the ‘Dusk EP’ there’s quite a lot of emotion. I loved making that, I used a Roland 303 for the man lead. It’s such a raw clubby sound... When I make music I want to do it as if I’m playing live. Going forward I’d love to have a live piece of the show… I’d love to find someone that had a similar love for that kind of music and someone who was in tune with me.”

Although 2021 has been a quiet year so far on the release front, Max has stayed busy. He is almost finished building a home studio where he hopes to continue to hone in on his favorite sounds. He remains focused on building out his label, Resonance Records, and just released a track called ‘Together’ with George Smeddles. Max will be touring the US this fall and we cannot wait.

“It started with Nik trying to make a combination of a Fatboy Slim song and ‘Face To Face’ by Daft Punk. I had a small demo that I brought to Ryan. It was the first Sponges effort. At that time we were both working on our own music projects. Nik came to me and as a joke said he’s starting a band called The Sponges and asked if I would by his lead singer. Next thing you know we have this [‘Somebody Somebody’] and ‘Make it Juicy.’”

Ryan and Nik of The Sponges have made a name for themselves in recent years with an incredibly unique sound, blending funk, tech house, and bass house in a seamless and fun way. The duo is from Palm Beach, Florida. Growing up outside of Miami, Club Space quickly became one of their favorite venues and helped introduce the two to electronic music. “The sound system is so pristine. I’d want to see Tipper or Eprom… bass acts that make the system really work. We saw Disclosure there and they played ‘You and Me (Flume Remix)’ and it was the only time we’ve ever seen a track under 120 BPM and it was just insane.”

The duo’s influences are wide-ranging, and their discovery of electronic music was less than traditional. Ryan and Nik first met in high school. They were both producing rap beats for their friends and eventually decided to try working together on the project. After some time, the two discovered electronic music. “After attending some raves we knew we wanted to make electronic music. [We saw] Skrillex at Bonnaroo in 2014 and we knew we had to enter the scene.”

Despite Skrillex helping them turn the corner, the earlier years for Ryan and Nik were defined by rock and rap music. Linkin Park, Lil Wayne, and Kid Cudi were major influences. The first time they performed together was long before The Sponges had a true identity. “I [Nik] was in a rap group and we needed to record music before our show. Ryan was the only person we knew with a mic. We were in high school and Ryan ended up performing while I DJed… That was in 2012, it wasn’t until 2019 that we played a bigger show.” 

For The Sponges, creating music is a complex process often driven by older samples and two unique production styles that Ryan and Nik bring to the table. “The oldies is what we sample. We’re constantly listening to… James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire. The great disco/funk artists from the 70s and 80s… All of our songs have a different story as far as how they began.” Sometimes the guys will find a sample and build a track around it. Other times the bassline comes first. When producing their track ‘Funked Up,’ the goal was to make an edit for a Rick James song just for fun. Three months later it became a breakthrough release. 

Ryan and Nik also take tremendous influence from the world of jam bands. Funky vibes permeate their music and a lifetime of listening to The Grateful Dead, STS9, Lettuce and more has given The Sponges another unique angle to their music. To quote their primary label, Box of Cats, “If James Brown produced tech-house, this is him.”

Two years after truly discovering electronic music, Ryan and Nik were still finding their sound and working on getting their first track out to the world. They started attending a diverse range of music festivals and began seeing a lot of electronic performers, and jam bands. After attending Bonnaroo in 2016, Ryan had the idea to mix the funky sound from Griz and The Floozies with a tech-house sound. Nik had been working on a sample-based four on the floor sound and their combined sonic concepts led to the birth of The Sponges. “We spammed Soundcloud, sending this track [‘Make It Juicy’] to everyone we possibly could. Marc Spence was the one who responded and he asked if he could send it to Box of Cats. After that, Wongo hit us up and since then he’s been such a mentor.” 

‘Make It Juicy’ was followed by a run of successful releases with Box Of Cats. After ripping off ‘Space Funk ‘75,’ ‘I Can Dance,’ ‘Funked Up’ and ‘Rachet Express,’ Ryan and Nik felt like they had found a home. “It’s a dream come true. Box Of Cats feels great because Wongo is so open-minded and such a big brother to us. To have made a song with Kyle Watson is amazing. They’ve been supportive and we wouldn’t have had an avenue to share our music without them. A lot of the big labels have such a specific sound that producers cater to. There’s nothing wrong with that but we needed a label that would cater itself to our sound.” 

The Box of Cats team has helped Ryan and Nik to the point of getting their music out to other labels as well. One of their recent releases, ‘Feelin Alright’ landed on the iconic Night Bass label with the helping hand of Wongo. Staying true to The Sponges sound, the track is another masterclass in sampling and funky beats. “Nik spends a ton of time sifting through samples, finding what works best for our sound. The Sample we picked [for this one] was because the guy sounded like James Brown. I [Ryan] made a demo right before a show we had, I didn’t tell Nik about it until we were walking on stage and just surprised him with the track… [with samples] we want something memorable that will bring people back.”

A unique sound has led to unique support. A wide variety of artists have shown love to The Sponges, ranging from Zeds Dead and Griz, to Malaa and Destructo. For Ryan and Nik, it’s a sign that they’re doing something right, and that their diverse abilities give them tremendous career flexibility. Whether it’s opening for The Knocks to a pop crowd, playing a small dark club, or opening for Griz, The Sponges bring high energy to their live set no matter where you catch them. Ryan and Nik hope to eventually get into the studio with jam bands in order to fully flesh out their funk sound. On the live side, they have long-term goals of creating a hybrid DJ/live set performance inspired by the likes of Gramatik. The Sponges will be putting out a track with Griz in July, and will hopefully be coming to a city near you soon.

Will Clarke’s first breakthrough record was “Big Booty.” A hooky booty-bouncing beat signed to Worthy’s Anabatic Records in 2015. In a post EDM world, it was the perfect dose of weird and womp. As part of the rotating cast of Dirtybird players, he helped redefine tech-house. And while that music helped soundtrack thousands of nights out for a generation of clubbers, Clarke says his latest work is his most meaningful.

“I think the thing with dance music, “ he says. “Is that a lot of the time, it’s just for the club. And that’s absolutely fine. I think clubs have a real important place in our lives. But I think there’s actually more to [dance] music than just the clubs.”

His sound began to turn in 2018 with “Mercy,” a peak hour techno tune centered around an impassioned gospel vocal. You could tell that he was toying with something deeper, and more emotional than the club bangers he’d been known for.

In 2019 he marked a new era with the launch of his label All We Have Is Now. An outlet for his most personal work. His emotionally charged releases “U Take Me Higher,” “Hallelujah,” and “Place Where I Belong” prove dancefloors can be moved with purpose and intention. They are also the most heavily supported tracks of his career. His audience has fully embraced his message.

“I'm trying to write songs that have a bit of a meaning,” Clarke says. And for many of his fans that message is loud and clear. Yet he recognizes music without traditional structure doesn’t always translate deeper messages to broader audiences. "Because I'm not writing songs that have full-on lyrics. It's kind of hard to get that across to people and [that's] what I'm trying to get at and with the videos."

Filmmaker Matthew Freiheit masterfully interprets Clarke's music in emotionally reverent pieces of visual art. Clarke isn’t interested in tired tropes he says, “I didn't want to just be like, Oh, it's a rave and a dude or chick is just taking some pills. And it's just a generic dance record video.” We’ve already seen that video a hundred times he explains. “I'm not there to promote, getting high and shit like that. I'm there to like, actually give a bit of a message out.”

The video for “U Take Me Higher” incredibly sets that tone. It’s a realistic portrayal of the desperate life of a drug addict is heartbreaking. While the vocal hook seems uplifting, the song’s melancholic chords are punctuated by the dark content of the video. It accurately depicts a cycle of abuse and failed attempts at rehabilitation. Something Clarke has witnessed first-hand.

“My family-run drug and alcohol rehabs. And I've always been around addiction in my life through working at the rehabs for my parents. So, I wanted to give a little bit of a message about that.”

It’s not all serious work though. His collaboration with MK, “My Church,” came with an abstract journey through the birthplace of techno. Detroit is where Clarke lives when he’s in the US, and where MK is originally from. So, it was important to both that the Detroit they know and love feature heavily in the video.

It comes with an uplifting message he says. “This sounds really cliche, but I class a club as a church, as a community. I'm not a religious person. But I'm a true believer of what religion does to a certain extent. And it just brings people together. And I think that's what clubs do in the best possible way. You can have God knows what views and no one gets judged in a club. And I think that's what's really important to me.”

His artistic vision is now wholly focused. And he feels like he’s doing his best work yet. Because he says he’s not interested in following trends or making anything generic. “I don't see the point,” he states. “If I'm kind of pulling on the emotion chords of someone, then I've done the right job. In fact, that's what I kind of set out to do.”

Clarke is as honest and vulnerable in his music as he is with his podcast. These qualities are probably why the show is so bingeable. His winding and fascinating conversations with people like Walker & Royce, Oliver Heldens, and Patrick Topping allow his guests the space to settle and share in ways they don’t have the opportunity to in any other context.

He says he wants to encourage people to communicate better. “People need to talk more. We live in this world where even our music listening [or] how we watch things, we want everything now. And if it doesn't get our attention within the first 20 seconds, then we fuckin turn off. Long conversations [are] actually what we need. Because I think long conversation can be the way that we all grow as human beings.”

EDDIE is on a mission to bring electro-house and progressive back to the forefront of dance music. He came of age at the peak of EDM. Artists like Deadmau5, Knife Party, and Porter Robinson were his entryway into electronic music. Their influence is clear in his mix of grungy thumping electro and blissful heartfelt progressive. 

It’s all about giving people something familiar he says about his music. “It's got an aesthetic feel. People really enjoy nostalgia. I think it's really an important part of music.”

His Monstercat debut, "Waiting," pulls that thread. The thick chords, uplifting vocals, and driving beat call to mind early Deadmau5. It’s bright, fun, and heartfelt.

He may have first realized where his tastes lie in dance music at an all-ages Melbourne music festival as a teenager, but his roots run deeper. He recalls his dad picking him up from school with AC/DC blasting from the speakers. “AC/DC brings a lot of energy. It’s very simple riff simple drum work. Something about them really drives you up. You get really pumped up. So I think a lot of the energy in my music definitely kind of correlates with that because I love bringing that energy to my darker electro stuff.”

EDDIE isn’t certain when he transformed from a teenager messing about with mashups and Fruity Loops to career musician. Yet, he knows that he appreciated the journey. “You start to release stuff. Then your friends start saying, ‘Yeah, that's actually, that's actually good. It's not trash anymore.’ And then I just had a vision for a set sort of sound that I wanted. A vision for a brand that I wanted. And you put all that together, you work towards a goal that you might think is possible. And bam, suddenly it happened.”

The key to his breezy and unaffected persona is knowing dance music is supposed to be fun and uplifting. EDDIE has mastered living in the moment. He doesn’t put pressure on himself to reinvent the wheel every time he sits down to write he says, “I feel like when I when I sit down to write music, I don't have that added pressure, where I feel a lot of producers are like, I need to make something that no one's ever heard before. And then they freak out and then write something for like two months, right? I'm writing at the moment because I feel inspired.”

Sometimes that inspiration takes him on a detour. While EDDIE is steadfastly dedicated to electro and progressive, he’s had several high-profile collaborations with the likes of Rezz and ATLiens. His discography plays like a good DJ set. It’s got hills, valleys, and these incredible curveballs that give you the bass face.

He insists that he doesn’t want to confuse his audience, yet he never wants to shy away from the chance to experiment either. “If you go through my discography 95% of it will be electro and progressive, right? And then that 5% will just be me when I experiment. Because it's music at the end of the day. I have an outlet and I just make stuff. I've had the opportunity to work with some really cool artists. And at the end of the day, [if] we make something that might not be progressive or might not be electro and I still think it's really cool, and they really like it, it ends up coming out. And I've been blessed that the fans still really enjoy it.”

He’s always kept himself open to opportunity. It’s how he ended up collaborating with legendary Australian producer, Dirty South on "Just A Riff." 

Their friendship started when EDDIE realized that they were neighbors and share the same Serbian-Australian heritage. EDDIE value’s the professional lessons he’s learned from hanging with an industry vet, and also some of the practical advantages as well. “He's got a really nice studio [so I get] to learn how all his hardware works. Because I don't get to play with hardware much. I don't have any of that stuff. So it's been really fun to mess around with his equipment with him.”

For someone who went from raver to working with notable figures in dance, the significance of these moments are palpable he says, “That's one of those things where you have to take a step back a little bit just to be like, you know, you might not be where you want to end up yet. You're still going on the journey. But take a step back to realize you've done some cool stuff. And I've managed to Yeah, work on deadmu5' label release stuff there. And I managed to get noticed by some pretty big names that I used to really, really look up to. So it's been a great journey so far. It's still climbing. So, I'm happy with that.”

In the end, everything about music is about having fun for EDDIE. “I'm not actually trying to be overly unique. I'm not a producer that aims for that as much. I just aim to make something I love a lot. “

Growing up in both Warrington, England, and rural New Zealand gave Josh Butler an incredibly diverse introduction to music. Although Warrington is a small quiet town, it lies right in the middle of Manchester and Liverpool, two vibrant cities with incredible electronic music scenes. Josh also spent a lot of time in New Zealand, attending high school in the north of New Zealand. Despite virtually no electronic scene when he first arrived, Josh’s first opportunities to DJ came in New Zealand. “The first time I played in front of people was in New Zealand. People had lots of land so we had outdoor raves. I was into DJing and had decks and a PA system so when people threw parties they hit me up to come play. Those were my first gigs, I was playing all sorts of stuff… 2Pac, Drum n bass, house tunes.”

For Josh, his teenage years were a time of discovery and learning. He started producing music around the age of 14, before he was a DJ. Primarily listening to electronic music at the time, Josh noted that producing first, helped him focus on music as a career. “Over those years I was getting more and more into music, starting to get some tracks played on the radio. I was obsessed with music production and electronic music. When the time came to think about jobs, I told my parents I wanted to give the music thing a go. I flew back to the UK to start a music technology course and the rest was history.”

Growing up in two different places saw Josh gain a multitude of musical influences. Although he initially only experienced an electronic scene in the UK, New Zealand has quickly become a second home for him. “All of my musical input came from being in the UK. Only in the last 10 years has the scene in New Zealand grown… I first came back 7 years ago to play in Queenstown. I’ve been lucky enough to go back every year since. There’s always another city added on to the tour ever year. [My favorite] is a club called 121 in Christchurch. Probably the best venue in the country.”

Creating a sonic identity for Josh is a process that took time, maturity, and is still ongoing. It takes many artists years to get heard and break through. Josh faced a unique challenge when a remix of one of his earliest songs acted as his breakthrough. “‘Got A Feeling’ blew up in 2013. After that big record I almost wanted to distance myself a bit. It was a remix that blew up, not my original. I was getting known for that sound so I wanted to go in the completely opposite direction.”

Josh felt that his next record needed to be true to the sound he loved, and not compliant with fans' expectations after a hot remix. He put out ‘No Frills’ with Kerri Chandler’s Madtech records. The track was very underground and minimal, “I was throwing hard house sounds in there… I was trying to combine all my musical tastes and put them into the pot and figure out how all these pieces would go together. The Madtech EP felt like I found my formula.”

For those who don’t know him, Kerri Chandler is an American house music icon. Running the influential Madtech label, as well as owning a catalogue of iconic tracks, many rising DJs find their inspiration from Kerri. Josh Butler’s first meeting with Kerri was one he would never forget.

“We got booked to play the same show at a place in Paris called Concrete. The club was right on the river, beautiful setting. I was fresh on the scene and we just really got along. He invited me to his soundcheck [Kerri is infamous for his soundchecks]. The soundcheck was almost longer than his set. He’s a man of detail. He brings bits of equipment, analyzing frequencies of the room, running to the sound engineers booth tweaking sounds and knobs to make sure everything sounds perfect. We started playing more shows together and stayed in touch. When I started my label, Origins, Kerri was the obvious choice to tap for a record.”

As Josh worked to define himself and hone his craft, he began finding musical influence in different places. “I rarely listen to house/techno if I’m chilling. I listen to a lot of dug reggae. Minimal vocals buts of effects, reverbs, and samples. These guys for me were the pioneers for what I and a lot of people like me do… its out of this world with all the effects, really atmospheric.” At the same time, Josh started to understand who his peers were and who he could look to for collaboration and feedback. “The Solid Grooves guys, Michael Bibi and Pawsa. Their style is very minimal and stripped back. I get into that style and they know how to party as well. Jamie Jones’s paradise is a good one as well.”

Throughout Josh Butler’s career, he has often worked with others in the studio, making the process of production an inclusive one. One of the strongest relationships he has is with fellow DJ/Producer Bontan. The duo have been friends for years now, performing back to back often, pumping out hit records, and even going on tour with Nile Rodgers and Chic. “We knew each other before we were successful… we made some terrible tracks over the years but luckily we also made some good ones. We got introduced a decade ago and still speak daily.” Butler and Bontan were embarking on a special back to back tour in which they were playing extended, 6 hour sets every night. As they approached the UK leg of their tour, they got an offer to open for Nile Rodgers and Chic on a handful of shows. It was an opportunity that was too good to pass up.

“It was very different from what we were doing. It was all disco, playing pretty early. Start with an empty room, playing slow disco, dropping classic house tunes as well. Slowly the room would fill up and when Nile came on stage, it would erupt.” For Josh, it was a serious signal that his career was heading in the right direction. After their stops with Nile, they continued their tour. Despite the incredible experience playing extended sets, it is not always Josh’s goal to take on a six hour night. Often the setting is key in determining set length. “If you asked me 4 or 5 years ago I'd say extended sets everywhere. I like to explore my music. Sometimes I'll play venues that I don't feel comfortable playing long sets in. Those are typically ones with large stages and tons of lights. For one or two hours theyre amazing but for a long extended set i prefer a small dark room with the DJ off to the side and a great speaker system. If I get lost in that flow state, time becomes irrelevant. I can go for 8 hours and it feels like 30 minutes.”

As Josh’s career has continued to grow, he has had the unique opportunity to produce with/remix for some of the biggest names in the industry, as well as playing regularly in places that techno tourists dream of. His remix of “I Want You” by Carl Cox is a mainstay in sets around the world to this day. Speaking on the experience Josh mentioned that the song was so old he had to find the original samples used by Carl Cox in order to do the remix justice.

South America and Ibiza hold a special place in Josh’s heart. “[South America] has such a strong scene. The Lost Beach in Ecuador is one of my favorite spots… some of the best parties I’ve ever played are in South America.” Speaking on Ibiza, a place Josh has played for years now, he almost could not describe it. “Without sounding cliche, it’s hard to put into words… [it’s a] big hippy place, lots of hippies still live in caves there and I think that energy brings to the magic. On the other side of it you have the music scene. It’s the strongest in the world… all the DJs go to test new music and it’s where you’re going to see the best in the world.” Josh’s new single with Dennis Cruz, “Ahora Todo Va,” is out now and he will be playing in New York City on July 24th for Elrow.

Illyus & Barrientos create timeless house music that transcends subgenre classifications. Since their debut release, “Need Me” in 2016, the Scottish duo have effortlessly moved from strength to strength and released hit records on respected labels like Toolroom, Defected, Ultra, and Armada. Their success is a combination of Illyus’ encyclopedic knowledge of modern music and Barrientos’ technical acumen. Each record is unique but captures something familiar and nostalgic. Their music has roots in the underground but as Illyus puts it is, “Accessible to anyone who has a passion for life.” They just want people to feel good while dancing.

Part of what makes them unique is their compelling use of vocals. They’re passionate, soulful, and communicate the breadth of human emotions. Illyus and Barrientos have borrowed heavily from gospel to achieve their brand of uplifting dance floor heat. Illyus says it’s because of the genre’s ability to communicate the human struggle. “Most of [these songs] are about hardship that rises from something terrible to something amazing. That energy translates so well to humanity.”

It’s as much about creating an emotional connection as it is paying respect to black music Barrientos says. “It’s also about having the utmost respect for black music and black culture. And knowing where that came from. There’s no other music that comes close to the hope you get from that. And we have a deep respect for it.”

Despite their obvious chemistry, they came from distinctly different backgrounds. Illyus grew up on classic funk and soul. “Everything had a rhythm, which allowed me to move into hip hop. She was a massive George Benson fan. And then the legend that was Marvin Gaye. Just very soulful, very sexy. Maybe that’s why I’ve moved into what we do now because it’s all soulful and sexy.”

As a DJ he cut his teeth in the Glasgow hip hop scene. And while he was consistently booked, he felt like there wasn’t much more he could do. “I was getting gigs all over the place and playing hip hop. And as far as my city was concerned, kind of hit a glass ceiling. I couldn't go anywhere.”

He started to imagine dance music as the change he needed when he saw Jazzy Jeff and Ferry Corsten in the same week. Jeff was technically incredible but only played a few self-produced songs. Ferry wasn’t his vibe, yet he was impressed that he could play a set of his music. The crowd hung on every song and it was a revelation. “I could just see the people going absolutely crazy. It was a lightbulb moment. I had to find a way to a faster BPM that was accessible to me and that could still have the influences I want to use.”

He was familiar with names like Armand Van Helden, DJ Sneak, and Daft Punk. Beyond that, he knew absolutely nothing of dance music. He quickly realized that his world and the world of dance were much closer than he imagined. “My thing has always been you can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been. As I read back on where people like Van Helden came from, their journey, and [them] being hip hop heads (like, Kenny Dope is a massive hip hop head). I realized I don’t need singers or songwriters. I can just create something from me for a dance floor.”

Barrientos on the other hand was raised on obscure classical music and jazz from his father. And samba, cueca, and Latin music from his mother. But his sister had the most impact on the development of his taste when he got into high school, “ My sister was really into heavy metal and goth. I really used to love it. And then she got me into post rock. It wasn’t until I was 16 or 17 that I started listening to Daft Punk, I was very late in the game. I didn’t really know much about dance music at all until I was old enough to go out.”

He says that he fell in love with dance music nearly instantly. “It was genuinely overnight. Daft Punk was playing at a festival in Scotland. And they were the only ones I knew. But DJs like Erol Alkin, Soulwax, and Tim Deluxe were there. And I remember thinking fucking hell that’s so good. I had never heard anything like it. Mind blown!”

Illyus and Barrientos found their footing as solo projects. Illyus had support from Pete Tong on the Dale Howard remix of his record “Not the One.” Barrientos released a few records with Glasgow Underground including remixes for Romanthony and an early Walker & Royce tune “I Surrender.” It was a mutual friend and Glasgow Underground head honcho Kevin McKay that insisted they meet for dinner. He must have known they’d get on so well.

However, it was obvious that they came from different worlds Barrientos says, “We were kind of put together.”

“Like a boy band,” Illyus adds.

“We were on way opposite sides of who we were running with,” Barrientos goes on. “I was running with people who were in art school. And Illyus [knew] loads of people who liked to party and club. Honestly, if it wasn't for house music, I don't think we would ever have met or been friends.”

Illyus agrees that they were an unlikely match. “Ivan had a full-time job and I’m more of a hustler type. But our taste in dance music was so similar, we shared a passion for deep house at the time. Which made it great, because you have these two different people but there’s a common ground.”

Remarkably, two men from vastly different backgrounds found a home together in house music. But, that’s what dance music is all about. Barrientos says, “Illyus is like a brother to me, we speak every day. It was never just about business or writing records. We grew naturally in a way that we could work together.”

Illyus adds, “I could be wrong but when a lot of people start making music today, they dream of the big stages and the party life too soon. And for us that isn’t why we do this. It has to do with loving music and enjoying DJing. You see someone across from you and you don’t have this grand plan. You just do a record and see what happens. It’s a nice journey and the fact that I trust this person as well. When it comes to music there’s no ego.”

As Santé reflects on the winding journey that led him from smashing out beats on his MPC to playing sexy groove-laden house music at clubs like Amnesia, Watergate, and Fabric he tells me how he misses when every day was a new exploration. “You experimented so much in the studio. You just try out and learn new things. It’s so freeing. I really miss those times. It’s like finding your language, finding what's interesting, what inspires you. And I think that [it] was an interesting process.”

The German DJ speaks to me from his home in Portugal. A far cry from Berlin, but a welcome change. Before he moved there it was a second home. And now he can soak up the beautiful weather and surf every day. A skill he says he slowly grew to love. “I was snowboarding all my life more or less. And I came here [for the] first time, my friend was running a surf camp. I took my first classes. I didn't like it so much because I was used to snowboarding. And it was so difficult to get by. But something kind of sparked and I wanted to learn it. And yeah, and ever since I love it. I go twice a day.”

This slow process of falling in love with an art form mirrors how he discovered dance music. His father was an avid jazz fan and record collector. His dad stayed in his lane almost religiously. So much so that Santé doesn’t care much for the genre. But while Santé may have had his fill of jazz records, it’s clear he appreciates the art form and one’s dedication to what defines them.

As Santé created his audio roadmap, he realized a will to create. He picked up the guitar at 14. But says, “After some several lessons and practicing by myself it became kind of boring to me.”

His search for what would define his musical passion was fulfilled when an older friend introduced him to dance music.  “He was 16 or 17 and he was working in a record shop part-time. He introduced me to electronic music and I was like ‘Wow, what's this?’ And a little bit later, I started working in a grocery and got my first sampler.” Suddenly a whole new world opened up to him.

It wasn’t long before he found a way to turn his passion into a profession. At 21 he moved to Berlin to immerse himself in the mecca of techno. He intended to finish school but says Berlin had other plans, “I didn't actually make it through university because I was too bad. And I failed. So, I got an internship in a studio. And from that point, everything in my career broke. I met quite a few people especially a producer [who was] well known back in the days, Tiefschwarz’.”

Tiefschwarz and Santé had an instant connection and began to introduce him to the ins and outs of the industry. Santé realized that he could make a living as a musician just as he scored his official first release, a remix for Richie Hawtin.

Even as Santé’s star rose, he found himself living in two not so dissimilar worlds. His nights spent in dark clubs, and his days spent creating music for ads. It’s a skill he feels lucky to have. It’s helped support him through the pandemic. When he’s writing for ads he works to evoke an emotional response dictated by film and a physical reaction, consumption. When he writes for the dancefloor he seeks an emotional response, joy. And a physical one, dancing.

Touring has introduced a new passion, cooking. You can catch his skills on display on an informative and often hilarious cooking show, “Foodieloops.” It’s a brilliant mix of Santé’s infectious sense of humor, and delicious delectables.

He’s a self-taught chef. And he says he picked up a lot of inspiration from his travels. “You meet so many different peoples of different cultures. And yeah, it opens up your horizons. so incredibly, Touring really opened up a lot of culinary interest.”

Santé has been lucky to work in an industry he loves for most of his life. And as he looks towards the future of dance music, he’s hopeful and excited. “I think there’s plenty of incredible times ahead because everyone is not taking going out, clubbing, and having this incredible experience for granted anymore. So I think the next couple of years could be kind of like the golden era of, of clubbing. Because the social context and feelings that you get from an incredible rave or festival is something that you can’t translate with any stream. I think it can make people more aware of how important the social interaction is in real life for that kind of art. Or even as a clubber, I can’t wait to get caught by myself being in a club.”

Artist Interviews