Skip to main content

DANNY HOWARD'S NEW DJ MAG COLUMN

BBC Radio 1 man's May column for DJ Mag

CHERRIES ON TOP
“It’s that time of year when we’ve all got one eye on Ibiza, what parties are happening and which of our favourite DJs are playing where. I’ve been going to Ibiza for the last five years now and the one club I always love going back to is Pacha — mainly because my all-time hero Erick Morillo used to rip the place apart! I was lucky enough to play there a few times last year but now it makes me very happy — and excited in many different ways — to announce that I’ll be weekly resident of Pure Pacha every single saturday this summer! It’s an absolute dream come true to be able to play every week at such a legendary club.”

THE GARRIX EFFECT
"It was March 2013 at the Spinnin' Sessions party in Miami and Jorn (Head of A&R) was super-keen for me to meet the guy that was playing before me on the line-up. I couldn’t understand why, but he literally pulled me across the venue to say hello to a 16-year-old producer who went by the name of Martin Garrix! “One year later and he’s bouncing around the place on top of the world smiling and making time for everyone that walked in his path. Humble and taking it all in his stride, he was the most in-demand person on the whole of South Beach off the back of the beast that he created — 'Animals'. Now one of the biggest DJs on the planet, we welcome him into the BBC Radio 1 dance music family along with one of his idols and heroes, the mighty Tiësto.”

SUMMERTIME MADNESS?
“Will all music be FREE by the time we say goodbye to another summer of raving this year?! Maybe not quite, but it’s certainly heading that way as giving away music for no more than the energy it takes to click the download button seems to be the new thing to do! I’m not talking about private edits, crappy bootlegs or not-so-exclusive mixes just to boost your social media following, I’m talking full-blown, fresh tuneage that some of the biggest labels on the planet would be proud of!

"My boy Kryder did it with his monster track ‘Tarzan’ on new label Sosumi, Steve Angello gave away the whole Size Records back catalogue, and Skrillex just recently announced free give-away label Nest HQ! I didn’t really pay much attention in GCSE Business Studies but surely this can’t be economically sustainable in the dance music world as we know it, right?”

FRONT TO BACK
“Ever dreamt up the perfect combination of your two favourite artists to play back-to-back as one? Well, that’s what my friend Sam and I did the other saturday over a helping of peri-peri chicken! It soon turned into a brain-frying game of combining the two names instead — DJ mash-up frenzy! Keeping it in the Radio 1 family, we had Danny Mac, ATB-Traits and Tiëstong; he had Hot Since 82 Bears and Afrojack Beats. I then hit back with Fatboy Slam and I think I might have won with the Simian Mobile Disclosure shout! Who would yours be?

"Tweet me your creations to: @DJDannyHoward #DJMashUp.”