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DJ Mag Top100 DJs
8
Markus Schulz
| NON MOVER

In an industry where egos are liberally polished each and every day, Markus Schulz is one of the most down-to-earth and level-headed DJs it's possible to imagine. So while received wisdom has it that nice guys don't finish first, this isn't the case with the German ex-pat who now calls America his home.
And while Schulz might not like to countenance the suggestion that he deserves the sobriquet 'the nicest man in dance music', he readily admits that he's one of the hardest working DJs on the circuit: one glance back at his punishing schedule for 2010 attests to that fact.
"It's been brutal," he laughs, "absolutely brutal. This summer I was regularly playing three times in 24 hours. When you're planning these gigs it's very easy to say yes, but when it gets to it, there are so many unforeseen problems: missed flights, jet lag…"

As 2010 comes to a close, Schulz is determined to be smarter next year. For one, he wants a proper holiday ("I haven't had one for five or six years," he concedes). However, be under no illusions, he isn't moaning. He recognizes what a fortunate position he's in. As such, he really does sound humble when he reels off a list of highlights for this year.
"Coldharbour [his label] getting to 100 releases was a particular high point; that kept me fuelled over the summer madness, as was the release of my new album 'Do You Dream?'."
He's also optimistic about the state of his beloved trance music, pointing to the bravado of countless young DJs entering the scene as helping to keep him on his toes ("They all have so many ideas"), but also the continued versatility of producers such as Michael Woods as proof that trance can constantly reinvent itself.

So while 2011 will doubtless be more of the same - despite his avowals when it comes to planning - Schulz is in a very happy place. He's finally come to terms with the fact that his life is exactly as it should be.
"When I look back on my life, I've begun to realise that everything points to this. This is what I was put on the planet to do. I used to wonder what it would have been like had I gone to university and studied law. No more, I don't second guess anything anymore. A lot of questions have been answered this year."

So, 2011 - his next instalment of his city mix series is about to be announced and he plans on releasing a new album under his alter ego Dakota.
"I'm really excited to go back underground," he concludes. "When everyone else is zigging, I want to zag.