Top 100 DJs poll veterans Wolfpack are back for a sixth time with more of the (excellent) same. More big tunes (the Futuristic Polar Bears edit of ‘We Got This’ was a big festival highlight) and more air-miles, having travelled the world playing sold-out festival and club shows. 

But having conquered the European festival scene, the Belgium DJ and production duo — Steve Braet and Ruben Khaza to their mums — increasingly found themselves playing in Asia, the world’s newest clubbing powerhouse. 

“We have mainly been travelling through Asia where we met a lot of interesting people,” say the duo after tour dates in Xian, Guangdong, Ningbo and Pune — all destinations that a year ago would have been almost unheard of and all now part of the global dance music journey. 

With more music on the way — “We’ve been producing as much music as we can,” say the duo excitedly — and more collaborators, including Vinny from their ‘Be Strong’ smash, 2020 looks set to be yet more of the (still excellent) same for the Wolfpack crew. 

Do you submit your DJ setlists to the relevant royalties collecting society?

“Yes! We always try to submit all the tracks we use. It’s very important that all artists receive their royalties.” 

What more can we do to combat the mental health crisis in our scene?

“For us, it’s very important that we have enough rest, have decent meals and be active in some kind of sport.” 

Are you personally doing anything to improve the gender balance of line-ups?

“We didn’t see any discrimination in gender regarding line-ups yet. If we would notice any form of discrimination we would talk with the promotor about it.” 

What changes have you made this year to be more environmentally friendly?

“We have always been very aware of the state of our environment and our ecological footprint! Our earth is a gift and we must protect it for our children.” 

What was your favourite toy when you were a kid?

Ruben: “My Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Donatello.” Steve: “I used to love my race track that I got for my 13th birthday.” 

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Ruben: “As a true Belgian, I love our beers way too much!” Steve: “I must admit I’m addicted to all the wrong kind of foods: chocolate, fries and mayonnaise.” 

From: Belgium.
DJ style: “EDM.”
Best known for: “Tomorrowland anthem ‘Find Tomorrow’.”
Fave tune of 2018: “‘Complicated’ by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike.”
Breakthrough DJ/producer of 2018: “Angemi.”

“A lot of touring, producing, getting married and making babies,” say Wolfpack — known to their friends and family as Steve Braet and Ruben Khaza — when DJ Mag probes them for info on what they’ve been up to in the last 12 months. We can’t speak for the last two points, but as for touring and producing, the pair aren’t telling porkies. This year has seen the duo, who hail from Willebroek in Belgium, hit stages at the likes of Tomorrowland festival, Cream Ibiza and Tomorrowland’s Garden Of Madness takeover at UshuaÏa Ibiza, plus drop a brace of massive collabs in July’s festival devastator ‘Derb’ with Futuristic Polar Bears and ‘Like Air’ with Nervo, which has continued to do the rounds since landing at the end of 2017.

While fans will be hoping those babies the boys mentioned won’t keep them from touring and producing too much in 2019, we can’t think of a nobler reason to take some time off than raising a few more cubs for the Wolfpack.

Words: BEN HINDLE

Think your 2017 was pretty spesh? Well, wait until you hear what Belgium duo Wolfpack have been up to. “We explored almost every city in China, did a lot of cool stuff in the Philippines and Asia, swam in an active volcano, made a lot of new tunes, met a lot of interesting people, conquered the World Club Dome in Germany and the mainstage of Tomorrowland Belgium just to mention a few,” says Ruben Khaza from Wolfpack, breathlessly.

So, yeah, pretty ace. Then there were their releases, which sent big room shockwaves across the world. “We had a lot of success with ‘Nashville’, ‘Pointbreak’ and especially ‘Phat Bass’ which was ranked by Beatport at No.1 for a long time and has been played by David Guetta, Tiësto and Showtek,” nods the other half of Wolfpack, Steve Braet. The only way to top that DJ bucketlist is to play a sure-to-sell-out homecoming gig on NYE. Expect this Wolfpack to keep on rising to the very top.

2015 has been a big one for Steve and Ruben, aka the notorious Wolfpack. Not only did the Belgian duo tour Asia for the first time — an experience they describe as “very cool” — but also happened to score two massive hits. Firstly, back in August, Wolfpack teamed up with Funk D and the don dada of booming vocals, Fatman Scoop, for the huge 'Drop The Smiley'. 

Then the following month, 'Ocarina' — the pair's beloved Tomorrowland Anthem collaboration with fellow Antwerpians, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike — got the remix treatment from Klaas & Mazza. That track has already catapulted through the rankings to become Wolfpack's second most popular release on Beatport.

Speaking of Tomorrowland, Wolfpack also happened to play the first ever South American edition of the festival earlier this year, as São Paulo spent four days as the global epicentre of EDM. Still signed and releasing through Dimi and Mike's scene-shaping Smash The House imprint, and having now appeared in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll for two years running, Wolfpack can stride confidently into 2016.

BEN HINDLE