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DJ Mag Top100 DJs
9
Afrojack
| NON MOVER

"My year has been insane; it’s been such a great ride!” he beams. “I’ve travelled nearly every week of the year, sometimes even flying from country to country for different gigs in one night.”

Such countries on the man born Nick van de Wall’s 2013 schedule include Argentina and Australia, South Africa and Singapore, India and Israel and such momentous gigs as “performing at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Party. To play for the legendary artists in that room was amazing”.

This year he admits to putting out some more mainstream tracks as well as his more “underground” fare with “heavy beats”. The latest missive from the man’s studio has been ‘The Spark'. Released only in October it has already become a worldwide hit and features Spree Wilson. It is the first cut from his forthcoming album and features rapped vocals, Euro-beat synth patterns and an EDM-sized breakdown. Collaborating is something Afrojack does a lot, and in the past he has worked with everyone from David Guetta to Chris Brown to Steve Aoki. But why?

“I think it brings something new to the table,” he offers. “So many pop stars now have really started to notice house music and the way it makes people feel. People want to party and have fun, dance, so by collaborating with them we can spread that into all different types of music.”

This year has also been dominated by drip-fed stories about the ever-increasing fees EDM DJs are receiving, and in turn Afrojack’s wild spending. Although he believes EDM is here to stay and isn’t a huge bubble about to burst, he reckons he isn’t too flashy with his cash.

“I think probably crashing the Ferrari right after I bought it would be considered wild. I really don’t spend as much as people think; I just really love fast cars. Other than that I’m pretty smart with my money.”

“It’s been a long time coming and I’m really excited for everyone to finally hear it. People can expect a lot of surprise collaborations and songs that are different than any they’ve heard.”