From: The Netherlands, but with Turkish roots
DJ style: “Electronic music.”
Best known for: “Just being me, a guy who likes to produce music and sounds.”
Fave tune of 2018: “W&W x Vini Vici ‘Chakra’ — officially from 2017, but I’ve played it in every set throughout this year.”
Breakthrough DJ/producer of 2018: “Brooks.”

Ummet Ozcan has had another busy year, but one tainted with sadness. “We’ve lost an inspiring artist and soul this year,” he says of the sad loss of Avicii.

His own tour diary has been dizzyingly busy, with stops in China, the UAE, Cyprus, Singapore, Myanmar, Japan, the USA and all over Europe. In between these shows he has tried to take as much studio time as possible. “I want a constant flow of releases,” he says, and to aid him on his mission, this year he launched his own OZ Records label. It will deal in the same electrifying, hard and big room sounds as his own productions, which this year include ‘Change My Heart’ with Laurell, and ‘Trash Movement’ with Coone and Villain.

“Style-wise, I constantly try to evolve, just because it’s fun to explore other music and experiment a bit,” he explains, while admitting that he and his team have been working hard to create stunning visuals and new elements for his shows, which may well explain his success this year.

Words: KRISTAN J CARYL