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DJ Mag Top100 DJs
57
Ferry Corsten
4

Rising star DJ/producer of 2021: “Avira.”

After nearly two decades of entertaining millions of people across the world, Ferry Corsten needed a break. On the eve of a global tour, the pandemic set in and the 47-year-old spent time indoors. Serendipitously, his home studio had just been completed, which allowed him to concentrate on production as well as spending time with his family. It’s made him realise that with any future tours, “more family time will be taken into account when planning my next shows”. 

Apart from spending time with his family, Corsten has also been busy producing. “I have been very busy in the studio,” he says, “for my upcoming shows as well as music under my FERR alias.” Earlier this year, Corsten released a music production masterclass that teaches aspiring music producers some of his techniques. 

A mainstay at festivals across the world including Tomorrowland and Electric Daisy Carnival, Corsten is also a constant in the Top 100 DJs poll due to his ability to skip across genres effortlessly, in both his production and DJ sets. 

How was your first gig back after lockdown?

“Amazing. Good to see all those happy faces again.”

How have the last 18 months changed how you view your work/life balance?

“The last 18 months allowed me to spend much more time with my family. My studio is in my house, so I was also around when I was working there.”

What further steps should the industry take to combat climate change?

“An 'environment surcharge' on each ticket is the first thing that comes to mind, as well as limiting the use of plastic.”

What’s the best bit of tech you’ve added to your studio or DJ setup this year?

“I have been working with this simple but extremely powerful little plug-in called Trackspacer by Wavesfactory. It's a sidechain/ducking plug-in that carves out a set frequency range on competing elements in your mix.”

What’s the best album you’ve heard this year?

“Olafur Arnalds 'Some Kind Of Peace’.”