What Do These Superstar DJs Have In Common?

From  gargantuan production and set design to stellar sound and tech installations, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) India 2016 – presented by Budweiser and made possible by the folks at Insomniac Events – was a success in every sense of the word. What really took it to a truly awe-inspiring level, however, was the undeniably exciting lineup. We caught up with a couple of the performing artists and this is what we found out:

AFROJACK 

On sound reinvention…
“Although we are still in the middle of the process and there is a lot of stuff to deal with when changing your music style, so far my fans seem to be really happy…and that’s the only thing I care about.”

As a listener…
“I really like what Skrillex and Diplo are doing right now; Martin Garrix and Hardwell are creating some cool stuff too. I’m also really into progressive trap with artists like San Holo.”

4 travel essentials…
“Gaming laptop, studio laptop, music database laptop and headphones.”

Coolest thing you ever did…
“When I performed on the MTV EMA stage last month in my hometown, Rotterdam!”

ALESSO

First thoughts…
“I haven’t been back to India in over 3 years, so it’s been really long overdue! I’m happy to be back.”

Your creative process…
“It varies depending on where I am in the world. It’s obviously much harder to make music while on the road and in hotels. So when I do get a chance to stay put in one city for a few weeks, I really take advantage of that. When I’m in LA, I love looking out the window at great views but in Stockholm, it’s a very different vibe.”

One key quality every DJ must possess…
“Passion. Our jobs are not easy when it comes to being on the road and away from friends and family. So you really, really must love what you do.”

Collab wish list…
“Someone I would really like to work with at the moment is Sia. But always at the top of my list would be Chris Martin from Coldplay.”

On chart positions…
“It’s always great to be recognised on music charts but what makes me really happy is the reaction from my fans.”

TOMMY TRASH

Early influences…
“When I was young, my uncle used to babysit me. He would play me new wave stuff that influenced me quite a lot. The music I was into in high school was Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana – all the predictable teenage bands. It wasn’t until college that I started hitting house clubs, and I got quite influenced by Daft Punk’s Discovery album. Then I moved from Brisbane to Sydney…that’s when it all changed. I got influenced by Axwell’s music and realised that this is what I want to do.”

Your sound in 3 words…
“Relentless, intense, melodic.”

Awe-inspiring moments…
“I come from a small countryside town in Australia; moving from Bunderburg to Brisbane was a big change for me. It’s mind-boggling that I’m travelling to India, South America, China or even living in LA right now. For me to play at EDC and Tomorrowland, and to headline shows worldwide, it’s something I never dreamed that I would ever do. Every moment is a miracle.”

Top 3 artists…
“Axwell because of his legacy value, Bon Iver because I listen to him all the time…Kaytranada and Anderson Paak are an equal third.”

Career highlight…
“Five years ago when I played at my first EDC in Vegas, and I was coming to terms with the crowd and energy. It got shut down by the hotel within 10 minutes, but it was the best 10 minutes of my life!”

R3HAB

India is…
“Cultural, beautiful, mysterious, and interesting.”

Start of the journey…
“I started going to several parties as a teenager and noticed how much of an impact the DJ had on the people. That’s when I first started practising and never looked back.”

If not for music…
“I’d be a chef!”

Pre-performance ritual…
“Relax and stretch.”

Current favourites…
“Quintino – Freak, R3hab – Icarus, Zara Larsson – Ain’t My Fault (R3hab Remix), Rihanna and Drake – Work (R3hab Remix).”

FERRY CORSTEN

Favourite things about India…
“The food. I also love the passion and enthusiasm of the crowd and the people that work in this industry. When one thinks of India, you think of Delhi, Mumbai – the big busy cities – but I think it’s a beautiful country when you travel outside of these cities.”

Your ‘I can’t believe I just did that’ moment…
“I performed at the closing ceremony of the South East Asian games in Singapore last year, and they wanted me to play my set from above, from a UFO-like thing which they would fly through the stadium. The height was scary and so was the technology – you can’t just run cables from one side of the stadium to the other, so it had to be wireless. Just before going live, at that moment I thought, ‘I’m not doing this, it’s crazy’.”

What people don’t know about you…
“I’m a pretty open book, but I can tell you that I’m an absolute neat freak. I’m OCD even when working in a studio, to the point of being an absolute nerd.”