The beat goes on and on in Las Vegas…
It’s incredible to think that it was only twelve months ago that Revolvr exploded into our lives. When his remix of ‘Beats Inside My Head’ held the No. 2 spot on the Beatport electro charts it caught the attention of Tiesto who added it to his entire Club Life Tour set and online podcast leaving hundreds of thousands curious on who Revolvr is. At the same time, Revolvr’s own track ‘Warface’ took to the charts and since then his production-infused bootlegs have created a tremendous impact with fans including Chuckie, Above & Beyond, Steve Aoki and Laidback Luke. This guy is in for the long haul…
Words: Dan Prince
I think it’s fair to say that you have seen pretty much all of the USA already! Born in Queens where you grew up, you spent your teenage years in San Fran, over to San Diego before settling in Las Vegas. Wow. What a trip. So let’s go back to Queens, a real hybrid of music going on there at an important time of your musical learning curve. What music can you remember from back then?
“Yeah, it’s been quite a ride! Well, from what I remember, it was a mixture of east coast hip hop and alternative was just on the rise. One thing that did really catch my attention, was seeing a music video of ‘Firestarter’ by Prodigy and it was unlike anything I was used to hearing in my town.”
San Fran, totally different – what bands were you into then?
“Those were my high school years, and of course as a growing teen you go through a dozen different phases. I listened to mostly hip hop and alternative for a bit, such as Bone Thugs, Nirvana, Metallica, Pantera and such. I then bought the album by The Prodigy ‘Fat of the Land’ and from that point on I was hooked onto electronic music.”
And eventually Las Vegas – party capital of America 24/7. So – what was behind the whole moving around your home country?
“To sum it all up: Born in Queens, spent my teenage years in San Francisco, spent my college years in San Diego and just living life, and a new chapter in Las Vegas, what I see is becoming a hub for EDM music on a worldwide scale. Never have I seen such a high rotation of international DJ’s in a US city before.”
When did you first encounter the superstar DJ?
“I remember seeing Bad Boy Bill for the first time and shook his hand and asked to take a picture with him, haha. I was quite starstruck because he was one of my biggest influences when I started DJing.”
What were the early dance anthems you remember from the early days?
“’The Launch’ by DJ Jean. ‘Better Off Alone’ – Alice Deejay. And who can forget ‘Sandstorm’ by Darude.”
What was your first break into the music industry?
“I would say that would be my remix of Scooter & Lavelle and Sue Cho’s ‘Beats Inside My Head’ that came out the beginning of last year. It completely exploded after Tiesto picked it up and started playing it on his worldwide tour, along with a tonne of high caliber DJ’s. It became an anthem quickly, and even till this day, if I play it, people sing a long to it. It definitely opened a lot of doors for me as a producer.”
Down at DMC we are very excited about your ‘The Beat Goes On’ tune, big on nrg and production – tell us about this cracking tune…
“I remember surfing through YouTube and running into an hilarious interview with WWF wrestling superstar ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage. As soon as I heard him say the words ‘And The Beat Goes On’ I knew I had to do something with it. The track has a very driving force behind it, and I gave it a very epic breakdown. One new thing I did with the track is a ‘double drop’, where on the climax, the tune drops into a huge epic uplifting beat, but then drops once more back into the dirty groovy you hear from the beginning, hence expressing “The Beat Goes On”.”
What is the current top 10 you are playing out?
“I mostly either my own tracks or my own edits, but I’ll lay some down…”
- 1.Bingo Players – Rattle
- 2.Chuckie – Who is Ready To Jump
- 3.Skrillex & Wolfgang Gartner – Devil’s Den
- 4.Porter Robinson – Vandalism (Lazy Rich Remix)
- 5.Morgan Page – Body Work (Revolvr Remix) [not out yet, but coming soon!]
- 6.Mord Fustang – We Are Now Connected
- 7.Revolvr & Sue Cho – Who’s Gonna Save Us
- 8.Duck Sauce – Big Bad Wolf (Dada Life Remix)
- 9.Umek & Beltek – Let The Bass Kick
- 10.Avicii – Sweet Dreams (Cazzette Remix)
How would you describe the music you play?
“A wild ride between uplifting vibes and powerful dirty beats. I love tracks that tap into triggering some type of emotion, then leading into a drop that makes you want to let loose.”
When did you feel you had discovered your sound?
“I definitely felt I hit a good spot when I did my remix of ‘Beats Inside My Head’.”
What is your biggest rock & roll Las Vegas story?
“There are way too many of those, especially now that I live here! Here’s one from when I wasn’t a Vegas resident crammed into a short story. Me and four close friends, private jet from San Diego to Vegas, skyloft suite atop the Palms Hotel, with an indoor waterfall, gym, sauna, bar, kitchen and hot tub that extends and hangs out of the building. Limos to 4 of the hottest clubs at the time, tables and bottles. Party back at the suite, somehow get lost in the building and end up walking into a room with a bowling alley and partying with people there, then wandering into a huge Playboy party at Heffner’s suite with Digital Underground performing the ‘Humpty Dance’. Yeah…”
So we come back to yours after the club, what is the Revolvr Back To Mine Top 10 you spin us to carry on the groove?
- 1.Mark Knight & Wolfgang Gartner – Conscindo
- 2.Michael Woods – Dynamik
- 3.Funkagenda – Astana
- 4.Bass Klep – Oh Yea
- 5.Da Fresh – Once Again
- 6.Bingo Players – Welcome Home
- 7.Kaskade – Angel On My Shoulder (EDX Remix)
- 8.Calvin Harris – Feel So Close (Nero remix)
- 9.Flux Pavilion – I Can’t Stop
- 10.Gemini – Blue
Other than music, what can’t you live without?
“Love and laughter.”
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
“A better spender. I love to buy too many things!”
How do you chill?
“Drinking wine and playing Xbox Live!”
Finest record you have played to a dancefloor?
“My bootleg ‘C’mon Rollin In The Mush’. Absolutely destroys every time, without fail.”
Best piece of advice you have ever been given?
“The only reason you have haters is because you’re doing something right”
Who was your first love and what happened?
“My first real true love is still the girl I love.”
What gig are you looking forward to the most in 2012?
“Well at this point, the gig I looked forward to the most in 2012 so far actually happened a couple of weeks ago when I played at Avalon in Los Angeles. It was by far the most moving crowd I have ever seen, and the sound was just incredible! I cannot wait to make my return there.”
DJ heroes?
“In terms of putting on a great show production, Deadmau5 and Swedish House Mafia.”
What record do you wish you had made?
“Motorcyle – ‘As The Rush Comes’ (Gabriel & Dresen Remix) – most favorite piece of all time.”
Who is your all time hero and why?
“Steve Jobs. He continued to believe in his vision, even when others didn’t, and he ended up changing the world forever.”
