Tune: The best tune of 2016 for me is Negin (Extended Mix) from Jolique (ft. Daddy’s Girl). It’s an incredibly hot track that features a beautiful, melodic voice and a super positive drop that gives off a very warm seasonal feel to the track. It’s unbelievably well put together.
Album: I have to go with DJ Snake’s “Encore.” It’s 100% at the top of this year’s list of releases for me. I remember after I bought it and brought it home for a listen, I was pretty shocked (though not surprised given the caliber of music DJ Snake has been putting out for years) about the incredibly colorful mix of radio and club tracks on the album. The production was top-notch stuff all around, and the way the track selection was arranged gave off this feeling of epic quality throughout. I’ve had it on constant rotation since it was released.
Remix: This might be a bit of a self-serving boast, but I have to go with my remix of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” I know, I know…it seems a bit pretentious to pick my own take on a pop chart hit, not to mention there were a number of artists that created amazing remixes to that same track. I only make this choice because I feel like I managed to transcend myself on every level when it was all said and done. I can’t thank Mr. Timberlake enough for releasing the original version and I’m proud of what my team and I for were able to create as a result.
Label: Carrillo Music. How can I not choose the family of artists that I’ve been privileged enough to be chosen to be a part of? Everything about Carrillo resonates with quality and professionalism. I’ve been lucky enough to also experience and work with each of the talented artists on the imprint and witness the awesomely high level of dance music that I’d say is synonymous with the Carrillo name. Love it!
Breakthrough label: STMPD RCRDS – Quality, Good Choice, Club and Pop, everything is fine at this label. I will be following it.
Producer: This might seem like the “popular choice” given the duo’s spotlight at the moment, but for me, 2016’s best producer credit has to go to The Chainsmokers. These guys just have such brilliant consistency and absolutely no fear when it comes to creating new sounds, incorporating new styles and simply always bringing an energetic flow to their material. I want to wish them all the best in the coming year.
Festival: Tomorrowland Brasil 2016 in São Paulo. Aside from being one of the biggest festivals of the year, this event was packed with unbelievable crowds and an amazing roster of producers/DJs. If anyone doubts that, they should check out any one of the performer highlight reels to see what I mean. Also, the location itself speaks volumes – you’ve got a tropical climate with some of the most beautiful women in the world and a population of passionate people (when it comes to music, sports, art) that can appreciate a good time. It’s the perfect mix for a festival with the sort of production value that Tomorrowland brings to the table. Bravo to the promoters and the organizers, especially!
Music Conference: This is a bit of a tough one, but I think for me, it’s a pretty equal split between ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event), WMC (Winter Music Conference) and IMS (International Music Summit). Only reason for that is because I think all three events manage to span through the entirety of a given year and simultaneously fulfill the networking/party needs of completely different markets and focal points relative to demographic/turnout.
Radio Show: I have to go with Sean “Hollywood” Hamilton’s Remix Top 30 countdown on this one. I’ve had the absolute honor of being a part of Hamilton’s show a handful of times now, and I have to say he’s literally the best of the best when it comes to the radio game. The guy exudes professionalism and operates with such energy and intensity on a daily basis that he every time his show airs its like listening to dance music fueled audiobook.
Mainstage DJ: Going with The Chainsmokers once again. Aside from my explanation up top relative to their production acumen, if you’ve ever seen these guys on stage then you’ll know why I picked them a second time. Last time I was lucky enough to watch them play it was one of the craziest performances I’ve ever seen. ‘Nuff said.
Resident DJ: Im Really Not Sure, Because all my fellow DJ’S are simply amazing. It’s a very hard choice to make.
Club: Ibiza Club, Odessa. Hands down – in my opinion – one of the best clubs in the world. If you don’t know about it, I urge you to check out their site (www.ibiza.ua), and then get on the next flight out to Odessa immediately for the experience itself. Tons of huge names have performed here, plus the energy and intensity of the crowd is second to none. Each time I’ve been lucky enough to get booked at the venue I’ve been treated to a packed house (somewhere around 5K people every Friday and Saturday). I want to go back, haha! But I have to say that in Philadelphia , In US there is a club that is Opening by the name of NOTO, I saw the plans and heard the concept, that is definitely going to be one of the best clubs in USA.
New Studio Equipment/Software: Favorite studio software of the year goes to the Soundtoys 5 bundle. I actually got this program as a gift from my friend and manager, Rostik for my studio. I’ve honestly found the program to be irreplaceable so far. Given the amount of versatility it allows for (so many plugins to play with!) during production, I don’t think I’ve ever been more in love with a piece of technology in a long time.
Personal highlight of 2016: This year’s personal highlights have been the incredible reception I’ve had for a handful of the single tracks I’ve released throughout 2016. Having my track “Satellite” being turned on heavy rotation on terrestrial radio in cities like Chicago and Miami, recording 2 tracks with Terri B, as well as putting out a few unofficial remixes (Kygo – Stole the Show (Fenix Remix), Kygo – Here for You (Fenix Remix), and Justin Timberlak – Can’t Stop the Feeling (Fenix Remix)). Shout out to Kygo, by the way. The guy’s an amazing talent, and someone I hope to maybe work with down the line. Finally, having the Timberlake remix stay on NYC’s 103.5 KTU Remix Top 30 charts for 3 weeks straight was the super sweet cherry on top of it all.
Your ambition for 2017: This is a great question, especially because my ambitions for next year are sort of my ambitions for every year, but if I have to keep it simple, I want 2017 to be about putting the finishing touches on an EP or an album (depending on how things play out). To top it off, I’m hoping that next year will also give me the opportunity to do a collaboration with any one of the legendary DJs/producers that have inspired my career from the very beginning – that would truly be a dream come true.
