Here at DJ Mag, we love dark, sweaty, fog-filled clubs as much as anyone — but there’s something about an open-air festival under the shining sun that always hits the spot. Yes, summer may be hurtling towards its end, but there’s still plenty of festie action on tap, whether your preference is intimate local gatherings or full-scale megastar extravaganzas. For the past 15 years, one of the rulers of the latter camp has been the Netherlands-born Nick van de Wall, better known as AFROJACK. Van de Wall is deadly serious about his career with a no-messing-around attitude to his approach — and he’s not stingy with the wisdom he’s gained from his time at the top, sharing what he’s learned on both the technical and business sides via his WALL PRO Academy. Megan Venzin caught up with the busy superstar to find out more.
AFROJACK seems to have everything mapped out, but Dennis Ferrer takes a different approach. The three-decade-plus veteran is the kind of artist who’s always gone with his gut — and just as the AFROJACK way has done wonders for van de Wall, Ferrer’s style has led to a discography that overflows with beloved tunes like ‘Hey Hey,’ ‘Touch The Sky’ and ‘Son of Raw.’ Right now, he’s in what he describes as “fuck it mode,” a mindset that’s led to the launch of a new label called Thriftshoppe.
This issue also pays tribute to another clubland icon that’s been around for three decades — the CDJ. There were those who thought that the then-clunky devices would never catch on, but over the years, they’ve become the preferred tool of most of the world’s DJs, and Ria Hylton fills us in on the story — hit play and read on.
Bruce Tantum
Editor