While we were at the 2012 Electric Zoo Music Festival, our good pal Jason Moss had the opportunity to sit down with none other than Nicky Romero. He gave us his thoughts on the festival, Fedde Le Grand, the EDM scene, and a whole lot more.
IMF: So it’s your first time at Electric Zoo, what did you think of it?
Nicky: I love it here. Electric Zoo feels like you’re playing for a small crowd, because everyone is so dedicated, but you’re playing for a 20,000 person crowd, but it feels like you’re one with the crowd, and that’s amazing.
There’s plenty more with Nicky after the jump.
IMF: So, Electric Zoo would be worth coming back to in the future?
Nicky: 110%. If they invite me back I would love to come back, and I would love to host my own stage here with protocol, that’s something I would love to do. The people are so going for it, even though it’s warm, they just give everything.
IMF: Do find it at all with the crowd that you need to change your original set plan to try to feed into what they wanted, or did you find that you felt what you’re going to play and you actually stuck with it?
Nicky: I feel that it’s important to change your set while you’re playing because it’s important that you can see the reaction of the people and you might be able to prepare your set. We live in 2012, and you can play a pre-recorded set if you want. The power of a good DJ is adjusting to the people and play what they want. The most important thing is that you feel the energy of the people and read their minds and play what they want to hear. Every part of the world has their own favorite songs and their own favorite genres so it’s important to adjust anytime and anywhere you are.
IMF: Do you have any DJ or producer that has influenced me the most during your career?
Nicky: Well, there are a few. Fedde Le Grand; he’s one of my best friends, and when I started out producing I was listening to his music a lot. He’s also from Holland so he was one of the guys I wanted to meet really badly, and I was going to music festivals just to see him as a fan, and I was hoping to take a picture with him. And now we work together on so many tracks and he’s become a great friend. He was definitely one of my heroes; it was like, if I could be Fedde, I would die for it, and now we work together and it’s really cool to have someone like that that you can call your friend. I can call him up if I have a personal issue, and he would help me out. He was changing from a hero to a friend, and now he’s a friend and still a hero. Also David Guetta is really important to mention because he’s one of the few guys that really support artist status. He’s not a DJ anymore, but he’s a pop artist. There’s only a few people in the world that actually reach this, and he’s a guy that really gave me the opportunity to go to the next level. He’s introduced me to the biggest pop artists in the world, which unfortunately I can’t name yet, but he’s introduced me to everyone and that’s something that I’m really thankful and respectful for.
IMF: So I see you’re wearing candy, what is your opinion on the culture of the crazy outfits and costumes?
Nicky: When I go to the states I always make sure my wrists are empty because at the end of a tour I have an arm filled with ravers’ wristbands and everything says something else. Some of them that I got from say “New York”, “Bass”, “Ravers”. It’s just really cool that everyone has their own belief and feeling at a festival, and I think at home I have about 100,000 of them. I could probably write a Harry Potter book with all of the candy I have.
IMF: Ok, now we’re going to do something fun. It’s called rapid fire. Whatever comes to your mind first I want you to say.
IMF: Electric Zoo
Nicky: Hot
IMF: Dubstep
Nicky: Hard
IMF: Rave Culture
Nicky: Crazy outfits
IMF: This interview
Nicky: Pink
IMF: Thanks for sitting down with us this was a lot of fun.
Nicky: I think we’re having a great time.
Interview by Jason Moss. Photography by Scott Kowalchyk and Doug Van Sant.
