Hailing from Breda in the Netherlands, Dannic is a prodigious DJ and producer, making a name for himself as one of the most exciting Dutch artists in recent times.
As of 2016, he has placed in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs poll for four consecutive years, confirming that he is indeed a force to be reckoned with. As well as producing and DJing, Dannic has branched out into the world of radio, hosting a weekly show called Fonk Radio which is broadcast globally. The radio show has something for everyone, and is a great way for fans to get involved with the artist.
Dannic is a also a regular on the live circuit, performing on world class stages such as Tomorrowland and Ushuaïa Ibiza, as well as a slew of dates across Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and beyond. His live shows are something which need to be witnessed!
The multi-talented artist has kicked off 2017 in style, by launching a cool fan portal called Dannicated. This portal gives his devoted fans exclusive access to videos, streaming and news, guaranteeing that they will always have first-hand knowledge from the world of Dannic. He also released a new track called ‘Noise’, which shot to number one on the Beatport Big Room Chart.
As Dannic continues to thrive, we caught up with him to get the latest on his new music, Fonk Radio, changes in the industry, emerging talent from Breda and much more.
How did you first get into DJing/producing? Were you always set on becoming a DJ/producer, or did you originally have other plans in mind?
I was working in marketing before I started producing and DJ’ing – my first residency was at Café Bruxelles in my hometown Breda and I then won the Dancetour competition back in 2009. It all took off from there!
Apart from Café Bruxelles and the Dancetour with my first steps, I think I’ve always been inspired by electronic music of all kinds. I think it is in my blood, part of being Dutch, haha!
You’ve just released a new track called ‘Noise’, what was the creative process like on the track?
I’ve been a fan of DBSTF since before they remixed my track ‘Feel Your Love’, we were talking about a collaboration and it just seemed to fit. I’ve also been a fan of a lot of things coming out on the Maxximize label and it seemed to take on a bigger sound, where we focused on the beats – militant style – and worked through a cool melody. It’s always about the groove for me and I think with the various layers, we’ve showcased that but we’ve also kept that groovy sound that people can dance to.
Who’s been your favourite person to work with so far, and who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
Too many favourites to mention! But I do have a collab coming with Fedde Le Grand, he is a big hero of mine, so I can’t wait for everyone to hear this!
Can you tell us more about Fonk Radio?
Fonk Radio is my weekly radio show that is broadcast across the globe – we play a mixture of new tracks, old tracks, edits and mash-ups from right across the spectrum. If I’m feeling it, I’ll play it! The format of radio also allows me to play something a little different from what you’d see in a Dannic live set, and it gives the fans a chance to tune in wherever they can in the world online. We’ve also introduced a shoutout line where listeners can leave messages to be read on-show, I’m always thinking of new ways to communicate with my fans like on my new portal Dannicated.com – these are just the first steps!
You’ve performed on some of the world’s largest stages – what do you enjoy most about performing?
The thrill of the crowd having a great time, nothing compares to it. I could be playing to 300 people or 3,000 people, if everyone is dancing and is comfortable, I’m happy!
How do you go about choosing the perfect set list? Does it change depending on the setting?
Definitely! It could vary between a smaller club, to a bigger club, a private party or a monster of a main stage. It also depends on what I’ve received that week! For example if I get a hot new edit from one of my peers, I’m gonna wanna road test it out!
If you could only play five songs for the rest of your life, which five would you choose?
Oh man, this is a difficult one!
Michael Jackson – ‘Billie Jean’
Sam Sparrow – ‘Black & Gold’
Aretha Franklin – ‘RESPECT’
Jamiroquai – ‘Too Young To Die’
Dannic – ‘Wait For You’
What’s been your career highlight so far?
It would have to be either the first time I played the Tomorrowland mainstage – an unbelievable feeling – or the first Revealed Recordings bus tour, I got to travel with Hardwell and Dyro across the States, 3 buddies having fun, playing crazy shows every night! Oh, and the sell-out Fonk Recordings night we just hosted back in October for Amsterdam Dance Event, insane!
What are the biggest changes you’ve witnessed in the industry during your career?
Good question! I would say the digital world has changed everything – how we make music, share music, consume music, work to get our names out there. Even events, look at Coachella taking on VR, it is an insane step but we’re not far off it! I think it can have positives and negatives, I choose to use these developments to interact with my fans more and cement that relationship – like with my new fan portal Dannicated.com – we would never be able to have that amount of interaction before the internet came along.
Yourself, Tiësto and Hardwell all come from Breda in the Netherlands. How has Breda influenced you musically, and are you aware of any other emerging talent we should look out for?
Yes, for sure! I think it gives you that feeling that anything is possible, knowing that these huge guys came from Breda was a great thing and an inspiration to me. It has certainly pushed me harder and into new sounds and not being afraid to experiment. Lots of talent coming up, especially on Fonk Recordings, guys like Will K, Corey James, SEBJAK – I’m all about nurturing new talent and giving talent a platform with the label.
What can we expect from you this year?
Exciting collabs including my one with Fedde Le Grand I’m super excited for, lots of new releases and some crazy shows – Dannicated is something we really wanna focus on, alongside the label, as to me, it’s important that we focus on saying thank you to the fans and giving them the access they want. I’m excited for 2017!
Thank you to Dannic for his time! Keep up to date with him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Soundcloud. Be sure to check out his website too.
Share your thoughts on Dannic with us on Twitter @CelebMix
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