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Tag Archives: Afrojack
With every month having sold out EDM shows, and the easy access of music downloads, EDM has had a great couple of years. Now the DJ’s and artists are getting the cred they deserve. Not just on the amount their songs have been downloaded and heard, it’s how many albums & songs that have been bought which are now earning these artists Gold and Platinum Track Award status!
Just this week it was announced that Afrojack‘s track “Take Over Control” featuring Eva Simons sold 1 million copies. Back in April The Swedish House Mafia went Multi-Platinum with their song “Don’t You Worry Child” which sold over 2-million copies. And Krewell’s “Alive” went Gold. The track has spent over 32 weeks on the Billboard Dance/Mix Playlist.
If you’re not familiar with the awards, Gold means an artist record has sold 500,000 copies, Platinum mean they sold 1 million copies, and multi-platinum is when they had sold 2 million copies or more. The awards are given by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).
On top of that this has been the first year that the Grammy’s and the Billboard Music Awards have put EDM in the spot light with nominations winning albums. Skrillex, Swedish House Mafia, Calvin Harris, and David Guetta all received a nom this year, with Skrillex coming out the big winner at the Billboard Awards. Even Baauer‘s “Harlem Shake” was a winner.
After this summer’s series of EDM concerts; Electronic Daisy Carnival, Spring Awakening, Impulse, Moonrise, Echo, etc. The new rise od EDM in 2013 is at an all time high. Let’s hope this raises the bar to be the new gold standard.
See more EDM Festivals here.
Afrojack sets up for another hit with Chris Brown this time. “As Your Friend” was released at the end of March. The video was directed by Holland’s Opslaan Als. The opening clip takes place in a dark dreamland, opening with images of two dancers on a foggy soundstage acting out the lyrics about breaking free and flying away.
Check it out!
The Grammy award-winning producer/DJ recently signed an exclusive worldwide deal with the Island Records and Universal Music Group through his Wall Recordings label. The new partnership will promote “Friend,” which will appear on Jack’s upcoming debut album, which is currently slated for release in the fall. “Friend” was co-written by the DJ, with Brown, Wall Recording artist Leroy Styles, Polow da Don and Nadir Sakir.
source: Mtv News
Tagged Afrojack, as your friend, Chris Brown, new afrojack
Eva Simons the Dutch singer – song writer is working on new music that was just featured in a Dutch Pepsi commercial. Eva Simons sky rocketed to fame back in 2010 when she collaborated with Afrojack for the billboard hit “Take Over Control”,and again in 2012 with her hit “I Don’t Like You”
Now she has a new track out called “Chemistry” that is set to be released in the U.S. sometime in the near future. Two weeks ago the lyric video popped up on Eva Simons youtube account and has since had almost 50,000 views.
I have put a few videos following the blog, the first is the Dutch Pepsi Commercial that Eva Simons stars in. The 2nd is the lyrical video that was released two weeks ago by Eva Simons YouTube account. The 3rd is a behind the scenes video of Eva talking about getting into the music scene and the meaning behind her “I Don’t Like You” song.
Now for the Lyrical Video “Chemistry”
And the behind the scenes video from 2012.
Tagged Afrojack, C, chemistry, chicago, dutch, EDC, EDC Chicago, eva simons, fusion radio, i dont like you, singer - songwriter, take over control, Zedd
Australian DJ and singer Havana Brown is constantly touring with major acts such as Britney Spears, Rihanna, Chris Brown and Enrique Iglesias. Her single “We Run the Night,” with a little help from Cuban rapper Pitbull, was not only a huge hit in her part of the world but reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart as well as number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Here first EP When the Lights Go Out was released last year to strong sales. She is bringing those tunes headlining the 23rd anniversary of Club Skirt Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs, California in April.
We caught up to her on the road to learn more about the Aussie talented beauty.
Jerry Nunn: Hi, Havana. Where in the world are you calling in from?
Havana Brown: I’m in LA.
JN: Did you make the big move out there permanently?
HB: Yes, I actually got a place here, which is kind of nice. For a little while I was homeless and living out of suitcases. It was nice to hang the clothes up.
JN: Do you like traveling around so much?
HB: It can get really tiring but as far as traveling I like visiting all the cities that I thought I would never visit. Especially in the States everyone seems so different. It is like visiting a totally different country sometimes.
JN: What has been your favorite place to visit?
HB: That is hard to say. I love both LA and New York. I love the sun so that is why I chose to move here. There is dry heat, good weather, and the entertainment business is here.
JN: In Chicago I met you at the Fantabuloso show after you performed.
HB: Yes, I love Chicago as well. It is a cleaner, smaller nicer version of New York. [Laughs] The people are a bit nicer, too!
JN: You are very photogenic. Have you ever thought about modeling?
HB: Probably not. That is not really my kind of thing. For photo shoots I like getting dressed up and the makeup but I get extremely bored very quickly.
JN: You are from Australia but where did the stage name Havana Brown originate?
HB: That is actually a breed of cats. When I was looking for a DJ name. I was looking at breeds of cats because there was something about cats being bold, independent, and strong. They know what they want and they know how to get it. I like that personality for my career. It is a rare breed so it is very hard to find. At that time when I started DJing the female DJ was a rare breed. I instantly loved it. The name appealed to me being strong and feminine at the same time.
JN: Your song “We Run the Night” was first a hit in Australia then it took a while to come to America?
HB: Yes, it was a year and half later. It has been great though to come over the States and go double platinum. Having the great response is a dream come true.
JN: How did you hook up with Pitbull for the song?
HB: Basically I had released it in Australia then they decided to release it in America as well. RedOne had heard of me since I was out touring but didn’t know I could actually sing. He put me together with Pitbull who redid the song. It was one of those things that you can’t plan or expect to happen. It all fell together and it worked out.
JN: Now you are headlining at the Dinah Skirts event. This will be huge.
HB: I am pumped for it. One of my good friends Luciana performed there last year and she said it was nuts. She loved it. When I get the phone call to perform at the Dinah event then I already knew it is one of the best parties ever. I am looking forward to it.
JN: The girls will go crazy over you.
HB: [laugh] Yes, I love that!
JN: Do you know what you are wearing yet?
HB: I have no clue. I should think about that shouldn’t I?
JN: It is a white party so maybe a white bikini so you can work on your tan.
HB: Exactly. I love performing for girls, too. I love seeing them in the crowd. They can be harder to please but when they are happy you feel like you have achieved something. When they feel good then I feel good.
JN: When are coming to play for the gay boys in Chicago?
HB: I feel like I am always there. I will have to look on my schedule. It might be on my website www.djhavanabrown.com. All of my tour dates are there.
JN: You are always on the road.
HB: I am so I get excited about my time off then after a couple of days I am ready to get back into it! I have been in the studio but I do miss touring and performing.
JN: How do you deal with the late night hours of DJing?
HB: I’m an early riser too so it is a really bad combo. What helps me out if I can is to take a little nap. It doesn’t always happen when I am touring but I like an hour and it just revitalizes me. When I don’t get the nap I can be tired when I enter the club but after hearing the music I feel the energy all of my tiredness going away. My adrenaline gets going and then when I leave I have to wind down because I get so pumped up onstage.
JN: I love your song on Pitbull’s album “Last Night.”
HB: Oh cool. Personally I love that track as well. I tell people that I am not being biased but I think it’s the best track on the album Global Warming.
JN: I hope he releases it as a single.
HB: Me, too. We just shot a video for it actually in Vegas. I got the final cut just recently of a live video with a behind the scenes type thing. It just shows the party element. It’s full of energy.
JN: Have you met your idol Janet Jackson yet?
HB: No but it could happen very soon though. I need some positive energy with that, although maybe I don’t want to meet her. What if she doesn’t like me?
JN: I have a feeling she will like you.
HB: I have heard she will be really sweet and I’ve heard great things about her.
JN: Okay, it’s time for Nunn’s Name Game. I am going to mention people you have worked with and give me a one-word answer describing them. First one is Rihanna.
HB: Tall.
JN: Britney Spears.
HB: Sweet.
JN: Chris Brown.
HB: Bubbly.
JN: Lady Gaga.
HB: Interesting.
JN: Enrique Iglesias.
HB: Sexy.
JN: Pitbull.
HB: Fun.
JN: Well on that note it was fun playing the game and talking to you today!
Hook up with hottie Havana at the White Party on Friday April 5 at Hotel Zoso.
Visit www.TheDinah.com for ticket information and more stellar artists that are performing.
We have waited weeks for an official announcement from Insomniac events on when and where the the legendary EDM festival (Electric Daisy Carnival) will be Held. Today the official announcement was posted on Insomniacs website. The event will be May 24th – 26th (Memorial Day Weekend) at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, IL. The event will be 18+ to enter and 21+ to consume alcohol. The event spread out over 5 stages will have a capacity of over 300,000 people. 3 day general admission and VIP tickets will go on sale for EDC Chicago 2013 on Wednesday January 23rd at 12pm. As an added bonus it was also announced that for the first time at a EDC event tickets will be sold for camping. Chicago land speedway is located at 500 speedway Blvd. Joliet, IL. Stay tuned to Fusion Radio for all you updates on this massive event.
Tagged 2013, 2013 Dance Music, Adele, Afrojack, Angerfist, Armin Van Buuren, ATB, Audiotistic, Avicii, Benny Benassi, Betatraxx, Beyond Wonderland, Billboard, Blake Lewis, Britney Spears, chicago, Christina Aguilera, Dance, Dance Chart, Dance Music, Datsik, david guetta, Deadmau5, Discovery Project, DJ, Duck Sauce, EDC, EDC Chicago, Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Daisy Carnival Chicago, Electric Forest, emi, Ester Dean, fashion, Fedde Le Grand, Feed Me, fusion, fusion radio, Fusion Radio Chart, Gareth Emery, Headhunterz, Hook N Sling, Inna, Inna Live, Insominiac, insomniac events, Interview, jennifer lopez, Jes, Kaskade, Katy Perry, Knife Party, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Markus Schulz, mens, Michael Woods, Morgan Page, music video, Nervo, new music, new single, news, Nicky Romero, Nocturnal Wonderland, Pasqual Rotella, Paul Oakenfold, pop, radio, rihanna, Robyn, Rusko, Skrillex, Starkillers, summer, Super8 & Tab, Swedish House Mafia, Tiesto, Tritonal, White Wonderland, Zedd, Zeds Dead
Is it just us or is the Fusion Playlist getting HOT?! This week Michael Woods Ft. Ester Dean “We’ve Only Just Begun” Hits the #1 spot on Fusion Radio! We love the vocals from Ester Dean and can’t wait for her next music release. The #2 spot went to David Morales & Polina “Stay”, #3 is Nervo & Hook N Sling “Reason”. Our #4 spot is a brand new track on Fusion Radio “I Could Be The One” with Superstar DJ’s Avicii and Nicky Romero! If this is any sign of whats to come in 2013 we I think you might all be blown away. Keep up the great work Dance Artists and Fans! Here is the rest of the Top 100 Chart for the week of 01-14-2013.
| Fusion Radio Chicago Jan-15-2013 | |||
| Rank | Spins | Artist | Title |
| 1 | 41 | Michael Woods Ft. Ester Dean | We’ve Only Just Begun (Radio Edit) |
| 2 | 40 | David Morales & Polina | Stay (Mark Alston Radio Remix) |
| 3 | 40 | Nervo & Hook N Sling | Reason (Radio Edit) |
| 4 | 40 | Nicky Romero & Avicii | I Could Be The One (Radio Edit) |
| 5 | 39 | Antillas & Blinders Ft. Jenson | Top Of The World (Original Radio Mix) |
| 6 | 39 | Kastenholt & Dee | I’m In Love (Radio Edit ) |
| 7 | 39 | Zoe Badwi | Shoot Me Down (Mystery Blonde Radio Edit) |
| 8 | 39 | Lost Witness Ft. Darren Barley | Here With You (Radio Edit) |
| 9 | 39 | David Guetta Ft. Sia | She Wolf (Falling To Pieces) (Radio Edit) |
| 10 | 39 | Laura Steel | Kriminal (Digital Dog Radio Edit) |
| 11 | 38 | Rihanna | Diamonds (Shahaf Moran Radio Edit) |
| 12 | 38 | Parralox | Sharper Than A Knife (Wideboys Radio Edit) |
| 13 | 38 | Eric Prydz | Every Day (Radio Edit) |
| 14 | 38 | Meital Dohan | On Ya Ft. Sean Kingston |
| 15 | 37 | Madeon | The City (Radio Edit) |
| 16 | 37 | Anna Grace | Alive (Radio Edit) |
| 17 | 36 | Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch | Sweet Nothing |
| 18 | 36 | Kerli | The Lucky Ones |
| 19 | 36 | Ester Dean | I Can’t Make You Love Me |
| 20 | 36 | Cherry Cherry Boom Boom | One And Only (Dave Aude’ Radio Edit) |
| 21 | 36 | Paul Rudd Ft. Amanda Wilson | Trust In Me (Radio Edit) |
| 22 | 36 | Sted E & Hybrid Heights Ft. Sylvia Tosun | Lift (Radio Edit) |
| 23 | 35 | Swedish House Mafia Ft. John Martin | Don’t You Worry Child (Radio Edit) |
| 24 | 35 | Adam Lambert | Trespassing (Zak Waters Radio Edit) |
| 25 | 35 | Kat Graham | Wanna Say (Steve Pitron & Max Sanna Radio Edit) |
| 26 | 34 | Frenchie Davis | Love’s Got A Hold On Me (Radio |
| 27 | 33 | Jennifer Lopez | Goin In (Michael Woods Radio) |
| 28 | 33 | Usher | Numb (Wideboys Radio Edit) |
| 29 | 33 | Rita Ora | Radioactive |
| 30 | 32 | Tom Swoon Ft. Miss Palmer | Who We Are (Radio Edit) |
| 31 | 28 | Veronica Romeo | Tastes Like Chocolate (Loverush Uk! Radio Edit) |
| 32 | 28 | Tydi Ft. Christina Novelli | Fire & Load (Radio Edit) |
| 33 | 26 | Justin Bieber Ft. Nicki Minaj | Beauty And A Beat (Dj Laszlo Radio) |
| 34 | 25 | Penny Foster | Castles (Radio Edit) |
| 35 | 25 | Kaskade Ft. Neon Trees | Lessons In Love (Radio Edit) |
| 36 | 25 | Dabruck Klein Ft. Anna McDonald | All About You |
| 37 | 25 | Che Jose Ft. Sharon Muscat | Leave Me Lonely (Loverush UK! Radio Edit) |
| 38 | 25 | Neon Hitch | Gold (Smash Mode Radio Edit) |
| 39 | 25 | Manufactured Superstars Ft. Luciana | Calling All The Lovers (Jqa Radio Edit) |
| 40 | 25 | Kelly Clarkson | Catch My Breath (Alab Vocal Radio Edit) |
| 41 | 25 | Zedd Ft. Foxes | Clarity (Radio Edit) |
| 42 | 25 | Havana Brown | Big Banana (Dave Aude Radio Edit) |
| 43 | 24 | Medina | Forever |
| 44 | 24 | The Wanted | I Found You |
| 45 | 24 | Dyro Ft. Amba Shepard | Sky High (Radio Edit) |
| 46 | 24 | Topher Jones | Hello Chicago (Tom Swoon Radio Edit) |
| 47 | 24 | Peter Luts | One More Night (Original Radio Edit) |
| 48 | 24 | Altar Ft. Jeanie Tracy | We Will Be Free Tonight (Anthem Radio Mix) |
| 49 | 24 | Kwanza Jones | Supercharged (Dave Aude Radio Edit) |
| 50 | 24 | Sonny Vice & Marcus Imeleon | Eternity (Radio Edit) |
| 51 | 23 | Anja | Dance All Night (Radio Edit) |
| 52 | 23 | Velvetine | The Great Divide (Myon & Shane 54 Summer Of Love) (Radio Edit) |
| 53 | 23 | Eric Turner Vs Avicii | Dancing In My Head (Charlie Bernardo Radio Edit) |
| 54 | 23 | Riddler & Dream Roca’s | See Your Light (Jump Smokers Radio Edit) |
| 55 | 23 | Lasgo | Can’t Stop (Radio Edit) |
| 56 | 23 | Kim Sozzi | Why Can’t This Be Love (Stefano Sorrentino Radio Edit) |
| 57 | 23 | Lynn Larouge | Celebrate (Radio Edit) |
| 58 | 23 | Saturdays | What About Us (Buzz Junkies Radio Edit) |
| 59 | 23 | Ke$ha | Die Young (Liam Keegan Radio) |
| 60 | 23 | M’Black | Crush (Radio Edit) |
| 61 | 23 | Milk Inc | Miracle (Radio Edit) |
| 62 | 23 | Matthew Koma | Parachute (Kat Krazy Radio Edit) |
| 63 | 22 | Kristina Maria | Our Song Comes On |
| 64 | 22 | Morgan Page Andy Caldwell & Jonathan Medelsohn | Where Did You Go (Album Edit) |
| 65 | 22 | Otto Knows | Million Voices |
| 66 | 22 | Conor Maynard | Turn Around Ft. Neyo |
| 67 | 22 | Tydi Ft Kerli | Glow In The Dark (Radio Edit) |
| 68 | 22 | Tegan & Sara | Closer (Morgan Page Radio Edit) |
| 69 | 22 | John De Sohn Ft. Kristin Amparo | Dance Our Tears Away |
| 70 | 21 | Mariah Carey | Triumphant (Get ‘em) (Pulse Radio Edit) |
| 71 | 21 | Markus Schulz Ft. Seri | Love Rain Down |
| 72 | 21 | Christian Burns Paul Oakenfold & Jes | As We Collide (Radio Edit) |
| 73 | 21 | Stone & Van Linden Ft. Lyck | Into The Light |
| 74 | 20 | Eva Simons | I Don’t Like You (Radio Mix) |
| 75 | 20 | Loreen | My Heart Is Refusing Me (Anders Nyman Radio) |
| 76 | 20 | Stonebridge Matt Joko & Jonathan Mendelsohn | Standing In Your Way |
| 77 | 20 | Matchbox Twenty | Put Your Hands Up (Ludovika Day Radio Edit) |
| 78 | 19 | Kim Davis | One Day |
| 79 | 17 | Martin Solveig | The Night Out (Madeon Remix) |
| 80 | 6 | Skye Stevens | Takes All Night (James Doman Radio Mix) |
| 81 | 5 | Ferry Corsten Ft. Ben Hague | Ain’t No Stoppin’ (Radio Edit) |
| 82 | 5 | Medina | Addiction (Radio Edit) |
| 83 | 5 | Breathe Carolina | Hit And Run |
| 84 | 5 | Clinton Sparks Ft. Disco Fries | Watch You (Radio Edit) |
| 85 | 5 | Kristine W & Bimbo Jones | Everything That I Got (Bimbo Jones Radio Edit) |
| 86 | 5 | Katy Perry | Peacock (Manny Lehman & Digimark Fusion Edit) |
| 87 | 5 | Paulini | Heartbreak Is Over (Oxford Hustlers) |
| 88 | 4 | Armin Van Buuren Feat. Laura V | Drowning (Avicii Remix) |
| 89 | 4 | Dim Chris Feat. Amanda Wilson | Sometimes (Radio Edit) |
| 90 | 4 | The Wanted | Glad You Came (Radio Edit) |
| 91 | 4 | Polina Griffith & Miami Kidz | Feeling This Way (Radio Edit) |
| 92 | 4 | Serge Devant Ft. Hadley | Dice (Mario Larrea Radio Edit) |
| 93 | 4 | Dim Chris Ft. Amanda Wilson | You Found Me (Original Mix) |
| 94 | 4 | Daniela | Love Me Enough To Lie (Radio Edit) |
| 95 | 4 | Marcus Maison & Will Dragen Ft. Amba Shepherd | Reign (Another Dimension Radio Edit) |
| 96 | 4 | Jack Back F. David Guetta Nicky Romero & Sia | Wild One Two (Radio Edit) |
| 97 | 4 | Matisse & Sadko Ft. Ollie James | We’re Not Alone (Hi Scandinavia! Radio Edit) |
| 98 | 4 | Martin Solveig ft. Kele | Ready 2 Go (Radio Edit) |
| 99 | 4 | Medina | Gutter |
| 100 | 4 | Emilia De Poret | Weightless |
| Adds | |||
| Peter Luts Ft. Lynn Larouge “Hands Up” (Radio Edit) | |||
| Jes “Ghost” (Tydi Radio Edit) | |||
| Sean Kingston Ft. Cher Lloyd “Rum & Raybans” (Radio Edit) | |||
| Edvard Viber & Tiff Lacey “Is This Love” (Radio Edit) | |||
| Picks | |||
| Nicky Romero & Avicii ” I Could Be The One” (Radio Edit) | |||
| David Guetta Ft. Sia “She Wolf” (Falling To Pieces) (Radio Edit) | |||
| Havana Brown “Big Banana” (Dave Aude Radio Edit) | |||
Tagged 2013, Adele, Afrojack, Armin Van Buuren, Avicii, Benny Benassi, Billboard, Britney Spears, chicago, Christina Aguilera, Dance, Dance Chart, Dance Music, david guetta, Deadmau5, DJ, EDC Chicago, Electric Daisy Carnival, emi, fashion, fusion, fusion radio, Fusion Radio Chart, Interview, Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Madonna, mens, Morgan Page, Music, music news, music video, new music, new single, news, pop, radio, rihanna, Robyn, Skrillex, summer, Swedish House Mafia, Tiesto
If you are a fan of dance you know Afrojack. Everyone on the planet has heard the name a time or two… hitting star status looks good on this “Super DJ”. The Netherlands native is only 25, and has already achieved goals that one could only dream of. From working with Pitbull and Ne-Yo, to mentor David Guetta, he has some of the biggest names in the business on his side. He recently sat down with Billboard for a cover story interview, and we have the highlights for you.
What makes the Netherlands such a dance-music hotbed?
Our music has a lot of balls. Most music that comes out of Holland is basically the harder part of dance music-hip-hop, drum’n'bass.
How involved are you in the day-to-day of Wall Recordings?
The label is my baby. Every song that gets released, every artist that gets signed, I decide. I try to do everything from picking the cover image to helping [Shermanology DJ Andy] Sherman know what songs to play in a solo performance.
How are festivals different from solo gigs for you?
For a solo gig, the crowd knows your shit. At a festival, a lot of people came to see other artists, so you have to put on a signature set and performance: This is what I do, this is why I’m here. At solo gigs, I’m a DJ — I’ll play two-and-a-half hours, and not just my own music, also my favorite songs by other artists.
So, solo gigs are more traditional DJ sets? No “pressing play”?
You’re never just pressing play. If you’re a guy in a cube with a mask on, you can press play. Deadmau5 also said himself he’s not a DJ — don’t talk about stuff you don’t know about. I don’t know shit about LED walls and giant mouse heads; I can’t judge it. But if you put four CD players in front of me or [Sebastian Ingrosso] or even Skrillex, we’ve been DJ’ing for so long, we can do a lot of things with those CD players.
Your full-length studio debut, slated for a summer 2013 release, might be a double-album. Why?
One album would be accessible dance music, crossover tracks, maybe some hip-hop, and one more underground stuff. Pitbull and a lot of other artists are using the opportunity to get new people into dance music. That’s what I’m trying to do right now. People are always scared of things crossing over, that it won’t be cool anymore, but we don’t do it because it’s cool. Eighty thousand people in a crowd, and they all love each other because they love dance music-that’s why I do this.
On one of your tracks for Pitbull, “I’m Off That,” he sings: “Label execs, I’m off that/But DJs, I love that.” What do you think that means?
I think it shows that these days artists are doing more of what they want themselves. It sounds really dumb to wait for a label to say yes to something. I’m following my heart, basically. A lot of people are scared to.
Tagged Afrojack, Billboard, cover story, david guetta, Interview, Ne-Yo, new music, pitbull
Steve Hiroyuki Aoki produces records along with being the founder of Dim Mak Records, named after Bruce Lee, starting as early as his twenties. He has been in several bands but now has been taking over Chicago with huge DJ sets including the North Coast Music Festival in Union Park this past summer.
Aoki’s solo album Wonderland is up for a Grammy and featured collaborations with will.i.am, Lil Jon, and LMFAO.
His remixes have included a wide variety of artists such as Drake, The Killers, Bassnectar, Drake, Jackson 5, and Kanye West.
Fusion went backstage to talk with the man behind the deck right before his show at the Congress Theater.
JN: (Jerry Nunn) Hi, Steve. Welcome back to Chicago. I saw your set at North Coast Music Festival.
SA: (Steve Aoki) Awesome.
JN: You’re from California?
SA: I grew up there.
JN: Did you surf?
SA: Yes.
JN: I think it’s interesting that your whole family is in the restaurant business.
SA: Yes, I have been around restaurants my whole life. My father founded the restaurant chain Benihana.
JN: Congrats on the Grammy nomination. How does it feel to have your first album nominated?
SA: Amazing. I’m floored!
JN: Are you attending the Grammys?
SA: Of course. I cancelled the biggest festival in the world so I can go to the Grammys.
JN: Well, it’s important. I hope you win.
SA: I don’t think I’m going to win but I’m just happy that I was nominated.
JN: It took a while for the album to come out but must have been good timing.
SA: I guess it all worked out then. I spent a lot of time re-evolving and adapting the album constantly. I had to work on the diversity and variety of the artists. It gives me a sort of integrity for all the work I did.
JN: how did you go about assembling all of those artists?
SA: This album Wonderland was all really personal. It is personal musically and all of the friendships I had known before. If I hadn’t known them before it would not have worked out. It is already hard enough to get someone to sing on your album but if you know them and they want to work with you, find the time to work together then it will happen.
JN: I love the Iggy Azalea collaboration.
SA: I love her. She’s amazing.
JN: So there is a new Steve Aoki app. I just downloaded it.
SA: Do you like it?
JN: Yes, it’s very fun.
SA: Did you play with the holiday app?
JN: Yes.
SA: That is the best one because there is a Santa Claus beard to put on your own pictures. There are reindeer antlers too.
JN: You have a podcast people can listen to as well.
SA: I’m doing a weekly radio show on Sirius XM. One of those shows I put up on the iTunes podcast. With this weekly show I am mixing brand new music every single week. It is either on my YouTube or on my podcast.
JN: How long did it take you to grow your hair out?
SA: Honestly I’ve been growing it out since college so back in 2000. I grew it for five years until it was a decent length and I’ve been trimming it since. So it took about six years.
JN: Would you ever cut it?
SA: I have no intention of that, no.
JN: It is a trademark now.
SA: Maybe I would cut it if I had the bald spot and had to do a comb over thing. I don’t think I have the balls to do the comb over!
JN: With other DJ artists like Tiesto and Afrojack there doesn’t seem to be any competition and everyone seems to get along.
SA: To be honest, in that whole scene out of any genre I have been a part of, with dance music everyone is very friendly toward each other. There are hardly any beefs between artists. Everyone seems to support each other and help each other out. There is no negative backlash or anything.
JN: You have been talking about the world ending so if it doesn’t what are your plans for next year?
SA: A lot of production. In January I’m taking a little break on Mammoth Mountain where I will bring my studio up there to start working on my second album. I’m going to work on collaborating with a band. It will be my first big project with live music in a while. I’m very excited about that. Until it happens I don’t want to say the name of the band yet because I want to make sure it happens.
JN: Is there are dream artist you would like to work with but haven’t?
SA: Plenty but I don’t want to mention names because I don’t want to jinx my second album.
JN: We don’t want to do that especially if the world ends! [both laugh] How do people buy your end of the world EP?
SA: They can purchase it on iTunes. If they type in “Steve Aoki” I’m sure it will pop up. It’s the End of the World As We Know It is the official title. 
JN: Like the R.E.M. song.
SA: That’s where I took it from!
JN: Do you know when you are coming back to Chicago?
SA: Who knows?
JN: Maybe Lollapalooza?
SA: Maybe, we will see.
JN: I will cross my fingers!
For more of Aoki visit steaveaoki.com.
Tagged Afrojack, Congress Theater, Iggy Azalea, Interview, Steve Aoki, Tiesto, Wonderland
Alright Fusion listeners…. there has been a lot of speculations on where Electric Daisy Carnival will be held in Chicago. Since not all of our listeners are from the Chicago-land area, I wanted to shed some light on the possibilities.
EDC Chicago Tweeted on December 13th that the possibility for the the 2013 event could be Soldier Field (On the Chicago Lake Front), Chicago Land Speedway (50 miles outside the City of Chicago), or Toyota Park (25 Miles outside the City of Chicago). The EDC Chicago twitter feed did say it confirmed the 300,000+ person venue. So lets break down which one of these venues could hold that many people.
*Soldier Field’s Capacity is 61,500 people in the stands, its possible for another 5,000 or so to fit on the field.
*Chicago Land Speedway’s Capacity is $75,000 and sits on 930 acres of land which can hold more than 50,000 cars in its parking lots.
*Toyota Park’s Capacity is 28,000 for concerts, and only has a 6,000 car capacity in its 3 parking lots!
If I had to bet on which venue was going to be hosting the 300,000+ person crowd I would say it has to be Chicago Land Speedway! 75,000 people in the stands, room for 50,000 cars, and don’t forget all of the space on the track level. I guess we will have to wait till January 16th for the final answer to where EDC Chicago will be held.
Check out the Promo video from 2012!
Tagged Afrojack, Armin Van Buuren, Avicii, Benny Benassi, Billboard, chicago, Dance, Dance Chart, Dance Music, david guetta, Deadmau5, DJ, EDC Chicago, edc vegas, fusion radio, insomniac events, Kaskade, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Morgan Page, rihanna, Skrillex, summer, Swedish House Mafia, Tiesto
Dutch producer and DJ Nick van de Wall or better known as Afrojack has blown the roof off clubs internationally with hits like “Take Over Control” featuring singer Eva Simons to “Give Me Everything” with Pitbull and Ne-yo. He has remixed everyone from Snoop Dogg to Michael Jackson. He launched his own label called Wall Recordings with artists like R3hab and Sidney Samson.
I went backstage at a recent concert that Nick performed at in Chicago to find out more about the man behind the turntable and found out he is 6’10″!
Jerry Nunn: Hey Nick. You are so tall. Where did you grow up? 
Nick van de Wall: I grew up basically in Holland in a small city called Spijkenisse. It was pretty much the lower ladder of social class for the first ten years of my life. I lived together with my mom and she brought me up. I wasn’t a very popular kid in school. I was more in the background.
I started making music when I was 11. I was playing keyboard when I was eight or nine years old and when I was 11 I was in a break dancing group. One day I came with my own edits of certain tracks. They wanted to know how I did it. Back then I used a program called FastTracker 2 and I downloaded FMStudio. I worked with that for the rest of my life.
JN: Were you always into computers?
NW: I used to love video games, I still do. I thought when you could make music with it that it was the coolest thing ever. I was also a graphic designer. I used to make music and create websites as the same time.
JN: Have you done any music for video games yet?
NW: No, not yet, I hope to really soon.
JN: You just did a remix of Michael Jackson’s “Bad.” You must be a big fan.
NW: Yes, it worked eventually so I am pretty happy with what happened. Michael Jackson is the biggest pop legend ever. No one even comes close. It was so scary for me to remix him.
JN: Is there anyone you would want to work with but you haven’t?
NW: I would like to do a totally new weird song with Lady Gaga, a whole new idea. Shoot me if you want to but I think Katy Perry rocks, too.
JN: Where did the name Afrojack come from?
NW: When I grew out my hair it was half Afro. It grows straight up and is really weird. Jack is a moniker in house music. A long time ago it was synonymous with house music, jacking music.
JN: Now I get it. You are on the Jacked Tour now. 
NW: We called it the Jacked Tour because it is Afrojack and all of my friends. It is really fun.
JN: So you are bringing your whole posse with you this time?
NW: I do every time but this time out we are bringing Shermanology, who I signed to my label and R3hab who I trying to build up. Basically all of those guys on my label I have been working together with them for such a long time and I thought it would be fun if they came along with me in America. There is some funny stuff on my YouTube channel about it. We have a good time when we are out there.
JN: It must be rewarding to have your own label now.
NW: It is not just a place to release music but it is a company also. It takes care of me as well as the other artists. We work together as a group. It is not just about releasing albums. We produce the music and send ideas back and forth. We use all of our connections to make it the best thing ever. The most important thing is if we do a party, like we are doing at the Congress Theater, it has to be the best party ever. It’s not about selling tickets or the best show; it’s about the best party. I want everyone to going to my show to get absolutely crazy and make it feel like a different world, like playing a video game and losing yourself in a different reality. It hasn’t happened in America, but if people fight at my show I will get in between those motherfuckers myself!
JN: No one wants that bad energy. 
NW: I am trying to bring people together that share a love for this music. I want a good vibe. If people want to fight then they can do it outside on the street. We want to make it a special night for everyone.
JN: I saw you perform at the Spring Awakening festival the last time you were in Chicago.
NW: That was sick. One of the best parties I have ever been to. I was so amazed by how many people were there. They were all having fun together. I think it was one of the best shows of my last tour.
JN: It was such a diverse crowd with straight and gay people all mixed together.
NW: People don’t care anymore if you are straight or gay, if you are black, white, or Asian. If you love dance music then we are friends.
JN: What’s your favorite drink on this party tour?
NW: I drink vodka, way too much actually!
JN: You better drink some Red Bull with it to stay up late.
NW: Trust me when the party is finished it doesn’t mean the party is finished.
JN: There is no after party this time?
NW: Maybe I will throw a private one. How is your house? I will only bring about a thousand people.
JN: Can you imagine? Afrojack in my backyard! (both laugh)
Look for Afrojack at B96’s Pepsi Jingle Bash on December 15 at the Allstate Arena.
