BARRY Drooger’s irrepressible enthusiasm has seen him take his love of hardstyle around the planet. “This year I’ve seen Las Vegas for the first time!” he exclaims when asked by DJ Mag to name some highlights of the year, also mentioning “…venues like Club Matrixx, Heineken Music Hall and Gelredome, which are guaranteed to bring a great party!” He recently made the move to DJing
Style: “Hardstyle.” Best known for: “‘Spacer’, ‘Dream Dust’, ‘Symbols’ and my long arms!” Tune of 2012: “Noisecontrollers ‘Break The Show’.” Breakthrough DJ/ producer of 2012: “Headhunterz, as he took being on the top to a new level.”
with SD cards and tells us why. “Some people playing after me couldn’t resist pulling out my USB while my last track was still playing, and no, this was not a one-time mistake!” DAVID MCCARTHY
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If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be? “I already feel like a superhero for having so many people like my music!” Should you play to the crowd or for yourself? “I would definitely play for the crowd. I’m addicted to the energy I receive back from the crowd when I play my tunes, and everyone goes wild on it!” What does EDM mean to you? “As you can figure, it means the world to me. I spend every day in the studio and every weekend in clubs.” Should celebrities be DJs? “Well, if they happen to be good producers, why not? If they only use their fame to play a record, I think they should stay on the other side of the decks.” Have you ever been thrown off the decks? “No, but someone threw a full bottle of water at my head at Defcon.1 Australia. I don’t know why but I kept playing and every- one loved me for it!” Are you a DJ if you don’t beat match? “Sure! Beat matching is easier nowadays with technology. But if my crowd goes crazy it’s because I play the right tracks at the right time, that’s what DJing is all about. Anyone can make tracks run sync.” Where’s the next dance music capital? “I don’t know! I think we woke Las Vegas up with hardstyle at EDC.”
80 14 MYON & SHANE 54
HUNGARIAN DJ/producers Myon & Shane 54, known to their mothers as Márió Égetð and Elðd Császár, come packed with one of the most unique attitudes in the trance scene. And you won’t hear these guys complaining about the explosion of ‘EDM’ in America; in 2012, it’s opened more doors for them than at any other time in their career. “It’s been an incredible year for us. We were finally able to work on projects by pop artists like Jessie J and Craig David, and we’re pushing the boundaries of what people think is acceptable in dance music. Our Andain remix became a major radio hit in the US, where we played a lot this year. We now have more fans there than in
Style: “Trance.” Best known for: “Mash-ups, remixes, the International Departures radio show.” Tune of 2012: “Velvetine ‘The Great Divide’.” Breakthrough DJ/producer of 2012: “Seven Lions.”
the rest of the world combined,” they tell DJ Mag.
Along the way, it’s been their distinct approach to remixes and mash-ups that’s helped them stand out from the trance pack. “We always went after our own style, even when mash-ups weren’t as popular as they are now. They inject freshness into tracks you’d love to play, but might be a little bored of and, if done right, a good mash-up can elevate two average tracks into megahit territory. It’s a very powerful, but mostly underrated weapon.” ANGUS PATERSON
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be? “Hearing, to be the ultimate sound engineer.” Should you play to the crowd or for yourself? “We like to party with them, not bore them.” What does EDM mean to you? “EDM means main- stream music these days, and that means there’s never been a better time to be a DJ or dance music producer. Dance music in gen- eral gets a lot of attention, so there are more opportunities to get your music out there.” Should celebrities be DJs? “For years they’ve been paid by clubs to party, so it’s really nothing new. The only difference is now they stand in the DJ booth instead of the VIP area.” Have you ever been thrown off the decks? “In 1993 I [Shane] was thrown out of a DJ booth. I have to admit there was a good reason for it. I was horrible...” Are you a DJ if you don’t beat match? “DJing is about taste in music first and fore- most. What you play and how you play it.” Where’s the next dance music capital? “It’s somewhere in the US for sure.”