Sep 01, 2016
Kill The Buzz's Summer Reflection
Fresh off of his big release with Tom Swoon, "All The Way Down" on Revealed Recordings, we had a chat with Kill the Buzz about the track and his busy summer. Find out what he's going for with his tracks, how he goes about his DJ sets, and what the summer has been like for him!
What was it like working with Tom Swoon on “All The Way Down”?
We’d been discussing this track for over a year before we finally had some time where it worked for us to create the track. He had this vocal and we created the whole track around it. My last two releases were melodic and vocal and I’m proud that they have over a million plays on Spotify already. That makes me even more excited about this track because it brings the dancefloor energy and also has a really nice vocal and feel.
Is that something you are going for more now - a combination of a song with a club track type energy?
Exactly, that’s what I’ve been focused in on lately. I really like making club banger type tracks, but there are so many out there right now. I wanted to focus more on making music that people can listen to in the daytime and when they are at home, not just in the club or getting ready to go out. I’m looking to find that in between and have stepped towards pop music a little more.
How have you been using “All The Way Down” in your sets?
I’ve been playing it for a while now. When I did the Brazil tour with Hardwell, that was the first time I really started playing the track. Then I played it in Miami and during the Revealed Recordings North American bus tour. It’s a track that I can drop in the middle of my set when I’m playing all these EDM bangers and I want to have a more progressive kind of track to break things up or I can play it at the end. It’s nice track to finish with because it’s like a last giveaway and shows something a little different from me.
For you, this is another release on Revealed, what’s it like being a part of the Revealed family?
Just as you say, it’s like being part of a family. Hardwell and I have been friends for over 11 years. I met Dannic five or six years ago when he was playing at a local bar. Being part of Revealed Recordings is like being surrounded by your hometown friends. The three of us are all from Breda in the Netherlands. I’m also close with guys like Jordy Dazz, W&W and some of the other guys who used to release a lot on Revealed too. It was cool to be part of an upcoming EDM family. Especially when Revealed was just a young label trying to get out there, and nowadays it is one of the best labels to get your track out on! I’d sum it up as: being with friends all over the world and making music for fun!
It seems like you specifically tour a lot with Hardwell. Can you talk some more about your relationship with him?
When I was 18-21, we used to hang out a lot as friends. I used to tour around the Netherlands with him just as a friend, not DJing alongside him. Then he went abroad and got big in America. Back in the days we would always talk about traveling the globe with music, playing shows, and now ten years later we are doing it!
Looking into your DJ sets, can you talk about how you create your flow?
It really depends on the crowd, to be honest. The crowd is so determinant for what kind of music I will play. I never have a prefixed set where I know up front what I’ll play. Take for instance the pool parties at Wet Republic, you never know what kind of crowd you will get. If it’s really hot, people may want to just stay in the pool and not want to dance, but you still have to create a vibe. It really depends on the people. If there are a lot of women, I like to have them dance or have them get on the dancefloor. If there are no ladies on the dancefloor, then the guys will hesitate to go up. I guess it depends somewhat on the club and country too, but if everybody is feeling the vibe of wanting to hear hit records, I probably go more into playing sing-a-longs. If they have a more Caribbean vibe, I’d switch more to Kryder, Genairo Nvilla kind of music. And of course I’m working to fit in my own sounds as well.
It also depends on the time of day and who is performing before and after me. For example, at the Hardwell DNA shows at Ushuaia in Ibiza, if Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano are playing after me, I like to let them play the more groovy set of the night. If Robert was playing after me, I can go a little bit harder than that. It really depends! And of course if you lose the attention of the crowd, you need to switch it up!
How did you select your tracks for your recent BALR mix (tracklist here)?
BALR is really a football sports brand which a lot of young kids are looking up to. We got sponsored by BALR during the North American bus tour and when I went to France for a short break with my girlfriend, I saw all these young kids wearing their shirts too! With the mix, I tried to give them the same energy as the brand. Start off really groovy and then end up with banger music. From young to old, everybody can relate to something in the set.
How has your summer been overall?
The summer has been busy! In and out every week. Trying to make music on airplanes. Trying to find time to get back in the studio. It’s been really hectic and crazy, but I’m still loving it! I haven’t had the moment where I feel tired or think, “What have I got myself into?” Every day you wake up and know there is a new destination coming up and I’ve really enjoyed it!
With the hectic touring schedule, how do you find time for the studio?
Well, to be honest, my studio is at my parents’ house and I miss my parents. They haven’t seen me in quite a while. It’s been like one or two months since I’ve been home. It’s been really difficult for me to find time to get into the studio, but what I like to do is write something from scratch on the computer when I am on the plane. And then as soon as I’m home or at the hotel, I’ll finalize it by playing the chords on the piano or changing some melodies. It’s basically back and forth between working on the airplane, in the hotel, and then the studio.
Were there any highlights or favorite performances this summer?
I’ve been loving the Hakkasan and Wet Republic shows because there is a lot of energy! Obviously the Hardwell DNA shows in Ibiza are really cool to do. Tomorrowland was really, really cool to play. Big City Beats World Club Dome - that’s a festival that’s been on my mind to play since forever and I got to open up the mainstage, so I’m really proud of that one. And The Flying Dutch, which I think is the biggest festival in Holland. With all of the different locations, the DJs being flown from location to location by helicopter, and to be on the same lineup with W&W, Showtek, Afrojack, Hardwell, and Armin on the mainstage is just incredible. It’s so unique!
Any must play tracks for you this summer?
Genario Nvilla & Born Loud - “WTF” has such a great Caribbean vibe with energy. Nicky Romero - “Ready 2 Rumble” really gets the crowd going and hyped. And of course my own track, “All The Way Down.”
What does the rest of the year look like for you?
I still have a lot of shows coming up! Going to India, Bangkok, a lot of Asian shows. And then still have more Vegas and Ibiza dates!
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