From: Eindhoven, NetherlandsDJ style: “A bit of everything with a lot of electronic.”Best known for: “Being brothers.”What’s the next new big track? “Party Favor & Dillon Francis ‘Shut It Down’.”Breakthrough DJ/producer of 2016? “Brooks.”A huge 15 years after their debut release, former hard dance icons Showtek have continued their transition into EDM megastars in 2016. Made up of brothers Sjoerd and Wouter Janssen, the Skink label they launched in 2013 has released massive main room tracks from Justin Prime and Eva Shaw, as well as the ‘Skinkilation Vol. 2’ EP, which featured high-octane weapons from David Guetta, Tom Ferro, Crossnaders, Jimmy Clash, The Dirty Code, Lenx & Denx and Rendo, as well as Showtek themselves. The Janssen brothers also started their Crazy Collabs project in 2012, through which they’ve previously worked with Guetta, Tiësto, Hardwell and Bassjackers, amongst many others. “Every three to five years we feel like we want to do something new and add things to our profile,” Sjoerd tells DJ Mag. Although not part of the series, the duo added Major Lazer to their already impressive list of collaborations this year, with ‘Believer’ from the EDM giants’ forthcoming album ‘Music Is The Weapon’ set to establish them as a household name. What have been the new frontiers for you this year? “Developing a new live show, and our collaboration with Major Lazer.”Is electronic music taken seriously enough as an art-form? “Any personally created piece is a form of art, and people will always debate that.”What’s the best new bit of DJ/production technology, and why? “It’s so much easier to produce music nowadays, so people are getting more and more creative to sound unique — creating an amazing revolution.”If you had to switch your style to another genre, what would it be? “Even though we have a specific style, we are constantly trying to fuse different influences like reggae, hip-hop, old school house and indie.”As a fan, what is the top price you would pay to see yourself DJ? “We’d have to ask the promoters!”What can be done to prevent drug-related deaths at dance music events? “Educate, don’t ignore.”How can we increase diversity in dance music? “Things have to saturate before people want a change of palette. Creative people are determined to come up with new ideas, so eventually it will always evolve.” WORDS: ROB McCALLUM
From: Eindhoven, Netherlands
DJ style: “A bit of everything with a lot of electronic.”
Best known for: “Being brothers.”
What’s the next new big track? “Party Favor & Dillon Francis ‘Shut It Down’.”
Breakthrough DJ/producer of 2016? “Brooks.”
A huge 15 years after their debut release, former hard dance icons Showtek have continued their transition into EDM megastars in 2016. Made up of brothers Sjoerd and Wouter Janssen, the Skink label they launched in 2013 has released massive main room tracks from Justin Prime and Eva Shaw, as well as the ‘Skinkilation Vol. 2’ EP, which featured high-octane weapons from David Guetta, Tom Ferro, Crossnaders, Jimmy Clash, The Dirty Code, Lenx & Denx and Rendo, as well as Showtek themselves.
The Janssen brothers also started their Crazy Collabs project in 2012, through which they’ve previously worked with Guetta, Tiësto, Hardwell and Bassjackers, amongst many others. “Every three to five years we feel like we want to do something new and add things to our profile,” Sjoerd tells DJ Mag. Although not part of the series, the duo added Major Lazer to their already impressive list of collaborations this year, with ‘Believer’ from the EDM giants’ forthcoming album ‘Music Is The Weapon’ set to establish them as a household name.
What have been the new frontiers for you this year?
“Developing a new live show, and our collaboration with Major Lazer.”
Is electronic music taken seriously enough as an art-form?
“Any personally created piece is a form of art, and people will always debate that.”
What’s the best new bit of DJ/production technology, and why?
“It’s so much easier to produce music nowadays, so people are getting more and more creative to sound unique — creating an amazing revolution.”
If you had to switch your style to another genre, what would it be?
“Even though we have a specific style, we are constantly trying to fuse different influences like reggae, hip-hop, old school house and indie.”
As a fan, what is the top price you would pay to see yourself DJ?
“We’d have to ask the promoters!”
What can be done to prevent drug-related deaths at dance music events?
“Educate, don’t ignore.”
How can we increase diversity in dance music?
“Things have to saturate before people want a change of palette. Creative people are determined to come up with new ideas, so eventually it will always evolve.”
WORDS: ROB McCALLUM
