Don Diablo

Who is this Don Diablo dude that everybody seems to be talking about? Well, for starters he is a producer, musician, imaginary friend, DJ, singer, writer, visualist, record label boss and to some people, the uncrowned King of hooligan house, but let’s start at the beginning.

Don Diablo’s musical journey kicked off at the age of fifteen, when he started making music for short movies he was directing. With loads of time on his hands and nothing too exciting happening in the outskirts of the Netherlands, Don Diablo was able to experiment with music and fine-tune his production skills. Outcome of this all: he signed his first record deal before he turned 16!

Next Saturday Don will be making his first appearance at The Arches for Colours and to say he’s excited about it would be an understatement!  Read on to find out what he’s got to say for himself.  Next week we’ll have a cheeky wee competition with some exclusive merchandise from Mr Diablo so keep your eyes peeled…

How are you today and where in the world do we find you?
I am lovin' life as always and am in Milan today to do a show here tonight. Tomorrow I will fly back to Amsterdam, the city I currently call home.

What has been your highlight of 2009 so far?
Playing at Glastonbury and Creamfields and remixing artists like Mika and Cassius as well as doing a DJ Mag covermount CD have been highlights, but I believe the true highlight for 2009 is yet to come...!
Who has been your favourite new DJ to play alongside this year?I enjoyed playing alongside Toddla T at the Mysteryland festival this year, fresh sounds.

You’ve played at over 15 festivals this year, which ones were your particular favourites?
Glastonbury, Creamfields, Mysteryland and I have good memories of the EH1 festival in Scotland this year also because I got to meet some really nice people and saw some other cool acts performing and I had a bit more time to hang around and chill out with some of the other DJ's at the festival, which was very nice for a change.

What’s the strangest site you’ve seen at one of those festivals?
It's always strange to see a girl peeing right next to you out in the open air. Although, I do believe that is part of the true festival spirit!

Are you looking forward to your set at The Arches in November?
Yes! I can't wait to be honest! I love the Scottish crowd and heard so many good stories about the Colours parties, so I am happy to make my Colours debut next month.   

What do you think makes the Scottish crowd so up for it?
Because they are open to good and new music and not just to tunes they have heard a million times. And…I guess there is just something in the water - I have no other explanation for it to be honest!  You’re just about to release your new compilation album, how long did it take you to come up with the track listing and what is the selection process involved?I'd say it always takes me about a year to select tracks and make the final decisions for the tracklist. When I do a compilation I also want to use a lot of my own remixes and tracks, because that is what creates the specific identity for my CD, rather than just selecting a handful of really cool tracks that will also appear on a lot of other compilations.  

Where do you get the inspiration for your sound and lyrics?
I travel a lot which gives me a lot of inspiration, I also keep my studio up to date so I always have the freshest sounds and plug-ins. Besides that, I just get behind the piano and start jamming. There are many different ways for me to start with a new song or track. As for lyrics, I always write about the things that are going on in my life, especially for my album. Lost love, frustrations, family tragedies inspire me to mostly write simple, short lyrics and I try to let the music do the rest of the talking.

Do you ever feel under any pressure to release new tracks quickly now you’re signed to a huge record label?Honestly?
No, not really. They signed me for who I am and I have total creative freedom when it comes to my music, so I try not to over think things too much. Actually, I did do that a lot more when I wasn't signed to a major record label!

What do you think of the UK club scene at the moment?
I have been locked away in the studio for a couple of years and am just returning to play several dates in some of the coolest UK clubs, so personally I am really enjoying it. But obviously I also know that it seems harder to get the numbers in nowadays because of the economic situation, but I hope promoters will keep on taking risks so the scene will maintain it's freshness and I think it is actually a good development as u just have to make sure u are always one step ahead of the others.  

You’re known for your very lively performances behind (and on top!) of the decks. Have you ever broken any equipment whilst you’re performing?
Hahaha, no...Strangely enough I haven't. But I have managed to break down several stages!

What’s your pet hate when DJing?
I hate it when people are just waiting around to hear something familiar or recognisable. I do incorporate a lot of recognisable parts in my sets of tracks and acapellas I love, but there is so much really cool new music out there that deserves a ''hands in the air'' moment as well!

It is well known that you eat desserts all day long. How does your dentist feel about that? Do you sample regional desserts on your worldly travels?
I brush my teeth twice a day, so my dentist is still very happy with me! And yes I do try to sample as many desserts as I can during my travels around the globe. A good dessert really soothes the soul!  If it were your last gig ever, what would be your last track of the night?''Hurt'' by Johnny Cash.

Finally, what can the Scottish crowd expect from you on November 7th?
They can expect to get back whatever they give me...times two! So I hope together we can bring the house down! See you all in November!