When you've been doing the same thing for several years, it's not difficult to lose that bright-eyed excitement you once had. But for legendary DJ-producer Paul van Dyk, the same love and passion for electronic music still stand, even over two decades later. 

Ardent and ever-evolving, the 'For An Angel' icon has a never-dying love for his craft. Dancing between the many sounds of electronic music, Paul van Dyk never fails to find the sparkle and fire in a genre he's loved and fueled for almost 30 years. 

"My musical approach has always been somewhat droll in just the terminology of like, this is trends, this is techno. To me, it's electronic music and you'll hear me banging techno as much as fluffy electronic and trance-y melodies. It's a combination, a culmination of what electronic music has to offer that excites me," he tells Bandwagon. 

Even through the isolation and loneliness of the last two pandemic-stricken years, the renowned DJ's excitement never faltered. Since 2020, the 'Duality' hitmaker released two albums and played an array of virtual festivals across the world, hoping that his listeners can solace in his energetic beats and signature trance melodies. 

But much like the entire music community's sentiment, nothing beats a live crowd. 

"All the streaming was trying to create some sort of substitute for the lack of interaction and any sort of connection to the audience, but nothing can be been live in the venue with your audience, creating those memories together, and being excited about the music," he shares. 

"We are social individuals, we need to kind of create memories together and then take them back home with us. Then, ideally, you think back to those moments with all your friends at this festival and listening to that song and that puts a smile on your face, and you move on. I think this is what music can do, what these social gatherings can do, and I think we all miss that over a very long time."

When asked what he missed about performing in front of a live crowd, Paul van Dyk says, "It is really the interaction. I have a clear idea of what I want to do but in order to kind of make a night, it needs that feedback, that interaction with the audience, and you cannot replace it with anything else. It's absolutely a must."

"Having been on multiple festivals already, it's getting to experience that kind of kick-in-the-butt energy that everybody needs and enjoys. It's an hour where we all experience this same, special thing."

That "kick-in-the-butt energy" is soon making its way to Singapore, where Paul van Dyk will be ushering in the reopening of one of the city's most exciting nightclubs, MARQUEE. The 'Wishingful Thinking' act previously joined the club's first-anniversary celebrations through a virtual set but this time, he's bringing his heart-pumping beats to their live stage. 

"I'm really, really excited to come back to Asia, it has always been a very welcoming—I don't want to say 'market' because it's so business orientated, but more so community. I just feel very, very welcomed when I'm in Asia, it's like such a lovely and friendly vibe and feel to it. I also like the food, the people and whenever I'm there, the shows that are amazing. So what else is not like?," he shares. 

"Singapore is like one of my favourite cities in the world. Being back despite the fact that [there's still a pandemic] excites me, it also gives me a lot of hope that we are kind of moving back towards normality somehow."

 

 

 

 

 

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For his highly anticipated, Paul van Dyk will be playing his well-loved hits and new material from his upcoming album, Off The Record which comes as the first instalment of a year-long project unfolding throughout 2022. Created throughout the pandemic, the record is an introspective yet energetic collection of tracks that precursors a storm of thrilling festival-ready tunes. 

"We're releasing it in like three batches One is called Off The Record, which features music that's like... it's not chill or anything at all—it's very energetic but somewhat more deeper and more like technology orientated in a way. That comes from the fact that I was sitting at home looking outside the studio window and seeing the same tree, instead of travelling around the world and experiencing festivals and clubs and the music together with everyone else," says Paul van Dyk oh his upcoming album. 

"The music that is leading the way to the next section is called For The Record, which is the 138 BPM festival, sort of like music. Then at the end of the year, everything comes together as The Record—it's everything that we released throughout the year plus some new material," he adds. 

Paul van Dyk will be performing at MARQUEE Singapore this 16 July, making the trance icon the first international DJ to perform at the nightclub since the start of the pandemic. Online tickets are sold out but tickets will be available at the door based on capacity. 

Listen to Paul van Dyk's 'Guiding Light' here.