From glass collector to Dance Music superstar with Nicky Romero

Image: Nicky Romero

During a time when stadium sized dance music is enjoying its most prosperous spell by dominating global charts along the way, Nicky Romero has sounded himself as one of the genre's colossal titans - recently attaining seventh spot in the hallowed DJMag Top 100 amongst the industry's reigning superpowers. 

Belonging to an all conquering core of Dutch electronic producers, Romero is arguably the best of the crop. His pulverising brand of electro house has bagged him everything from chart topping hits with Aviici (below) to releases on genre defining imprints Big Beat and EMI - not to mention his very own Protocol Records. 

With his unrivalled UK Reboot Tour looming, including headline dates at the Cream Birthday Part 2 and the huge Composit showcase at Manchester's Victoria Warehouse, we couldn't miss out on a chance to speak to the DJing powerhouse, where we got onto the subject of the tour itself, his journey to the dizzying heights of dance music and a whole lot more. 

Hi Nicky, thanks for chatting to us! So let’s get a bit of background from you - how did your love of electronic music start out? Was there a certain record you heard, or DJ you saw that converted you?

It actually all began in this bar I used work at when I was a teenager called Scoob. I was in charge of clearing empty glasses and hanging up people’s coats, but I always loved the music they played there and was so envious of the DJ who dropped some really great dance classics.

The sounds of DJs like Fedde Le Grand and Gregor Salto also got me into production. I loved what those guys were doing.

We know you were big into drumming as a younger man, if you could have been a drummer in any band at that point, who would it have been?

Well I’ve always been a massive fan of Coldplay; I love Chris Martin’s voice and the tracks he makes. So if you’re ever in need of a drummer Chris, you know who to call.

When did you get your first gig as a DJ? Did you have any idea at that point that you’d become the worldwide success you are now? 

Funnily enough it was at Scoob. One day the DJ was just like ‘why don’t you come up to the booth and give it a go’ and so I did and the rest was history really.

This place only had a capacity of about 70 people and I think I was more scared then than I was playing in front of 60,000 at Tomorrowland. 

What advice would you give to any bedroom DJs out there hoping to make it big?

I feel like it’s all about hard work and sticking to your ambition. Nothing else really matters if you have the drive to do what you want to do. I’d also avoid trying to be too much like other DJs. Nobody wants to hear another Armin van Buuren or another Nicky Romero. You have to be original and craft your own unique sound.

You released your first material now five years ago - How do you think your style has evolved in that time, and what would has become your signature?

I think it’s important that music is always allowed to evolve and for me personally, it’s also essential that the music I produce also evolves. I like to keep certain elements the same so that fans can recognize my signature sound, but at the same time I love to experiment with different genres.

Recently I did a track with Anouk called 'Feet on the Ground'(below). She is a Dutch rock singer and combining her vocals with my existing track worked really well. I think if you don’t switch up everything once in a while, it can get a little boring and repetitive.

A lot has been said of your immense work ethic, if you’re not touring as a DJ, you’re producing, or getting interviewed, like now! When you finally get some free time, what do you do to relax? 

I know, most of the time I don’t get round to doing things like watching TV and playing video games. On Mondays I do try and relax and do ‘normal stuff’ but in the end, I just find myself back in the studio working on whatever I can.

You’re set to bring the Reboot tour to the UK later this month, are you pretty excited about that?

Yeah I am so super excited to come to the UK, the fans there are so great and they always no how to party and have a good time. 

Tell us about the idea behind the whole ‘reboot’ - what will it bring to your shows that we can look forward to?

My whole aim with the “reboot” tour was to depart from the status quo and try to create something completely original in my shows.

I want to give the audience an EDM experience they wont forget and I’ve got the best support to achieve that with my fellow Protocol guys such as Don Diablo, Tommy Trash and Arno Cost plus the help of some other legends like Eddie Halliwell.

How has the reboot worked with Protocol Records? And what new material can we look forward to from the label? Any from yourself?

I’m hoping this reboot tour will showcase our signature sound that we have at Protocol Records and show what we’re all about. I think it will also provide a really good platform to showcase some of the talented up-and-coming artists that we have signed to the label and I’ll be sure to be playing out their music at all the shows.

I recently collaborated with Vicetone, two really cool guys from Holland and I’m really happy with our tune, ‘Let Me Feel’ (below) that was released last month, so maybe I might do more collaborations down the line. It’s definitely something I love doing.

Hypothetical question now - if you could go back in history and sign any record to Protocol, what would it be, and why?

That’s a hard question! I think it would have to be ‘My Friend’ by Groove Armada. It was a really big tune in the Netherlands at the start of the decade, was in a couple Dutch commercials and I was hooked from the first time I heard it. I still am today.

Catch Nicky Romero's UK Reboot tour this November - full dates here.