R3hab: Touring makes me extra creative

Photo: R3hab

Holland has been responsible for spawning the world's most successful electronic artists for some time now. With a constant crop of exciting big room house pioneers hitting the mainstream, R3hab is one such artist that is making all the right noises, called in to ply some of the biggest music festivals in the world with his energetic, rabble rousing sound.

We grabbed five minutes with the mighty Dutchman ahead of his very busy summer schedule.

Hello! Thanks for chatting to us. You’re playing Creamfields this summer, are you excited for that? 

I’m very excited. It’s an honour to play at one of the biggest festivals in the UK, especially when it’s alongside some of my favourite artists.

Can you let us in on what you’ve got up your sleeve for your set there?

I am working on a lot of music at the moment and I’m going to premier a few tracks that nobody has heard yet.

You recently laid down a slamming Essential Mix for Radio One. Was that a special moment for you? How did you approach it?

It was a very special moment. Being asked to do Essential Mix was always a dream for me. I tried to put a lot new things in the mix while also including some elements from the past so that people could hear the growth in my style.

What have you got lined up for the summer? Are there any festivals you’re looking forward to playing at?

I just played EDC Las Vegas which was very special to me, and then of course I have Creamfields, Tomorrowland, Sziget Festival, Made In America Festival and a big season in Ibiza.

Your rise to prominence in the EDM world has been rapid! What do you put that down to? What do you think it is that makes you and your sound so well loved?

I have a very energetic sound and at the moment that is very popular. Big production and big sound for big stages. It’s really a rollercoaster ride and I think people really love that.

How do you manage to have such a busy touring schedule whilst managing to produce so many record and remixes? Do you ever sleep!?

All of the touring makes me extra creative and pushes me to keep on working and wanting to make more new music to play. I think it also comes with experience. The more releases you work on and finish, the more confident you are in your style, so you end up needing less time for production. I think that saves a lot of time. 

Have you any productions/remixes in the pipeline that we can look forward to?

I have a new collaboration coming with NERVO, and I’m working with VINAI, these two guys from Italy with a very fresh sound. I just finished a remix for Tiesto’s single 'Wasted' (above), and he did one in return for me for my track 'Samurai'. I also remixed one of the biggest songs this year - 'Summer' by Calvin Harris, together with Ummet Ozcan.

And finally, hypothetical question... You have the power to throw the ultimate rave. You can play alongside any DJ from the past or present. Where would you have it, who would be on the bill, and what track would you play to define the evening?

It would definitely be in Maldives as it’s one of the most beautiful places I have been. I think I would put together the best off every style to make a very fun night with incredible music. It sounds very simple but I’d have Calvin Harris, Diplo, and Major Lazer perform.

Catch R3hab doing his thing at Creamfields on Sunday, August 24th

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