Dutch DJ Afrojack Says He Wants To Explore More Music Genres; Reveals 'India Feels Like Home' | Exclusive

Nick Leonardus van de Wall, better known as Afrojack, recently enthralled the Indian audience at the Road To Ultra-India tour. The 35-year-old began DJing in his teens, and by 2007, when he was just 20, he was putting out mischievous house bangers in the style called ‘dirty Dutch.’ News18 Showsha managed to catch up with him backstage, where he engaged in a brief conversation with us.

The Dutch DJ was elated to come back to India after years, especially post-Covid. ‘India has given me so much love and acceptance. They have a different vibe, they bring in wholesome energy. It feels like home, coming back to India. It’s been a few years since I was back here, and with that, I love hogging on Indian food, so my time spent in India always feels amazing,” he added.

When asked if there’s a favourite track that he enjoys playing, he smiles and says, “I enjoy playing the newer ones, but I’ve noticed fans vibing more to my older tracks like Turn Up The Speakers and Rock The House.” He laughed and added, “Maybe my tracks age well.”

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Afrojack added that playing on the console is a surreal feeling, and says he has got used to the jitters, but at times there’s a sense of nervousness. “I love playing on stage, the energy is unparalleled, but then again, sometimes, the backstage jitters get to you. I guess no one will ever get used to madness without having a few moments of nervousness,” he said.

Looking back at his DJing career, Afrojack shared that, while he’s come a long way, in his mind, he thinks, he is just getting started. “I have so much more to explore and give the audience the kind of music that sustains. It’s pretty challenging to reinvent yourself today, because understanding the audience’s taste with new genres of music coming up, keeps me on my toes. I love the energy which younger musicians are bringing to the table. With this, I hope to accomplish new things in 2023.”

The musician developed an interest in music at an early age and began playing piano at the age of five. By the time he was 11, he started producing his own tracks from home for five hours a day, and it took him a good seven years to produce his first release, In Your Face. And since then there has been no looking back for the artist.