AFROJACK: “I’M NOT EDM”
In an interview with Asian Age published yesterday, this year’s #8 DJ stated “I’m not EDM.”
Afrojack has been an integral supporter and pioneer in the Dirty Dutch scene nearly since its inception, but his public persona has been marred in recent years due to wild stunts and antics, not to mention lackluster releases. And it has always been accepted that he is a part of the EDM scene – whether it’s who he associates himself with or the music he produces, it was never really questioned. But Afrojack wants to change that perception.
If I wanted to be a successful EDM artist, I wouldn’t put 80 per cent of everything back into the show. I would be chilling, demanding 20 hotel rooms, playing for one-and-a-half hours and being miserable as f***. But I don’t want to be an EDM artist. I want to make something that people can be proud of.
You can see him distancing himself from the EDM moniker in other places too, such as his interview with DJ Mag for his #8 placement. When asked if the future of EDM is still bright, he answers, “If by EDM you mean dance music then yes, for sure.”
He also makes the distinction between techno and EDM, stating, “I’ve been producing a lot, outside of the EDM genre — I’ve been doing a lot of techno stuff with some friends.”
To many, techno still falls under the purview of EDM, though likely more are trying to keep it separate. Afrojack seems to be in the latter camp. Still, it’s not what you say, but rather what you can do to back up those words that matters. We’ll wait for his next release to see whether he’s truly trying to break away from that EDM designation.