'I love my fans in India'

He always had a feeling that someday he would create his own religion of music. 
An international name who has collaborated with honchos in the industry, David Guetta set out on a musical journey as a 17-year-old boy.

He mixes dark electronic sounds with happy groovy songs and has produced million dollar hit tracks like ‘Titanium’, ‘Sexy Chic’ and ‘Turn Me On’. Ready to groove his best mixes at ‘Sunburn Goa’, he shares his experiences and philosophy of music.

It took nearly a decade for you to become an international name. What was the turning point in your music career?
Every time someone comes to me and says, ‘I fell in love dancing to your songs’ or ‘I met my wife in this club’, it touches me. I’m part of the group that made a change. Six years ago, the big risk I took was when I did the bridge between urban music and dance. I collaborated with top pop artistes like Akon, Nicki Minaj and Black Eyed Peas. There was a revolution and there were brand new sounds and artistes.

EDM, a popular genre among the youth, is now being criticised for its stagnant nature...
Dance music is the next big thing. EDM is still going to be strong, but will be more song-based! I’m trying to look for a way to go against the established format as the essence of dance music is to go against formats.

What do you think of Sunburn?
Goa is known to the world for its music. You will spot the biggest names in Goa every year, attracting millions. It’s an annual ritual for the majority and it takes a lot to build a festival of such stature in such little time. I love my fans in India and I’m honoured that the base just keeps growing!

Always touring and making music, what inspires you and keeps you going?
What motivates me to create music is that magic moment when I’m going to play one of my records for the first time on stage, or when a song becomes a hit and everyone is singing along. They are some of the strongest feelings I experience.

People who inspire you...
At the moment, what’s really exciting for me is to find talented people who are not necessarily the most famous. Of course I’m honoured to work with big stars, but I’m also happy to discover new people and this is going to be a big challenge in the next few years. I’m working on a record with Hozier, and I would really love to get back in the studio with him.

Live concerts or club events?
At a club, I have no idea what I’m going to play and it’s total freedom. But at concerts, it’s more of an artiste’s statement than that of a DJ. Concerts need to be perfect and it’s more like taking people on a journey, and I love doing this. I’m a DJ first and it’s important for me to keep playing at clubs as this is where I get my inspiration to try out new tracks.

Do you plan your track list before performing live?
I don’t prepare pre-recorded mixes, but you know it’s always going to be the same structure at a concert. I remix my songs to create special versions of them. I want people to have a unique experience.

Will 2016 be a witness to your new album?
I can’t reveal much right now but I am working on something very exciting.
As told to Prajna GR