JOIN USThey may not get adequate sleep due to their erratic schedules but what gives them a high is the crowd’s reaction when they press ‘play’ on the first track. DJs Steve and Ruben, the duo of ‘Wolfpack’ from Belgium, say that meeting new people, seeing beautiful places, travelling all over the world and trying different cuisines more than makes up for all the tiredness.
The two have been shuttling between various international venues and rocked the EDM night of ‘Art Bengaluru’ with their spirited performance recently.
Spanning 90 minutes, the performance comprised tracks like ‘Nashville’, ‘Stay A While’, ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ and many more.
Among the top 100 DJs in the world, Steve and Ruben are remembered for their enthralling performance at ‘Tomorrowland Brasil 2015’.
The duo are also known for their track ‘Ocarina The Tomorrowworld Anthem’ for which they collaborated with record producers Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike.
In a chat with Anushree Agarwal, they speak about their journey so far and why Bengaluru is special to them.
What genres do you play?
Ruben: We generally play electro house, progressive house and funky house and like to mash it up with old-school hiphop, retro and rock ‘n’ roll.
How did you both come together?
Ruben: We’ve known each other since we were very young. We had been apart for a couple of years. I was travelling in Ibiza in Spain and Steve was in Belgium. Since we both loved making music, we decided to come together around five years ago.
The name...
Steve: We were actually looking for a proper name for ourselves. As a big group of friends with Dimitri, Mike (with whom we collaborate sometimes) and us, ‘Wolfpack’ from ‘The Hangover’ sounded very natural and nice. It’s a group of friends in the movie who always help each other and that’s what we do too.
Your journey so far...
Ruben: It’s been amazing. We’ve travelled all over the world, from Brazil to Mexico to China and Thailand. We’ve had good times, met beautiful people and attended great parties.
An unforgettable experience.
Steve: Everytime we play for a crowd, it reacts, loves us and knows our music. It’s always like a goosebumps moment. But if we have to pick any one in particular, I think it’s the ‘Tomorrowland Brasil 2015’ experience. As the sun went down, the main stage just opened like a book introducing us to the crowd; around 60 to 70 thousand people shouting our names. It was the first time in two days that the book opened and everybody was waiting for this moment.
A time you messed up...
Steve: If you’re a real DJ, you mix real live sets and there’s always this feeling that maybe there was something that you could have done better.
Ruben: I remember when we started, there was this one time when we accidentally pressed play again on the wrong CD so we actually ended up pausing it and the music went off. But we were quick to resolve it. We acted like nothing happened and that we were meant to do it that way (laughs).
Some people feel that there’s nothing challenging about being a DJ...
Steve: Well, in the last three weeks, we’ve been to six different countries, taken 15 flights and done three shows with three hours of sleep. If you think being a DJ is just being there and playing the music, that’s not the case. It’s actually a lifestyle, a really unhealthy one because one eats and sleeps irregularly. Ruben: The crowd reaction is what makes us feel good and gives us energy.
When not at the console...
Ruben: We try to have good food, indulge in some sports, get some sleep and spend time with family.
Steve: I got married three days ago and was in Thailand but then both my wife and I had to get back to work so here I am!
An advice to aspiring DJs.
Ruben: Work hard and trust your feelings.
What makes Bengaluru special for you?
Steve: We played at the exact same spot (main stage in UB City) and this is our third time in Bengaluru. In fact, we did our first ever stage dive
here.
Ruben: The crowd is good and the people are cool here!