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DJ Mag Top100 DJs
71
Deniz Koyu
1

From: Germany

Rising star DJ/producer of 2021: “John Summit.”

It is now a full decade since Turkish-German prog and electro-house don Deniz Koyu burst onto the scene with his super hit ‘Tung'. There have been many more since, but his greatest creation is just around the corner: “My wife getting pregnant has been the highlight of my year, for sure,” beams the proud dad-to-be. 

As well as getting busy between the sheets during lockdown, Koyu also hooked up with vocalists to work on some more radio-friendly sounds. “I didn’t feel like making club music when we didn’t even know when clubs would open again,” he says, but now things are returning to normal he is back on a club tip. “My upcoming releases will bring back that bouncy groove I started with ten years ago while pushing forward with my sound design and production techniques.”

Plenty of the new music he has worked on is due soon, including some collabs with Alesso. “I also finished a couple of solo club bangers, as well as another remix for a big artist. Super excited to share all these with you soon!”

How was your first gig back after lockdown? 

“It felt so incredible getting back on the road again this summer. I went to the US to play some club shows in Texas, and as you can imagine I was more than hyped!”

How have the last 18 months changed how you view your work/life balance? 

“I realised how relaxing it felt to take a break from the heavy touring, and I actually needed a timeout. In the past years I’ve been putting myself under quite a lot of constant stress, always prioritising work, but the last 18 months have shown me how beneficial it is for your overall well-being to keep a good work/life balance.”

What’s the best bit of tech you’ve added to your studio or DJ setup this year? 

“I updated my DJ setup at home with a pair of Pioneer CDJ-3000 players, and I’m loving them!”

What’s the best album you’ve heard this year? 

“It came out end of 2020, but it’s still my favourite: Tchami ‘Year Zero’.”