Hard EDM will burn out: David Guetta

Mumbai: He was one of the first big names to open the EDM stage in India back in 2012. Two years after his maiden gig in the country, David Guetta, one of the most celebrated DJs globally, is back to play for an audience he believes is “warm and well receiving” — something an artist of any stature yearns for, according to the Grammy award winner.

“It’s really brilliant the way the electronic scene has exploded in the world. We have turned it into a musical movement and every time someone gives me money to do this, it’s a miracle. It was really like a war to get the music to where we are, because no one would let us through. I feel I have a responsibility towards my fans and I feel the urge to surprise them every time I come up on stage. The only thing I can do try to reinvent myself,” he tells us over email. His latest album Listen is an effort in the same direction, and for that he has collaborated with Nicki Minaj, Sia and John Legend among other artistes. “I’ve taken another risk with Listen; there is a lot more live instrumentation — guitars, strings, piano — in the mix. There are some mid-tempo tracks and a ballad with Sia. But it’s still a dance music album, of course. Just showing the depth and breadth of our scene.”

As essential as innovation is, it is also indispensable according to Guetta. Unlike most DJs who believe that dance music is not a wave that’ll wash over sooner or later, Guetta acknowledges that the saturation that hard core EDM may have hit.

“What’s becoming the new big thing commercially now is deep house, which was the most underground thing three years ago. Right now, I think the hard EDM sound is going to burn out, at least that’s what I’m seeing. I see things shifting towards the melodic — towards people like Avicii who are creating instrumental and lyrical dance music. And of course deep house is exploding. The super hard stuff was exciting and new, but too much of it isn’t sustainable. I think we’ll see a little less heat, and that’s okay.”

The industry is churning out artistes every day and many of them are hitting a high point very early in their careers. Is that a good thing? “To us it (EDM) was underground, it was a subculture, it was a lifestyle — it was all of these things. But these days, it’s not really working like this anymore. It took me 20 years to do what I did. Avicii, last year, no one knew who he was. Now he’s the biggest thing on the planet. You understand? It’s totally different. I don’t think it matters that many of the youngsters today experiencing an epiphany with dance music don’t appreciate its history. It’s just different now.”

Last year, there were rumours (sparked by detractors we assume) about Guetta having stage fright and not mixing music live, among other unflattering remarks, that went viral. He didn’t react then. “I choose not to react even now. Since it wasn't true,” he comments.

Any message for those attending EVC? “Get ready to party!”

Catch Guetta live at the Enchanted Valley Carnival, December 19-21 at Aamby Valley City, Festival Arena.