A Danish DJ/Producer, Mike Hawkins continues to evolve and we hear a lot of his tracks frequently in the set from Tiesto, Hardwell, David Guetta, Steve Angello, Afrojack, Nicky Romero, Zedd, W&W, Martin Garrix, Knife Party, Steve Aoki and more who are seen in DJ MAG TOP 100 DJs often. He is highly praised by such superstars in the scene and he also established his own label VAYPOR with the support from Armada Music. He recently released a track from VAYPOR and received a messaging wanting to reach out to his Asian fans. Let’s hear what he has been up to and his coming schedules.
Q1. We heard you’re launching own label 'VAYPOR' with Armada this week, and will release your first track ‘Bad Blood’ on this label the same day. Can you tell us more about it?
Vaypor is the result of planning for a very long time – it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I always want to stay ahead of whatever is going on musically and I feel the right way to do that is with a label I can curate together with one of the biggest players in the industry, so when I brought it by Armada and they loved it, everything just felt right! The music has to be cool, and it has to make sense creatively. If it doesn’t have a soul and lots of character, it’s not going to be on Vaypor.
Q2. How is your 2017 so far?
Great! It’s been an exciting year for me both personally and creatively. I’ve had lots of time to absorb some fantastic moments and experience some great places. I get most of my inspiration from traveling, so I’ve been going far and wide across four continents. I’ve been working on a ton of new music and finding so many new artists that we’ve signed, so it’s been a fantastic year so far!
Q3. Which track would be your favorite from your work and what inspired you to produce that track?
It’s hard to say, it’s a bit like picking a favorite child. I think Louder is one of my favorites just because it feels strong and has so much vibe. Louder is one of those records where I didn’t really experiment too much; I knew exactly what I wanted to make and I nailed that vibe exactly how I wanted to. It felt really great, and I’m proud I managed to bring what I had in my head 100% into the song!
Q4. Can you pick 1 or 2 must plays in your sets and why?
Just like the music I put out, I play very eclectic live, so I couldn’t pick any 2! But one song I always play out right now is an upcoming tune of mine called Klobber. It’s a club record and it goes off every time!
Q5. What’s your summer plan?
Lots of beats, nature, rides around the city with great music and shows. I can’t wait!
Q6. What would Japanese fans be surprised to learn about you?
That Tokyo is my favorite city on the planet! I really love Japan, and Tokyo has a special place in my heart. I’ve seen many, many cities in my life by now, but none quite compare to the perfect mix and mystery of Tokyo – it has everything your heart desires, it’s clean and fresh when you want it to but you can still find gritty, film-esque streets. People are friendly and kind, and the Japanese people are so kind and respectful. I truly feel at home in Tokyo.
Q7. Please leave a message for your fans in Japan.
Thank all of you guys out there who support me through what I do! I hope you want to join me on my continued journey in my music and that you’ll take part of what I am doing for many years to come. I am in this for the long haul so nothing means more to me than fans who are in this for the long haul as well. Thank you for being a great people and fantastic fans!
We can say that Mike Hawkins is now one of the top players in the scene as he is highly praised from legendary figures and trendy figures as well. He continuously receives official request to remix Martin Garrix or Zedd’s tracks and his talent is applauded not only by his fans but also by people in the industry as well as other DJ/Producers. Mike Hawkins is one of the very upcoming artists in the scene and who DJ MAG JAPAN also pays attention to along with others and we hope other Asian fans would put him in the checklist as well.
