For most DJs, performing for hours on finish is an train in sturdiness and willpower. But for Markus Schulz, it is kid’s play.
With a profession spanning roughly three a long time, the profile trance producer stays one of the most famed digital music artists in the sport. And his signature open-to-shut NYE units have grow to be his love language.
Schulz yearly descends on the City of Angels to DJ at the famed Avalon Hollywood membership, the place he rings in the new 12 months by performing for 12 steady hours with nary a toilet break. This 12 months’s DJ set, nonetheless, has the really feel of one of his largest in latest reminiscence.
“I took a few weeks off from touring in November to work on the next Markus Schulz artist album, which we’re aiming to release in the summer 2023,” he tells EDM.com. “Everything I have earmarked for the album hasn’t been played out anywhere yet, so the Los Angeles faithful can be assured they’ll be the very first to hear those tracks.”
We caught up with Schulz forward of this 12 months’s NYE set to debate the secret sauce of his open-to-shut units.
Markus Schulz.
Coldharbour Recordings
EDM.com: This is your ninth 12 months in a row taking part in New Year’s Eve “open to close” at the historic Avalon Hollywood, the place you promote out the venue every year. How does it really feel?
Markus Schulz: It feels superb! I used to be very lucky to have the ability to do it final 12 months. That feeling of gratitude was there all through the entire expertise. It felt unimaginable to be collectively once more.
EDM.com: What’s key to your relationship with Los Angeles that you simply preserve promoting-out Avalon nightclub if you play in L.A.?
Markus Schulz: My relationship with the Los Angeles leisure scene has at all times been paramount in my profession. When my popularity began rising exterior of Miami in the early days, I obtained some early bookings in L.A. In the starting, the problem to play L.A. felt a bit daunting, however due to the communities of trance music followers, Los Angeles actually embraced me and my sound.
Fans there welcomed me as half of their household. It gave me the confidence that, if I may join with individuals there, I had the capacity to do it in the different key clubbing cities round the world. Avalon was one of the venues which offered me the alternative to carry my open-to-shut expertise to followers as a daily occasion. It’s an unimaginable privilege to have the ability to return to Avalon Hollywood for one more 12 months this New Year’s Eve! It’s not one thing I take without any consideration.
EDM.com: I’m certain there are a lot of, however do you will have one resounding reminiscence of taking part in at Avalon Hollywood that stands out from all of your different New Year’s Eve reveals?
Markus Schulz: For certain! It’s one of these particular venues and cities I’ll be ceaselessly grateful for. The 2017-2018 New Year’s Eve present at Avalon was the place I proposed onstage to my spouse, Adina, so everybody in attendance that night time obtained to share that memorable, lovely second with us.
Generally talking, I’m at the level in my profession now the place individuals are beginning to assess my total contribution to the music trade. This collection of New Year’s Eve open-to-shut reveals at Avalon Hollywood is a necessary factor to the story of my profession as a DJ.
EDM.com: Performing an “open-to-close” DJ set is something most DJs will never even attempt. It’s not only because there’s not a demand from ticket-buying audiences for those DJs, but also because doing so is so physically taxing. A lot or even most simply don’t have enough music (or stamina) to last that long. Would you agree with that assessment?
Markus Schulz: It’s an enormous challenge, both physically and mentally. For my Avalon New Year’s Eve shows, I typically plan on playing for 12 continuous hours without a break. Mentally, I’d break that down into the role of three DJ sets: an opener, peak-hour and afterhours.
Markus Schulz.
Coldharbour Recordings
EDM.com: Can you elaborate?
Markus Schulz: The opener, where you’re gently easing people in with deep, progressive and percussive music. This helps set the tone of the event and allows me to gradually build. There’s a slight difference with this portion of the night compared with my normal programming because it’s New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s, you obviously have that huge destination point of the clock striking midnight, so I might move through the gears a little quicker in building the energy.
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The peak-hour is where I play all of my biggest hits: big vocals and big melodies. I also throw in a few surprises that people aren’t necessarily expecting. Again, and because it’s New Year’s Eve, this part of the set would begin a little earlier so I can start building towards the big “midnight moment” round 30 to 45 minutes out.
EDM.com: Then the countdown, and… growth! The clock strikes midnight close to the peak of your peak-time portion.
Markus Schulz: Yeah. Then later is afterhours, which is the place my “Down the Rabbit Hole” themed units this 12 months have been derived from. This is the level in the night time when I’ve the complete room vibing as one. Here’s once I can begin shifting the music in direction of a darker, extra twisted tip. The vivid lights get dimmed and we’re absolutely on a euphoric techno exploration. I’m going in, earlier than heading into the morning and coming-up out of the darkness and into the mild, musically talking.
EDM.com: You’re constantly responding to the crowd as you’re playing, so it’s never like you can pre-program a set, right? All you can do is prepare for it. How do you organize your music so that you don’t get completely lost searching for music during a marathon set?
Markus Schulz: When I’m gathering new music, I typically categorize tracks that’ll connect with me into specific folders that match those DJ-roles I’ve just described. There’s a lot of planning involved! You’re essentially topping-up your music folders with new content every week, all year long, and as the show date moves closer, in my mind I can start to piece things together towards the journey I want to take the audience on.
EDM.com: That’s a glimpse into what you do on the mental side—preparing meticulously with your track selection. What are you doing to prepare yourself physically for such a marathon?
Markus Schulz: Physically, you also really have to prepare well. I do a lot of cardiovascular workouts in the gym during the week, year ‘round. On the day of the show, I’ll eat quite lightly and get in a disco nap before heading to the venue. The golden rule is not to consume any alcohol while performing, in order to prevent dehydration. So, plenty of water while performing, and in case I need an energy boost, I’ll also pack some nuts and fruits in my bag.
Markus Schulz.
Coldharbour Recordings
EDM.com: What’s the toughest part of your open-to-close sets?
Markus Schulz: To be honest, I find the hardest point of the open-to-close sets is getting to sleep afterwards. The reason I say that is, while you’re physically drained, mentally you’re still running at a million miles-a-minute because you’re constantly reading the room and having to musically react to ensure they stay with you throughout the journey. It’s the reason why I’ll typically stay in L.A. for a couple of days after New Year’s Eve to recover and relax.
EDM.com: What can clubbers expect this year that’s different from your previous New Year’s Eve shows?
Markus Schulz: Well, I took a few weeks off from touring in November to work on the next Markus Schulz artist album, which we’re aiming to release in the summer 2023. Everything I have earmarked for the album hasn’t been played out anywhere yet, so the Los Angeles faithful can be assured they’ll be the very first to hear those tracks.
EDM.com: Besides preparing for your New Year’s Eve set, how did you spend the last few months of 2022?
Markus Schulz: Following the release of the Dakota EP, Odyssey to the Netherworld, which was released this past summer, the second half of 2022 has been devoted to my collaborative “X” series. For that, it’s been great working with a collection of old-friends as well as new, upcoming talent.
The latest release is “Prestwick” with the legendary BT. The reactions to it have been great so far. I have a couple more finished that’ll be releasing in early 2023, so they’re sure to be showcased during my New Year’s Eve set, too.
EDM.com: As a globetrotting DJ and producer who routinely circles the Earth performing for people of all cultures and nationalities, how do you personally feel about New Year’s Eve?
Markus Schulz: I’ve always thought of New Year’s Eve as a night when everyone goes out to celebrate the incoming year, even if they don’t go out regularly or on any other night of the year. Being around people as the clock strikes midnight is an amazing and perfect way to create optimism for the new year ahead. That’s why—even if you haven’t gone out in a while—you’ll find other like-minded people who are also out for the first time in a long time.
The atmosphere at midnight, there’s nothing like it! Being part of a group celebration and witnessing the spectacle of confetti, music and cheering is something you don’t forget. As the DJ playing a full house on New Year’s Eve at Avalon Hollywood, remember that I’m having a blast, too.
You can get tickets to see Markus Schulz on New Year’s Eve at Avalon Hollywood, Los Angeles right here.
Follow Markus Schulz:
Website: markusschulz.com
Facebook: fb.com/markusschulz
Spotify: spoti.fi/3jeWkwC
Instagram: instagram.com/markusschulz
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