Back in 2013, I remember having Dyro pegged as an artist to watch. At the time, artists like Hardwell and Afrojack were doing big things in the world of electro house, and the EDM scene was arguably hitting its peak. Dyro was in the midst of the fervor, landing in the top 30 of DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs lists from 2013-2015. His hard work has gained him official remix work for the likes of Rihanna, worldwide tours, and the adulation of EDM legends like Tiesto, but it looks like in 2016, Dyro took a bit of a left turn.
Through his WOLV imprint, Dyro started to dive into the more trap-esque bass music side of EDM, with tracks like "Predator" and "Surrenda" from his Set Me Free EP showcasing this other side of the Dutch producer/DJ. His newer material hasn't gone unnoticed; DJs like RL Grime and Diplo are noted supporters, which seems to have helped Dyro move forward with more of these bass-fueled experiments.
Heading into 2017, Dyro's on a mission to not only highlight more of this sound, but really push the limits of what many might have assumed his output would be. We caught up with him after a recent tour to talk his exploration into the trap side of his creativity, his goals for the new year and, more importantly, get our hands on an exclusive mix, which includes material from RL Grime, Skrillex, Zomboy, Gents & Jawns, and many, many more.
When I heard that you’d been dabbling in more of a trap sound, it surprised me, as I remember just a few years ago that you were really making a name for yourself as one of the emerging producer/DJs in the electro house scene. What brought on this shift (or, rather, addition) to your arsenal?
Indeed, it’s more like an addition. I've always been influenced by dubstep, trap, and drum & bass and I noticed myself playing more and more of it in my live sets. It was bound to happen at one point, and I’ve reached that point today. I'm not saying I'm completely switching my style and only produce trap or dubstep from now on as I actually feel it works very well together both live and in the studio. It's a new challenge for me. After a while I get bored with the same thing and I always try and push myself to do new things. I'm basically going more open format, if you will, and I’m loving it. I grew up in Holland, so hip-hop wasn’t necessarily engrained in our culture, which means for me it’s more something that caught my interest only lately. Touring a lot in America and having an American girlfriend probably has a lot to do with that.
Were you always a fan of hip-hop and/or the more trap side of EDM? If so, what artists would you say influence you from that realm?
It definitely started with trap and dubstep. I would say my biggest influences are Skrillex, RL Grime, Noisia (or I AM LEGION), Kill the Noise, Jack U, NGHTMRE, DJ Snake, Zomboy, and HeroBust.
You’ve already received love from notable DJs like RL Grime. How important has it been for you to get those stamps of approval during a time where you’re purposefully switching things up?
It's still important to me. It's important to get the tastemakers on your side. They can spread it faster in conjunction than me on my own. Being innovative is key here and I’m lucky to have built up a strong name and core following to go with that.
The mix you hit us with kicks off with a more electro vibe before diving into a mix of trap bangers from a number of different producers. Are you cooking up original sounds outside of the electro house stamp that you can talk about?
It starts out with my new song ("Alive") featuring Goja. It'll be released (most likely) on Jan. 27, 2017. As a lot of people know I haven't had many releases this year because of some issues. Fortunately, I have a new team who are ready to rock 2017 and I haven't been sitting still ether. I have about eight songs ready. Some collaborations, some remixes and of course some solo tunes.
What are your plans/goals for 2017?
Making and releasing as much music as possible. Gain new fans where I need to, prove that I’m still relative, and of course I’m hoping to see as many smiles at my concerts as I have seen last year. If my fans are happy, I’m happy.
What can heads expect from your WOLV imprint in the coming months?
There's definitely going to be some changes on the WOLV side, as well. We have decided to release less and work more on building up artist profiles with WOLV, rather than aimlessly releasing random music in the darkness. The guys we are especially pushing are Loopers and Goja. Let’s do this!
