David Guetta talks risky new album, stories from the studio, life on Ibiza and more
by: Dylan Farella
Sep 4, 2014
Nearing the headliners’ hours of Electric Zoo’s first night, David Guetta sits within his trailer suited in a black leather vest complete with nearly a dozen zippers. Slumped over on a table, noticeably tired, fresh off a sleepless flight from Ibiza, he bounces up with pep for a quick chat with Gesaffelstein who awaits outside. Real veteran rockstar moments make up Guetta’s veneer, but opening up for conversation reveals his humble reality.
Coming in straight from Ibiza, how’s the traveling treating you these days?
Yeah man, it’s hard. I slept a little bit on the plane. It’s hard. September I’m doing every week in Las Vegas AND Ibiza. I’ve never done this in my life. I’m probably gonna die. *laughs*
You’ve been extremely successful overseas, as well as stateside. How do you manage that with rough travel?
I’m a little bit tired of going back and forth. So, what I want to do is more like the entire summer in Europe and the winter in South America and the US so I avoid this jet lag situation. Ibiza has been a huge success. I have two nights at Pacha for late night parties and I have Ushuaia pool party that ends at midnight. It’s been very, very successful.
How’s Ibiza been this season, compared to previous seasons?
Ibiza’s still great, still growing. I’ve been going to Ibiza since 1994 and it’s always been growing, always getting bigger in so many different scenes. That’s what I love so much. You can go listen to underground techno sound and deep house parties but also more mainstream, crossover, EDM. Everything is there. Sometimes you see the same people, which I love, that people could be open minded enough to go to Marco Carola one night and to go to my night. I love that, it’s amazing.
How was working with Michael Einziger on the newest collaboration?
It was a lot of fun. He worked together with Avicii on “Wake Me Up.” And he was really excited because all the dance music producers were asking him to make another “Wake Me Up” but with me we made a downtempo funk record and it was very surprising. Then I had this record “Lovers On The Sun,” and I was told him it sounded too much like Avicii and asked him to help bring in guitars that sounded less Avicii. He laughed about it, everyone asking him for Avicii stuff and me asking him the opposite.
But Avicii ended up on the final version after all, so how’d that come about?
With that song it was funny, I happened to get in the studio with Avicii by accident. I played him the song and told him it sounded too much like him, and he actually helped me fix that problem. It was amazing so we decided to make it together.
What project are you focused on currently?
Right now I’m working on my album. It’s coming amazing, it’s very different than what I’ve done before, people are going to be very surprised.
Who can we expect to join you on the new album?
I can’t really say, but it’s nothing like what you can hear. It’s very risky. I have featured artists, but no one I’ve worked with before. It sounds nothing like what I’ve done in the past.
What’s it like working on the follow up to Nothing But The Beat?
It’s a lot of pressure. The last album we sold over 4 million. Which is one of the biggest of the last few years — not for a DJ, DJs don’t come close to that — but of any artist on the planet. And every album, I always beat the previous one. So if I can beat that, oh my god, I don’t even know if it’s possible. I had a year of semi trying everything — producing, tying to find a new sound, and being depressed like “this is horrible.” Finally, out of that came a few new ideas. But I kind of lost a full year looking for something. And when I found it it took me two other years to finish it.
You’re a few minutes away from your Electric Zoo headlining set. Not everyone knows you’ve played here every single year.
Electric Zoo I’ve been here every year. Tomorrowland too, I’m the only artist to play that festival every single year.
Categories: Features