When I started DJ'ing, it was no big thing. There was no money in DJ'ing, and you did it purely for the love of playing music.
Can you imagine Grandmaster Flash on a laptop?
Why people used to go to clubs was to have a great time and to forget their troubles and worries and stresses of the week and enjoy themselves and I think that the music was a huge, important part of that
I would give the same advice to anyone, celebrity or not. Produce your own music, keep in original, and be real. You need to earn the respect of your fans for your original work in music, and not rely on your celebrity in other mediums. The same would apply for actors who sing, dance, or even play sports.
When I was in the studio with Madonna, we would work 12-hour days. If you want to work with the best, then that's what you have to do.
Madonna has a very unique style and comes up constantly with these great songs.
When I remixed U2's "Even Better Than the Real Thing," that was a big moment and turning point for me. One of my remixes became "the big remix" for them and then I went on tour and was living on the road with them for six months.
I never thought electronic music would get as popular in America as it has. When I first came to Vegas in 2009 for my residency - we were they only people playing electronic music at that time.
All of the artists that I've worked with have an incredible work ethic. And Madonna has the best work ethic of them all. I've learned a lot from being around her.
It's good to see that America has a hub for electronic music in Vegas, like Europe has with Ibiza.
Let their music skill speak for [itself]. If they are producing good tracks and are resonating with their fans, or even gaining new fans, then that's great.
When I collaborated with Nelly Furtado, the idea for the song structure came from myself, but the lyrics and the ideas behind the songs came from her.
I've been going to China every year now for more than a decade.
I think anybody that is going to be taken seriously in [music] industry needs to produce their own original music.
I had Ice Cube on my first album, "Bunker," and then I did a remix for Snoop Dogg. I've worked with Grandmaster Flash and Pharrell. It's a different work process and there's a different take with how you produce [hip-hop].
I've worked with everyone from Ice Cube to Snoop Dogg ... right across to working with pop stars like Justin Timberlake. Why those artists came to me is because they wanted my sound.
U2 and folks like that. They all have that similar drive and that belief in themselves. They're early birds ... they're up working when everyone else is sleeping. They're simply all great at what they do.
I am here for 5 days to enjoy myself and rest. Israel is a beautiful country and the audience is full of passion and I enjoy everything there is here.
There is a definite Chinese pop sound developing, but I was shocked at how influenced it is by American music.
Shanghai set out to take over from Hong Kong and I think it's done that. It's got the most amazing futuristic skyline which rivals and even betters Tokyo.
I'm about to start working with a singer I met on my last trip: she'll get international exposure, and I'll have a song out in that market sung in Cantonese.
I wish my friends at William Morris Endeavor all the best.
APA is another evolution in my career; they have unique vision and share my goals for the future. I look forward to expanding our horizons together.
