Letting the Music Speak: When the Crowd Leads the Way

I once believed I had to control the energy of the night. That the DJ was the leader, the conductor. But over time, I’ve come to see it differently: the crowd leads, we translate.

At a festival in Croatia, I had a whole tech-house set planned. But as I stepped up, I saw people swaying to ambient grooves. A girl was spinning in slow motion with her eyes closed. I couldn’t drop my usual opening track.

Instead, I faded in a remix of Olafur Arnalds. Piano over soft drums. It landed like velvet.

And that night became one of the most beautiful sets I’ve ever played — not because of me, but because I listened.

The Power of Surrender

• Don’t fight the room. Adapt. Flow.

• Feel more than you think. Intuition trumps logic on the dancefloor.

• Let the music speak. Sometimes, the most powerful move is stepping back.

So no, I won’t write about the “one track I’ll never play again.” Because I don’t hold onto those. I evolve. I listen. I let go.