As he gets ready to play the annual Zurich party, US electronic music pioneer Dubfire chats to us about Swiss fans, festivals and new beats.
How do you prepare to play big events like Zurich’s Street Parade?
My sets differ depending on the type of event – whether I’m playing a festival or a club, for instance – but also according to the size and location, since crowds express themselves in different ways, depending on the country or culture of the people. But events like the Street Parade in Zurich are a different animal entirely: it’s free, open to all ages and smack in the city centre. So the crowds tend to be overly enthusiastic and some of the best to play for!
What’s best about Swiss audiences?
I’ve been playing here since my early Deep Dish years and have obviously watched as the electronic music scene – as well as dance music culture – has evolved to great new heights. The promoters in particular have been instrumental in educating the crowds on the finer, more techno-rooted talent as opposed to EDM acts, so that’s been a huge boost in this territory for our genre.
When can we expect new music?
I’ve been quite busy with my upcoming ‘EVOLV’ album project and full production audio-visual show, which kicks off in April 2020. I’ve also just wrapped a special remix for Chris Liebing, which will be out on Mute and is quite a departure from my typical sound and more in line with my indie roots, so I’m excited about that release. And more remix work from me is inevitable this year.
Dubfire plays Street Parade, Zurich, on Sat Aug 10.