Interview: What Does World-Famous DJ Nicky Romero Think About Japan?

Top world-famous DJ Nicky Romero mesmerizes with exciting performances at events all over the world including Ultra Music Festival and Tomorrowland. Reaching beyond being a solo act, Nicky also launched his record label Protocol Recordings in Holland in 2012 where he shows his versatility as a producer for a wide range of artists.

Tokyo Otaku Mode recently caught up with Nicky in Miami to find out what he thinks about Japan.

*—As a label owner yourself, do you have any plans to stage events in Asia in the future, in particular in Japan? *

We are actually working now on plans to do our own shows especially in Tokyo but also in other places. We had a really good time in Japan last year at Ultra, and we were blown away by the fact that there were so many Japanese fans with our clothes, with logos of Protocol, and with Play Nicky signs. It was unbelievable to see how many people were there for me. So with this fact we’ve decided to plan a tour. So we are working on this. And yes, we will go back and do a lot of shows and we will be back in Japan.

—Before you performed at Ultra Japan, you surprised your Japanese fans with things like Japan-only album releases. What was your impression of Japan before your first visit?

I knew that Japan was a very, very cool country to play. What I really like is that the people are very dedicated. So when people like something they’ll have everything of their favorite artist. They’re not just sort of fans; if they like you they like you a lot. This is something that I knew and something that I really loved. And I really like that the people in Japan are very polite and very respectful. When I actually played my show in Japan at Ultra it was one of the best shows I’ve ever played.

—Fans from all over Japan came to see you perform at last year's Ultra Japan. As an artist, how did this make you feel, and did it change your impression of Japan at all?

Yeah, definitely after the show, of course, Japan became one of my favorite places to play. I saw how much dedication there was, and this is something I admire so much. I changed my mind in a positive way; I really want to play there again this year.

—At Ultra Japan, a lot of DJs use Japanese songs and display messages in Japanese on screen. Do you have any ideas for doing this at your show if you perform at Ultra Japan again?

Maybe. I don’t know if people would like me to play those songs. If they’d really like me to play them then I might play them if it brings something extra. I normally plan my set from A to Z, so I have no clue how it would work in my sets. But if it would work, I might do a special edit for it just for Japan.

—This summer will be Ultra Japan's third year, and dance music and festival culture are getting more and more popular in Japan. You've already produced songs by Japanese artists. Are there any new challenges you'd like to take on in Japan in the future?

Well, I think if we find a really nice act and they fit right into our profile then we might produce something again, you never know. In my opinion, the song and the lyrics have to be good. If they’re not good, if they’re not fitting to me, then I cannot produce it. So it needs to be right for me, and if the song is right, if the feeling is right, I’ll produce something again. For sure.

Throughout the interview, Nicky talked excitedly about his love of Japan. Afterward, he was all smiles when we presented him with a TOM original version of traditional Japanese festival wear called happi that many of the attendees to the yearly festival Ultra Japan wear.

With plans to play Japan again in the near future, fans should definitely check out Nicky’s tour dates and look forward to what he has planned next.

This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article written by Matt Masui and translated by Jarrett M. Photo by Daiki Nakata