A little over a year ago, we sat down with Dutch producer Nicky Romero ahead of his highly anticipated Nightvision solo show—his first ever open-to-close performance—at the sold-out AFAS Live in Amsterdam (formerly Heineken Music Hall), along with the release of his Nightvision EP. Fast forward to December 2024, Nicky returns to reflect on his journey, the future, and the 2-hour multi-cam footage of his Nightvision show premiering on his Youtube channel now.
Marking the biggest spectacle of his illustrious career, the event saw the globally acclaimed Dutch DJ/producer masterfully blend music and visual art for an immersive sonic journey. Audiences were transported through defining eras of Nicky‘s legacy – from euphoric progressive house anthems that shook global festivals to his more recent underground-influenced productions, saw him playing instruments live on stage and witnessed performances from surprise guests.
Hey Nicky, it’s great to catch up with you!
In our last interview, you told us how your sound developed in 2023 and how your song, ‘Techtronic’ “tapped into something that wasn’t there yet.” “a new sound that not everybody, but some quite big names started to play”. As an artist that is constantly experimenting, could you share any new elements that you have been playing with for future releases?
100%, I think it is good to push the envelope at all times and stay refreshing. I tried to do something like tectonic as well on a new track that’s coming up; sometimes, it’s as easy as making a combination of different sounds and genres that could result in something fresh.
What were the most special elements of the live AFAS performance for you? How does it differ from other live festival performances and what can the fans that weren’t there can expect from the 2-hour video?
Well, if one thing stands out, I’m pretty sure it’s the fact I was able to play live instruments. To get to play a grand piano, synths, and drums was something I had on my wishlist for years. Hopefully, we can expand and do this more often.
Can you tell us how your latest collaboration with Timmy Trumpet and GESES, ‘Here We Go Again’ came about?
Yes, of course, Timmy and I worked on ‘Falling’ before, and he started to play a bit more uptempo; for me, it was a great challenge to merge my own sound into something more uptempo. Also, his touch and his ear for music are super interesting; he brings that rawness that I think makes him unique as an artist.
What were the most memorable shows from 2024 and why?
There really is not one most memorable one other than Nightvision, as they are all unique in their own form, but I love to play countries that have super dedicated fanbases; for obvious reasons, I think it’s smart not to name just one, haha.
Can you name one or more countries and/ or venues that you’d like to perform or return to in the near future?
This is a bit like the question above. I do not want to disqualify certain countries, and for the inclusion reasons, so I think I’d say that I love to play countries with super dedicated fanbases, as they are saving money to see you play and make all sorts of merch themselves; those are the countries that stand out, fill the blanks! 🙂
Any remixes and/ or collaborations on the pipeline?
I just finished one for Meduza and Hayla, but it’s not sure yet if it’s gonna be out officially anytime soon, but I hope it will! Everything else is still in the works.
What does 2025 hold for Nicky Romero?
I think it’s time to bring back progressive house in a new form, something I have been experimenting with for a while; hopefully, the shape I currently found out will work, and it’s something I’m gonna start rolling out in the next few months. Also, some dope collabs are coming, one with one of the biggest artists of the moment that I have done something with in the past. It’s a Christmas challenge for all of you to find out who it might be:)
Watch Nicky Romero’s live Nightvision set below: