From: Norway

DJ style: “Uplifting/energetic.”

Best known for: “Wearing a mask.”

Fave tune of 2022: Justin Bieber, The Kid Karoo ‘Stay’.”

Rising star DJ/producer of 2022: “LUM!X.”

While metrics only tell you so much, Norwegian DJ and producer Alan Walker’s following of 115 million people across social media and 8.7 billion plays on YouTube gives some indication of the growing size of his Walkers fanbase. Bursting onto the global scene with 2015’s ‘Faded’, which has now racked up over three billion views on Youtube, his unstoppable momentum has seen the last 12 months consist of “mainly touring and working on different projects alongside new music.” 

Recently filmed feeding pizza to fans queuing outside a gig in London, part of a UK tour, it follows a summer of European festivals — where he showed his tongue-in-cheek humour by dropping a Rickroll at Tomorrowland — and a whistle-stop tour of Asia, taking in Malaysia, Korea, India and more. In amongst it all has been new music, ‘Extremes’ featuring Trevor Daniel having just dropped as a taster of forthcoming album ‘Walkerverse Pt. II’. And while the rest of the world does its best to put Covid behind it, Alan continues to stay protected behind his trademark mask.

What’s the best DJ set you’ve seen this year?

“As I'm a big fan of Armin van Buuren, I found his set at Tomorrowland very entertaining.”

Name one great festival you played for the first time this year…

“Sziget festival in Hungary.”

What’s the longest DJ set you’ve ever played?

“Three to four hours.”

What’s one piece of studio hardware you wish you owned?

“Sequential Pro 3 Special Edition.”

What’s the last tune you bought?

“DJ Gollum x Nick Skitz ‘Africa (Shinzo Radio edit)’.”

What’s the next big sound? “I don't really know, but I’ve seen the trend with the future rave style of music gaining a lot of popularity lately so that could be something to keep an eye out for.”