What a year it has been for Valentino Khan. Playing at some of the grandest music festivals in the world to producing a handful of incredible tracks, 2017 has definitely been one of Khan’s biggest years in music. We got a chance to sit down with Valentino to discuss topics including future releases, dream collab, and WWE. Check out our interview with him below.
EDMTunes: From playing at festivals like Tomorrowland and Ultra to collaborating with Sean Paul, you’ve had a really big year in 2017. What can we expect from you in 2018 musically?
VK – Just a bunch of singles that have a bunch of different sounds to them. What’s really important is to stay versatile and continue to give people different looks. I have a bunch of new music that I am currently wrapping up and ready to put out in 2018.
Looking ahead, you already have a few gigs scheduled for 2018. One that stands out is Holy Ship where you’re playing alongside DJs including Jauz, NGHTMRE and Testpilot. What is it like to perform on a huge boat as compared to a festival or a club? What are you looking forward to the most about Holy Ship?
VK – I have played Holy Ship a couple of times already before and it is one of my favorite things to play to be honest because you’re just on a boat for a few days with some of your close friends and even the fans on the boat too, they are very respectful and it just has a very enjoyable vibe. Playing on their is just as fun too, it’s just like a party that does not stop for 4 days basically. I am definitely looking forward to it and just hanging out with everyone.
You have produced a handful of iconic house anthems in your career such as ‘Deep Down Low’ and ‘Pump’. How does your approach to creating that genre with a track like Pump differ to your production process with a track like “Gold” with Sean Paul?
VK – It’s just a completely different sound. You just kind of have to approach it differently. For ‘Deep Down Low’ and ‘Pump’, I just laid down the vocals to those songs but with Sean Paul, I laid the beat down about an hour before he came to the studio and he just really went in on the song and really nailed it. He didn’t write anything down, just came in and knew everything at the top of his head which I thought was really impressive. Just gives the sign that he’s a true artist.
Having released records on Skrillex’s OWSLA, Diplo’s Mad Decent, and now having a track with Sean Paul, what are some other artists or DJs you wish to collab with? Any upcoming collabs that are in progress that you can discuss?
I started something with Yellow Claw that we are currently working on right now actually and some other collaborations that I can’t go into right now. I think it would be really cool to collab with someone like Boys Noize, someone that has a unique sound, I’ve found his style really interesting since I’ve gotten into dance music so would be cool to collab with someone like him.
Prior to becoming a touring DJ, you produced music for rappers including T.I., 2 Chainz and B.O.B. What made you decide to transition from being a background producer to pursuing a career as a touring artist?
VK – It just kind of happened that way. I still do both sides of things. I just produced a track for Dizzee Rascal so it’s not so much of a transition but just adding to where I am at right now. Also touring, and being your own artist just takes up a lot of time but I still enjoy doing one as much as the other. Just provide the coolest and dopest music that I can provide around them while being your own artist at the same time.
You are currently in the midst of the NGHTMRE Before Xmas Tour. How does touring with NGHTMRE differ from your past touring with Zomboy on the Rott N’ Roll tour?
VK – There isn’t anything crazy different about these tours, they are just really cool humble guys that we can all be friends and get along and play these shows together. We just love to play music and hang out together.
Based on your social media posts, I can tell you’re a WWE fan. Did you grow up loving WWE, or is it a recent love? Who were some of your favorite wrestlers growing up? Who is your current favorite superstar?
VK – I grew up watching it in my late teens, my favorites growing up were definitely Stone Cold Steve Austin and Chris Jericho and then I just went through a period where I didn’t watch it but now I kind of just jumped back into it. Being able to go to it live is incredible, there’s nothing else like it, it’s almost like watching a real-life superhero. My current favorites now are probably Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman. WWE has always been very hospitable to us.
Is there anything else we can share with our readers about what to expect from you in the coming year?
VK – The music video for ‘Gold’ just released so check that out and from there, just stay tuned for a bunch of new singles and even some giveaways around Christmas.
Check out the music video for Valentino Khan and Sean Paul’s ‘Gold’ below!
