David Gravell aka Danny de Graaf has been on the rise as an artist for about 5 years now. Within that period he’s already performed at Ultra Musical Festival, Tomorrowland and did some tours abroad. He’s known for an always energetic performance, which his fans really love about him. It was about time to catch up with him and when the opportunity presented itself at ASOT 850 Utrecht where David Gravell was playing at the mainstage we grabbed it with both hands! Check out the interview below!
Hi Danny, we’re glad that you’re willing to do an interview with us. Tonight, you’re playing at the mainstage of ASOT. That must be really special right?
It’s definitely a dream coming true. 4 years ago, I made my debut at ASOT here and after a lot of hard work I made it to the mainstage. Hard work pays off!
Cool, so you’ve performed at Ultra, Tomorrowland and a whole bunch of countries. What’s actually the ultimate stage for a trance artist?
That’s very hard to compare, I really enjoy being able to perform at any event. I give 100% every time, like it would be my last show ever. Of course, I look forward to future events, but I’m not the kind of guy that wishes to perform a certain event above other events. Everything that’s happening right now is the result of working hard, so it’s all great!
Not too long ago you’ve taken the step to join David Lewis Productions. How’s the support you’re getting there, since it’s also the home of W&W for example?
Yes, signing at David Lewis was a huge step in my career. They’ve got a great roster and their world-wide branding helps me a lot. It’s perfect to work with a big dedicated team that’s really supporting me in building my brand and profile.
About 5 years ago you got your big break-through, meanwhile 5 years later you’ve been able to develop and evolve your sound greatly. If you’d hypothetically jump 5 years into the future, so 2023, what do you want to have reached by then?
It’s too hard to look into the future that far, but for 2018 I’m planning on doing a lot of collaborations with artists whose sound I really love and fit together with my own sound. Tonight, I’ll be premiering a bunch of new tracks of course! I’m planning on getting started on my very own album this year too and we’re working on the re-branding of my logo. During my shows throughout the year you’ll see a bit of development of that logo.
Sound cool, you’re mentioning upcoming collaborations, can you reveal any more details about that?
Sure, there’s one collab with Andrew Rayel that’s coming out pretty soon. We made that one a while back. Regarding further collabs, many have to be discussed in detail, so I can’t mention those, however Ilan Bluestone and I are very good friends & we’ve been wanting to work together for a while, so there’s a big chance that we’ll be releasing a collaboration this year too.
Nice, we’re curious! Trance as a genre is fluctuating a lot in terms of trends. Armin is doing pop collabs and psy-trance is still on the rise for example. Does that influence your sound or style of music that you want to make?
Well, last year has been mainly a year of learning for me. I knew all along which sound I wanted to create however I didn’t entirely have the knowledge how to create it. I’m doing everything myself including sound-design and mastering. You’ll get to hear the first tracks, which I’m really proud of, tonight and I’m curious what the audience will think about it. For 2018 I expect to see a rise in the sound of 2006/2007 from Scot Project, Marco V, these kinds of guys, and I personally love that sound. I used to visit Trance Energy in those days too.
Ah great that you mention Trance Energy since that brand has returned, in 2018 they’ll have a Tomorrowland hosting again. There’s some rumors that Trance Energy might become an event at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht like years ago. Would you be willing to play there?
Of course! I mean I used to visit Trance Energy so it would be amazing, but also if it’s taking place & I’m not playing, I’ll visit it for sure!
Alright, trance is a global movement; Asia embraced it, USA etc. Have you got a short story for us regarding one of your tours abroad?
Asia & Australia are always intense! Over there I did my first shows abroad amongst an ASOT edition with Armin and the shows there are sold-out basically every single time. Last summer Tomorrowland was a massive highlight.
We can imagine that for sure. Final question: which DJ’s were the ones that created the desire for you to become a Trance DJ?
Scot Project, Sander van Doorn and obviously Armin van Buuren. Their unique sounds helped me with creating my own sound.
Okay, thanks a lot for your time & best of luck this year!
Thanks guys!
Watch David Gravell’s full set at ASOT 850 Utrecht:
Connect with David Gravell:
▶https://www.facebook.com/djdavidgravell
▶https://www.instagram.com/davidgravell
▶https://twitter.com/davidgravell
© Festivalling.com
Interviewer: Alexander Bouten