Get To Know: Blasterjaxx

The Dutch DJ duo consisting of Thom Jongkind and Idir Makhlaf, are two totally different dudes with opposite personalities - but work together to form Blasterjaxx, bringing fans and electronic music lovers banging electro-house beats.

Blasterjaxx has been large on the scene since 2010, and has reached many musical milestones since.

With the support of David Guetta, Hardwell, Afrojack, Tiesto, Nicky Romero and many more, the two young artists from the Netherlands are sure to continue their success well into the coming years.

We had the chance to chat with Thom of Blasterjaxx, learning more about what is to come in the coming months from the young electronic artists on the rise.

How did you get your start in electronic music?
Well, electronic music has always been something mainstream in the Netherlands.

So, basically you grow up with it. We are from the generation that saw the rise of Tiesto and together with that, the expanding of electronic dance music worldwide.

Who do you consider some of your musical influences?
Musical influences are hard to relate to other artists because it's more about the feeling that the whole sound brings. We have seen a lot of sounds and elements of it come and go.

We created something new with the elements of music, which was hot at one particular moment. We have a lot of respect for other artists, but we try to be as original as possible.

In your free time, who do you find yourself listening to?
That's an interesting question! I can tell you that we do NOT listen to EDM in our own time. Listening to EDM for us is being at work, so that isn't quite relaxing.

We both listen to different genres but the music we share in our free time is deep house, chill out edits, music of Kygo.

Idir really likes Caribbean a lot, and I prefer rap, chill out, rock and ambient. We really dig a lot of music styles.

If you could collaborate with anyone in the industry, who would it be?
Inside the industry it would be Diplo or Congorock, we love how diverse they are at the moment.

What is your best piece of advice for those looking to get their foot in the door in the music industry?
Work hard, make original music and have patience.

Oh and yes, don't sign any contract which will let you loose your musical and artistic freedom.

What has been your most memorable experience while touring?
It might sound cliche, but everyday on tour is memorable.

We work hard even on tour, but besides that, we make fun, a lot of fun! You have to enjoy life and even during the heaviest tours, we make the best from it, every time!

What are your upcoming plans in regards to new releases and more touring?
Our tour schedule is more than full, so we will do a lot of shows worldwide.

About releases, we have planned some new stuff which we have already premiered at Ultra, but there will also be new stuff that we finished recently.

Besides that, we are still searching for new innovations for electronic music, but more about that later! :)

Anything else you would like to add before we part ways?
Yes, first of all, a very big shout out to a ll our fans worldwide.

We receive so many messages, emails, tweets and reactions everyday, and even when we're not always able to reply to them when we see them and we read them with a big respect and gratefulness.

For more information and updates on Blasterjaxx's latest and upcoming releases, as well as tour date announcements, be sure to visit www.blasterjaxx.com, and catch the dudes this summer at one of your favorite festivals!