Alok Talks 808 Festival, Evolving Sets, Creative Challenges & More

Bangkok’s vibrant energy came alive as international DJ sensation Alok returned to the city for another unforgettable night at 808 Festival. A year had passed since his last appearance, and the excitement in the air was palpable. In an exclusive interview with Preetika, Alok shared insights about his evolving sets, his enduring position on DJ Mag, and the creative challenges of crafting world-class performances. From the dazzling laser displays of his Bangkok set to the monumental pyramid shows in Brazil, Alok reflects on his journey as an artist staying true to his vision while navigating the ever-changing music industry.

Welcome back to Bangkok. It’s been a year. How do you feel?
Well, I feel very pleased to be back here. It wasn’t planned, but I was doing this Asia tour and then it actually happened at the last minute.

You’re back at 808, what can you tell us that’s different about this year versus last year? Like the crowd, the set and your feelings?
Well, you know the set that I did this year was very different from last year. I just noticed that the lineup is very different from last year, there’s way less EDM, and it’s going more toward the underground direction. I felt I also had to adapt myself so I did a more edgy set which is what I perform on major festivals. We had the extra production and I bought some extra lasers, we had about 40 extra lasers. We really like lasers. 

So, the next question I have is about your DJ Mag position. You’ve held the same position for four years and it’s a really big deal because it’s a reflection of the love people have for you. Could you tell us about that? 
Well, I feel that like DJ Mag, it’s kind of like it’s important for some regions for others not really. And it’s kind of like at the end of the day, to be a Brazilian artist and cross borders is something very challenging. It’s very hard to be here and DJ Mag is an important platform to give visibility to your work. So I feel that DJ Mag has this potential for my art so it’s kind of important for some regions.

So you mentioned that you’ve now crossed the frontier and with your shows in Brazil like the pyramid structure, that’s taking it to the next level..
Yeah we’re planning to do shows around the world but it’s kind of difficult to do because I need a lot of people to fill up the pyramid as the pyramid is 30 meters high. The first we did was for 250,000 people so we need major crowds.

It must be exhilarating when you’re up there and you see the crowds…
It’s an amazing feeling because it’s a place where we can really conduct the show one-hundred percent with our own creativity. It’s not like here where I have to share the stage with other artists so I have to adapt myself to this scenario, but there, we create the whole scenario and the whole atmosphere and narrative. It’s something that we can really create amazing stuff with. 

So, we’ve seen that you have a huge following such as with your support for DJ Mag and more, what are some things you can share for the fans?
There’s a lot of things coming up but I’m just living with the moment. We just launched a song today and I’m super excited about it because it’s doing well on the platforms and it’s a bit surprising because we weren’t expecting such a big feedback. Nowadays to play the game of the music industry is crazy. At the end of the day what fans can expect and I’m going to be very true about this is that I’m going to stay true to my style and genuine with what I believe. And I’m not going to play the music industry game, but I’m just going to do what I believe. 

Looking toward the new year, 2025, are there any special moments you’d like to reflect on and any moments you’d like to carry on with you into the next year or hope to expand on? 
There are so many amazing moments. I’m honestly so grateful for every day. I always ask to open the right doors and close the wrong ones. Even for the stuff that didn’t turn out how I planned, I’m also grateful for that. I’m just so pleased. 

Thank you for sitting with me. Your set today really invoked a lot of nostalgia. 
Thank you. I appreciate it.