We sat down with R3HAB at Unseen Festival in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 9, 2024, just before he took the stage. With the anticipation of his set in the air, we talked about his recent collaborations, including his latest track with Deorro, his upcoming release with Sophie and The Giants, and his experiences at Tomorrowland. As we caught up, R3HAB ’s down-to-earth insights gave us a glimpse into his creative process and what keeps him pushing boundaries in the world of electronic music. Here’s what he had to share.
Welcome, and thanks for sitting down with me on behalf of EDM House Network. Can you tell us about your recent release with Deorro which was released on August 2nd?
Deorro is a very cool guy and I love working with him. We wanted to try something uptempo and that’s how it happened. We’ve had a good record in the past and I thought we should try something new. It’s been really cool.
It’s sort of going out of what you usually do right?
Yes, we try to do new things. I think it’s a nice period in the music industry to experiment. I think a lot of people are experimenting and then you find something fresh so it’s nice.
You have a release coming out on August 23rd with Sophie and The Giants via Universal Music. What can you tell us about that?
Sophie’s vocals are great. This record is something that’s nice for listening instead of partying. I would say it’s in between, like a floater. I’m really excited about this one. I really love the hook on it and the melody of the accordion.
You have a stacked and busy schedule with shows all over the world including here at Unseen Festival in Bangkok and you’re fresh off your Tomorrowland show. Some of the shows you have coming up are Dreambeach Festival in Spain, WKND Festival Finland, Smukfest Denmark, Mysteryland Netherlands, Ministry of Sound London, EDC China, Mega DJ Festival South Korea…you are going all around the world.
Yeah the festivals are crazy. I’m collecting frequent flier miles.
Speaking of EDC China, you must have heard we’re having EDC Thailand?
I heard. It’s going to be nice, right? I like Insomniac doing different things around the world. I think they always have a good concept. What I really like is that they always focus on dance music. They’ve got such a wide knowledge of dance music and experience. I’m looking forward to it.
Could you tell us a bit about your recent Tomorrowland 2024 set?
I think Tomorrowland is very well done. When you look at the theme and the owner, they love dance music. They’re so experienced with it, and that’s why the festival is so good. They know how to program it and develop it. It’s difficult for a festival that goes on for 12 hours to keep it interesting for 12 hours but Tomorrowland does such a phenomenal job. And it’s always better with good weather.
Speaking of Tomorrowland, what did you think of the stage this year?
It’s beautiful. I was there in the night, the lasers, the lights and the moon was amazing. I was really impressed with everything. It was really impressive and I’ve seen a lot of stages.
You also released a remix of DJ Snake and Peso Pluma’s Teka via Universal/Interscope, how do you feel about that?
Snake is a legend and I love him. I think he’s very important in dance music because he’s done a lot of things that people haven’t done before. He’s inspired a lot. It’s always an honor to remix him.
Is there anything you’d like to say to your Thai and International fans and to EDM House Network?
I love coming to Thailand. It’s amazing. Every time I’m here, I feel like I should stay longer and every time I’m sad to leave. I’m actually excited to be back. Last year I was on vacation here, and I hope to come back on vacation soon. Love Thailand.
Thank you so much for sitting down with me on behalf of EDM House Network.
Thank you so much.
