Harry Styles’ Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally continues to hold court atop the U.K. chart summit.

The “Aperture” singer’s fourth LP enters a second consecutive week at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart (dated March 20). The album has already broken multiple records for Styles, including earning him the biggest U.K. opening week of his career to date, with the Official Charts Company reporting that it shifted 183,000 units – also making it the biggest release of 2026 so far.

Kiss All The Time… has also enjoyed huge international success, entering the charts at No. 1 in 19 other countries, including the Billboard 200 with 430,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 12, according to Luminate.

Olivia Dean’s blockbuster second album The Art Of Loving remains at No. 2, while completing the podium finish is James Blake, who secures a career best with Trying Times closing out at No. 3 this week.

It makes Blake’s fifth top 10 accolade to date in the U.K., joining his self-titled 2011 debut (No. 9), 2013’s Overgrown (No. 8), 2019 LP Assume Form (No. 6) and 2021’s Friends That Break Your Heart (No. 4). The new album also tops this week’s Official Record Store and Official Vinyl Albums Charts, selling the most copies on wax this week.

Fleetwood Mac compilation 50 Years – Don’t Stop lands at No. 4, while Tate McCrae’s 2025 LP So Close To What skyrockets 17 places up to No. 5, following the release of a new vinyl variant of its deluxe edition. It marks the highest position the album has charted at since December last year, while it debuted and peaked at No. 2 upon release in March 2025.

Elsewhere, following the release of latest single “Porch Light” from his upcoming album The Great Divide (due Apr. 24), Noah Kahan’s previous chart-topper re-enters the top 10 this week at No. 10.

Super-producer Calvin Harris continues to see gains for his 2024 project 96 Months, which re-entered the top 40 for the first time since September 2025 last week, and has since elevated eight spots to No. 31.

Country music hitmaker Tim McGraw, bluegrass pioneers The Stanley Brothers and songwriter Paul Overstreet have been named as the inductees for the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

McGraw enters the Modern Era Category, The Stanley Brothers enter the Veteran Era Category and Overstreet enters the rotating Songwriter category.

Five-time Grammy winner and founder of the Congress of Country Music and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Marty Stuart hosted the press conference Friday (March 20) at the Country Music Hall of Fame to reveal and welcome this year’s class of inductees.

“Every award that country music has to offer is meaningful,” Stuart said. “but there’s this one, then there’s the rest.”

Overstreet is known for writing songs including “Diggin’ Up Bones,” “On the Other Hand” and “Forever and Ever, Amen,” each recorded by Randy Travis, as well as “When You Say Nothin’ At All,” which was recorded by Keith Whitley and Alison Krauss. BMI named Overstreet its country songwriter of the year for five consecutive years from 1987 to 1991, and he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.

“When I was told about it, I was just shocked, because I just didn’t see it coming,” Overstreet said during the inductee announcement press conference. He later added, “I’m so grateful … one other thing that’s so important is Joe Galante, Tony Brown, all the cowriters I’ve written with … to be here is all about the people who have surrounded you … I’m thankful that this is where I landed and I got to know the people in this town.”

This year’s Veterans Era Category, which honors artists that came to musical prominence before 1980, was awarded to bluegrass and folk music pioneers The Stanley Brothers, Ralph and Carter Stanley.

“This one is deep, folks. From the start, their sound stood apart,” Stuart said of the brothers’ distinct sound, which defined the feel and spirit of bluegrass but also had an indelible influence far beyond, impacting folk, country and more.

In the 1940s, they formed The Clinch Mountain Boys helped establish the Stanley Brothers as musical forces in bluegrass, forever shaping the genre with their haunting vocal arrangements. They recorded songs including “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” and “Rank Strangers to Me.” They also appeared on the inaugural Newport Folk Festival. Following Carter’s passing in 1966, Ralph Stanley continued the Clinch Mountain Boys for another five decades, and mentored artists including Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley. Ralph Stanley’s masterful performance of “O, Death” as part of the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou? was a key performance, helping to introduce bluegrass and folk music to a new generation. Ralph Stanley died in 2016.

The Stanley Brothers are the fourth brother duo to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, following The Delmore Brothers, The Everly Brothers and The Louvin Brothers, all of whom were voted in in 2000.

“This moment is deeply personal for our entire family,” the family of The Stanley Brothers said in a statement. “Seeing Ralph and Carter — The Stanley Brothers — inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is an extraordinary honor, and something we know would have meant so much to them. The fact that people around the world still love their music speaks to the heart and soul they poured into every recording and performance. Carter’s emotional lead combined with Ralph’s haunting tenor created a sound that was truly special. After Carter’s passing, Ralph carried on the music they began together, dedicating his life to preserving the spirit of traditional mountain music and sharing it with audiences everywhere through the Clinch Mountain Boys before his passing in 2016. To see The Stanley Brothers recognized together, side by side, is incredibly meaningful for our family and a testament to a legacy that continues to live on through their music.” 

McGraw is this year’s Modern Era inductee, which honors artists at least 20 years after they achieve national prominence. Louisiana native McGraw has earned 11 CMA Awards and three Grammy Awards. In 2004, his song “Live Like You Were Dying” became a seven-week No. 1, and won Grammys for best country song and best male country vocal performance as well as the CMA Award for single of the year and the ACM Award for single and song of the year. He’s also seen 13 albums top Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart, while three of his singles — “It’s Your Love,” “Just to See You Smile” and “Live Like You Were Dying” — were named Billboard‘s top country song in their respective years.

Beyond music, McGraw also become an established actor with roles in Friday Night Lights, The Blind Side and the Yellowstone prequel 1883.

“Anybody that knows me knows I’m a crier … I’m going to try to get through this,” McGraw said in accepting the honor. “As Marty said, I came to Nashville on a Greyhound bus on May 9, 1989. I took my one suitcase and my guitar and started walking to the Hall of Fame lounge. I got there just as they were serving last call and started talking to a couple of guys, both of whom were songwriters … to go from a bar called the Hall of Fame to here the actual Country Music Hall of Fame … is impossible for me to believe. It’s also fitting that it’s National Women’s History Month. Everyone who knows me knows I wouldn’t be standing here today without great women in my life … my grandmother, my mom, my sisters, my daughters and most of all my wife. Thank you, baby. I would not be standing here today if it was not for you, nor would I want to be. And I can’t wait for the day when I’m sitting there and you’re standing here.”

He thanked the CMA CEO Sarah Trahern, the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Kyle Young and all those who voted. He added: “Thank you for your kindness and I’m so grateful.”

The new members-elect will be inducted during this year’s Medallion Ceremony on Oct. 18.

BTS‘ RM has only one thing to say about the K-pop supergroup’s breathlessly anticipated return to the stage on Saturday (March 21) in their native Seoul: “tomorrow.” That’s what the 31-year-old rapper says into a vintage microphone in the latest promo for the band’s first full group concert since October 2022 in a new Instagram teaser from Netflix.

Walking onto an all-black soundstage in an all-black outfit, RM casually steps to the mic, clears his throat, adjusts his lapels, raps the microphone with his knuckle and takes a big exhale before saying confidently, “Tomorrow” in English.

He’s referring, of course, to BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG, the concert special that will stream live from Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on Saturday morning at 7 a.m. ET. The show will air just 24 hours after RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook dropped their 10th studio album, ARIRANG, on Friday.

In an earlier promo, all seven men strut into a similar black void, also dressed all in black, over a bouncy beat as they stretch, adjust their clothes and limber up before executing a perfectly choreographed dance move.

Speaking of choreo, as excited as RM looked in his hype video, news came early Friday that the MC suffered an ankle injury with label BigHit issuing a statement on Weverse that read, “During a performance rehearsal on March 19, RM suffered an ankle injury and was taken to a hospital to undergo a detailed examination and treatment. A medical diagnosis confirmed a sprain of the accessory navicular, a partial ligament tear and a talus contusion (which includes ligament damage and inflammation).”

Due to the sprain, RM will have to wear a cast for at least two weeks, with his onstage performances “partially limited” in the meantime. “While RM expressed a firm commitment to deliver a high-quality performance at this symbolic comeback stage at Gwanghwamun, the company, in close consultation with the artist, has made the decision to prioritize the medical opinion to preemptively prevent any further strain on his injury,” the statement noted. “We ask for your kind understanding regarding this matter. We sincerely apologize for any disappointment this may cause, given the high anticipation surrounding this performance.”

Also on Thursday, RM took to Weverse to ask ARMY to stay alert and follow safety precautions ahead of the show. “Everyone in ARMY! We are also very excited to meet you,” wrote RM. “As it is a gathering place for many people, please make sure that everyone can enjoy the performance safely and joyfully. Please follow the guidance of the field staff and safety personnel on the day and show an orderly appearance. I think a better performance can be completed only when there is order and consideration made by each ARMY. I would like to say thank you so much to the police officers who are working hard for safety, as well as to the fire department, the government and local governments.”

The notice came as The Guardian reported that Seoul raised its terror alert by one notch, elevating it to the second-lowest level on a four-step scale as it expects up to 260,000 people to crowd the around BTS’ free performance on the Square.

Check out the new promos below.

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New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

CA7RIEL y Paco Amoroso, Free Spirits (5020 Records)

Following the explosive success of their Grammy-winning Papota, the 12-track adventure of Free Spirits doubles down on CA7RIEL y Paco Amoroso’s cheeky genre-bending vision, pushing further into chaos, humor, emotional introspection and their unrestrained lust for life. With collaborations spanning Sting, Anderson .Paak, Jack Black and Fred again.., the album feels like both an intrepid statement and an intimate self-portrait — an ode to their untouchable improvisational spark and newfound fame.

Opening with the Middle Eastern-inspired cacophony of “Nada Nuevo,” the pair hints at their provocative tone: self-aware and irreverent, with lines like “Me confunden en New York pero no soy Lady Gaga.” From the nylon-guitar tenderness of “Vida Loca” — a bittersweet confession wrapped in a surreal existential haze — to the 70s Latin pop revival of “Himno del Mediocre,” every track offers something unexpected. The recurring motif is liberation: artistic, emotional and spiritual. They channel everything from dance-pop (“Soy Increíble”) to a rock en español throwback (“Hasta Jesús Tuvo Un Mal Día,” featuring Sting), touching on bossa nova (“Goo Goo Ga Ga,” “No Me Sirve Más” featuring Jack Black), electronic experimentalism and even a bachata-laden dance tune (“Ay Ay Ay” with Anderson .Paak). Despite the eclectic range, there’s no loss of identity; the duo’s volatile chemistry anchors the sonic rollercoaster.

But beneath the playfulness lies a sharper vulnerability. In tracks like “Muero,” Ca7riel y Paco Amoroso reflect on fame’s darker edges and the disconnect that often comes with it. At 32 years old, they wear their experimentation and acclaim with outward brashness while slipping moments of surprising intimacy into the mix. By the time the album concludes on the impulsive, medieval church choir-backed tune “Lo Quiero Ya!,” the Argentine twosome have made one thing clear: Free Spirits is their manifesto. With their diverse palette, deep emotions, and unstoppable energy, they cement their place as one of Latin America’s most magnetic acts. Every era, every genre, every feeling is fair game — as long as it makes them feel alive. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

TINI, Ulises Bueno, “Dos Amantes” (Sony Music Latin/Hollywood Records)

TINI and Ulises Bueno join forces in an infectious fusion of cuarteto cordobés, pop and Argentine folklore, set against a story of forbidden love that withstands the test of time and all prejudice. “They never stopped loving each other/ No matter what anyone says, nor their social class/ It doesn’t matter that their parents want to tear them apart/ They swore that they would love each other forever,” goes part of the lyrics, co-written by both artists alongside Colombian hitmakers Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo. Just as joyful as the track is its music video: a must-watch clip featuring special appearances by soccer superstars Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul (the latter being TINI’s partner), actress and TV host Susana Giménez, Rawayana frontman Beto Montenegro and musician Cacho Deicas — all acting out a wedding dinner reception, fueling rumors of a possible marriage this year between the Argentine music star and De Paul. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Octavio Cuadras, Esaú Ortiz, Bruno Brunette, “Arisco” (Fono)

The creator of “happy corridos” Octavio Cuadras presents the focus track from his album Insania, to be released in April. Accompanied by Esaú Ortiz and Bruno Brunette, “Vete” fuses the narrative of the corrido with urban sounds, pushing the boundaries of both genres and yielding to something fun and highly accessible. The song — about a young man living through long nights of partying and revelry — opens with keyboard chords building suspense before giving way to a tumbado-style rap flow: a musical whirlwind rounded out by distinct vibes from the 80s and 90s. With this “electro-corrido” — brimming with flow, fresh beats and energy — Cuadras signals a new era of boundless creative experimentation. – TERE AGUILERA

Greeicy, Cultura Profética, “Mantis” (Universal Music Latino)

Greeicy and Cultura Profética dropped their second collaborative effort, “Mantis,” following their heartfelt “Te Creí” released in 2022. Composed by Greeicy, Branbel and Cultura’s vocalist Willy Rodríguez, the song was born after a real-life experience the Colombian singer had in 2025 with a European mantis insect that appeared on her shoulder. In the chorus, she sweetly chants: “Trust that a mantis whispered in your ear/ that the best was on its way/ that you should understand the magic that breathing brings/ and that knowing how to wait brings tranquility.” Backed by a soft reggae melody—true to the Puerto Rican band’s sound—”Mantis” serves as an uplifting track about bravery, peace and self-confidence. The last minute of the track transitions to a more rhythmic and sultry beat, hinting that the pair could have a third collaboration up its sleeves. — JESSICA ROIZ

Kakalo, Leonel García, “Tu ladito de la cama” (Socuis Music)

A delicious harmony comes to life as Sonora-based artist Kakalo unveils his long-anticipated debut collaboration with singer-songwriter Leonel García. “Tu ladito de la cama” (your side of the bed) overflows with raw emotion, weaving pop melodies with the heartfelt strum of regional acoustic guitars. True to Kakalo’s style, his tender vocals blend effortlessly with García’s dreamy voice, creating a soundscape that lingers long after the last note. From the first verses, the emotional weight of the single is established: “In the kitchen there is pain, simmering slowly, without dopamine to sprinkle as seasoning,” sings Kakalo, while García reveals the reason for this gloom: “Without you, our room burns with cold, and there is a hole in my drawer without your clothes.” — INGRID FAJARDO

Majo Aguilar, “Vete” (Fono)

The Mexican music singer unveils the second self-penned single from her upcoming album: a track featuring direct lyrics filled with self-love, which defy the inertia of a monotonous relationship to take flight and turn the page. An energetic violin introduction gives way to trumpets and vihuelas, along with the guitarrón, elements indispensable to the traditional sound of ranchera music. “Vete” serves as a clear example that one can sing about pain and heartbreak in a contemporary style, empowering women without implying that they have ceased to believe in love or in new opportunities. Without straying from tradition, Majo — who is currently experiencing a moment of great vocal and musical maturity — infuses a modern touch into the genre that runs through her veins as a representative of the Aguilar dynasty. – T.A.

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, LFC Zócalo 3.6.2023 (Sony Music Uruguay)

The historic free concert that the Argentine band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs performed in 2023 at Mexico City’s iconic Zócalo — an event that earned them the record for the largest crowd ever gathered in the Latin American nation’s main public square, drawing 300,000 people (a mark recently surpassed by Shakira) — is now available to be relived as a double live album. Led by vocalist Vicentico and bassist Flavio Cianciarulo, the group experienced one of the most glorious moments of their career that night with an unforgettable show featuring such classics as “Manuel Santillán, El León,” “Demasiada Presión,” “Carmela,” “El genio del Dub,” “Calaveras y Diablitos,” “Los Condenaditos,” “Vasos Vacíos” and “Quinto Centenario.” Their performance on that iconic stage reaffirmed the deep bond the group has cultivated with their “Magical Mexico” — the affectionate name they give to the country that has embraced its members as if they were locals. The album is also available on vinyl. — NATALIA CANO

Check out more Latin recommendations this week below:

Recorded at Tokyo nightclub Liquidroom in 1995 and released as a live set in 1996, Jeff Mills’ Live at the Liquid Room is considered as nothing less than a techno Rosetta Stone, a key piece of sonic architecture that taught other producers how to create, harness and play the genre.

In 1996 Mills was 23 years old and already a luminary of the genre. Born and raised in techno’s hometown of Detroit, Mills had cut his teeth in industrial and rock bands before shifting his focus to electronic music, ultimately becoming a pillar of the then burgeoning scene, a position solidified by his time living in Berlin.

30 years later, Mills sits in the lobby of an expensive hotel in downtown Los Angeles on a bright SoCal Monday morning. His outfit is understated chic, his presence his calm, the depth of his eyes signal the multitudes within him, with his work over the years spanning music, film and conceptual art that contemplate the ineffable magic of the dancefloor, but also space, nature and life itself.

Widely considered one of the greatest DJs and producers of all time — although as Mills will say here in the hotel lobby, he believes such rankings have pushed DJ culture off course — he’s in L.A. for his current Live at the Liquid Room anniversary tour.

As such, yesterday in a hot downtown warehouse, a crowd of clubbers on folding chairs watched a new documentary about the set that features interviews from Mills and others who were there. Mills then got behind the decks to show us all how it’s done. The crowd spanned fresh faces to grey-haired heads, all of whom came to pay homage amid a 60-date tour that’s taken Mils across Europe, Asia and North America, with upcoming dates in South Africa, China and Australia. Thus far, every show has sold out.

Here, Mills talks about Liquid Room and how consciously forgetting every set he plays makes it possible for him to continue on.

1. Where are you in the world right now, and what is the setting like?

I’m in Los Angeles, California, and the weather is, from what I can see, perfect. Sunny, clear, not many clouds in the sky. But that’s expected in Southern California this time of the year.

2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

I think it was a 45″ single of Elton John‘s “Philadelphia Freedom.”

3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid and what do or did they think of what you do for a living now?

My mother was a housewife and modeled and did other things, and my father was a civil engineer. Growing up in Detroit and being connected to the music industry isn’t a crazy type of wish, because the city is rich with music and has had a lot of success stories like Motown and rock. Very famous artists come from Detroit, so when you tell your parents you want to become a musician, you’re given a little bit more leeway. They still would’ve liked if I’d gone to college to have regular job, I’m sure. But I think when I got my own radio program in the early ’80s, that’s when they thought, “Well maybe it’s a bit serious.” So they kind of shut up after that.

4. What’s the first non gear thing that you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?

I bought myself a watch in ’86 or ’87. I was DJing a lot. In Detroit I was doing three or four residencies at the same time. It was approaching my birthday in June, and I was working so much that I kind of slept right through my birthday. The next morning, I woke up and said, “This is crazy. I’m working so hard and I have nothing to show for it.” So I went out and bought a watch.

[Rolls the sleeve of his sweater up to reveal a gorgeous Rolex.] That’s it. I wear it, although not all the time. It’s the oldest thing that I own.

5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into electronic music, what album would you give them?

I would give them Steely Dan’s Aja, because you can learn a lot from from the musicianship, from the technique, the recording, the storytelling, the sound quality is incredible, the album cover, the title, the tracks titles, the ambiguous way [Donald] Fagan is with the lyrics, the chord structures.

6. In the Live at the Liquid Room documentary, you talked about your track “The Bells” as one that shifted the momentum of the set and the night. You said that brought the dancefloor “to a place of no return.” How does that track achieve that thing, and why is it something you wanted to do?

Conditioning. It’s for being played at certain times of the night, almost to the point that people begin to understand that it’s really intentional. “When we hear him play it, it means…” It’s this nonverbal understanding about the connection to sound or rhythm or notes at a certain time in a certain context. It triggers a certain response. So after they hear that, I can elevate the pace of the night. It was designed for that purpose.

7. You also talked about “building a chain” with the set list and knowing where you wanted the set to go and mentally being many steps ahead of what you’re playing in the moment. How is your mind able to do one thing while your hands are doing another?

DJing at a higher level than just mixing records together is quite complex. It’s like being an athlete, like a tennis player. You have so many things you need to think about at the same time, as time is moving forward. You literally have to split your mind into multiple parts, and you have to pay attention to each one of these things at the same time, so your peripheral sense becomes enhanced.

Every DJ who plays music over a certain amount of years develops this peripheral attention. I notice someone way over there. I notice something way over here. I notice you sitting here, and this person standing there. Your senses become much more attuned. In a club setting, you have to watch the audience. You have to listen to the ambience and the acoustics in the room. You have to think about what you’re playing now and what to do with that, and then you have to think about the chain of records that you’d like to get to. You need to prioritize what to do first and second and third.

So you develop this unique way of managing things within a certain period of time, and that actually carries over into your life as well. DJs are able to multitask and be very calm and very cool about it. I can make three albums at the same time. I can travel here, DJ, perform live, work on contemporary art, be married, cut the grass, fix my car, go shopping. That’s one of the benefits.

8. That sounds like a pretty big benefit, yes?

You also give up a lot. As a DJ at this level, for this long, to do this much, you do give up a lot of simple things. Like watching a TV program regularly is not possible because I’m traveling so much. I can’t play golf or tennis with friends regularly. Also family, it’s difficult to keep in regular contact if you’re moving around from country to country, city to city, for decades. You miss birthdays. You miss anniversaries. You miss many, many things.

9. Was there a fork in the road when you decided your career outweighed what you were giving up?

I think every DJ at a certain point is asked that question, or anyone in creative field. At a certain point you ask if you want a normal life, or if you want a career and to do what it takes to make that happen. I’ve played music for people all of my adult life. At this point, at 62, it’s so natural that I don’t even think about it. It’s not something I need to force myself out of bed to do. I don’t even think about what I’m going to play. It’s an afterthought, actually, playing for people.

It’s effortless, going from a serene setting into [a room with] 8,000 people and a huge soundsystem with flashing lights and chaotic atmosphere. Then I can go immediately from that back to the serene setting. That also affects your personality.

10. Were there tools you cultivated to make going from the club to the hotel room manageable and enjoyable?

A lot has to do with what you remember and memory. Many years ago, I began making an effort to purposely not remember. Like, if I don’t concentrate on seeing certain people in the audience or on someone’s face, I have less chances to remember that person. When I’m in a club setting, I’m looking at the audience, but I really don’t see a thing. It’s like looking in the ocean, and you see the waves, but you’re not looking at one particular wave.

So by the time I come back to the hotel room, I don’t remember much. I think I purposely conditioned myself to forget, so when my head hits the pillow, that thing that happened a few hours ago could be weeks or months ago. I think I’m more happy, more at ease, because I don’t really remember everything that happened, or if the needle skipped. The number of parties I’ve done must be in the tens of thousands. How many people, I can’t even imagine, so I don’t keep track.

11. Do you feel any sort of, maybe sympathy is too strong a word, but something like that, for young artists that kind of really live and die by by streaming numbers and Instagram likes and all these data points and instant feedback?

No, I don’t sympathize with them, because the truth is that we are all free. There’s no big company that’s making DJs play certain types of music, and that to be successful, you must do it. It doesn’t exist. The truth is that the moment you press that key on the synthesizer or drum machine, you are free to create anything your imagination can come up with, and no one’s watching you, no one’s controlling you, and you can do that as much as you’d like. There’s no one looking over your shoulder watching. The truth is that we have never been freer in the music industry than we are now.

12. Can you say more about that?

It’s a conscious choice to put your music on social media. You don’t have to do that. You don’t have to jump up down and pretend like you’re doing something. There have never been any rules of how to do this. There’s no university, no school. So no, I don’t sympathize with them. If you love music and you like to play it for people and you’re serious about it, there are a lot of things to learn from older DJs. When I was young, I used to just watch other DJs, not thinking I was competing or anything, but just watching to see why they’re in the DJ booth. Like, what quality do they have that puts them there to play music for people? I would look for that quality.

I understood many things from that. First of all, there is no perfect DJ. There is no perfect scenario. DJs do certain things right, other things could be better, but it’s not a perfect art form. People are not perfect, so mistakes are all part of the process. The important thing is that [the audience] felt something more than what they did before they came, that they left with something that touched them. Somewhere in those hours, within all those beats, something happened that made them excited. If you can do that just even once, that’s it.

13. What are some of the ways you’ve seen DJ culture change during your career?

We used to understand that a DJ is really trying to contribute to nightlife. You’re not so much leading it. You’re not the host. You’re like the lighting engineer or the guy who does the decorations. We used to think we were on the team of technicians making this experience happen. And then, as you know, the DJ became very recognized and very notable, and then the DJ started acting like they were very recognized and very notable. So then there comes a certain type of DJ, and that’s where we are now.

14. Was there certain point when you saw that stardom element taking over?

It was the conscious choice we all made in maybe the early ’90s. Most of us decided that electronic music needed to have superstars, iconic stars, personalities. I think that mainly comes from Europe and Europeans. If you’re from Germany, there must be a number one German DJ, and you can’t have 10, so there’s jockeying to become that.

American DJs, we were not like that. We had Frankie Knuckles, Tony Humphries, David Morales and Louie Vega, Derrick May, Larry Levan and David Mancuso, the list goes on, and we all loved them all the same. But in the early ’90s, Europe created this structure where there must be the number one, and that took it into this type of athletics. Who’s the best star? We never snapped out of that. I think it’s dominated our industry a bit too much, and musicianship and talking about music, creativity and the construction of music, all these things were kind of pushed aside.

It is kind of sad that the industry is like that. Which makes this tour actually so interesting, because it’s not about that, and it’s really successful. Every date is sold out. The audiences are very mixed, younger and older. It’s been like that in every city we’ve done so far.

15. Do you still believe in technology as something that can deliver us to a better future?

Okay, this is going to sound strange coming from someone in techno, but honestly? Overhyped. The idea that technology will make you better in electronic music, make you smarter, wiser — I’m not so sure about that. In electronic music I don’t see the signs of that. I play with a lot of younger DJs, and I don’t see them with a wide knowledge of music. They play one thing for four hours, and it doesn’t stop. I don’t see the variety of things that could be played to create this architecture of sound.

When your machines and technology do things that even you can’t do, then I think it went too far, when you don’t understand how your machine did that. Then it’s not you, it’s the sequencer. It’s the drum machine. Skill is really what it’s about, and you can’t buy that in a machine. You can’t download it. It’s not something you plug in.

16. Having been there in the earliest days, do you feel like a different DJ culture was possible?

I mean, I was there. I was living in Berlin, ground zero, during the early ’90s and in Detroit in the ’80s, coming from hip-hop and into dance music. And before hip-hop it was industrial rock, so I watched everything and everybody, and where we are is a conscious choice. We missed a lot of opportunities as a result. I really want to say this, and I know you’re from Billboard, so I really need to say that electronic music — of course we have stars. It’s a genre of music, but for the most part in our industry it’s quite difficult to produce an album, to distribute it, to sell it, to be recognized. It’s quite hard, because at certain times we did not think enough about caring for our industry and art form, more than what I look like and what I’m doing and me, me, me. So we don’t speak to other genres the same way other genres speak to each other.

And as someone from inside the industry, remember, we decided that. I’m not trying to blame anyone, but I think a lot of influence came from Europe. We American DJs really needed to work, and we really needed to make it happen, so we had to go there, and we had to consider the way Europeans were thinking about electronic music and conform to that. Even though, coming from America, we created all this, right? But we still had to conform to that way of thinking about electronic music, and so we gave up a lot of things to get this far.

17. Do you think there’s an opportunity or even a desire for a course correction?

I think younger people that know nothing but electronic music, like there’s always been electronic music since they were born, there’s a little bit of hope there. Because with any art form or any genre, you have very popular things, but then you have those that really stay dedicated to the art form. Maybe as time goes on, these important creations become more recognized — important albums, important artists, important messaging. It’s a complex time right now. Who really made something that really spoke to this time, and what can we use as a model for moving forward? We don’t have the Jimi Hendrix or Miles Davis of electronic music yet, but it’s still early. It’s only 30 or 40 years in. And something is keeping all of this up, because every weekend there are thousands of parties and events happening.

18. Not to sound cheesy, but do you think part of what’s keeping it all up is the thing you were talking about before, making people feel excited? Is there a special opportunity within this genre for that?

Yeah, the “it.” There is something about techno in particular, not so much electronic music, but techno. It has something no other genre has in that it can, within seconds, make you feel that you’re dealing with something that’s about the future. No words, no lyrics, just sounds that make you feel like you’re listening to something connected to the future. That’s something no other genre, not even classical, can replicate. That’s very powerful, and if you understand that and understand how to use it, it becomes a spiritual, religious type of thing. You are saying not only what people need to hear, but you are convincing them that there’s value and worth in standing here in front of this DJ in this moment, and that they’re going to benefit from it.

Techno is very special for that, and what I found is that most people who know how to control that have a certain type of mindset. It’s a smaller percentage of the industry, but these are really the ones making things that are convincing people that this music is relevant and needs to be played every weekend.

19. Would you like to name some of those people?

No, but the reason why I know this is because during the pandemic, I was really concerned that with the shutdown we would lose a lot of musicians in techno music. It was difficult even before then, but I feared that no revenue, no way to play the music, no reason to make it, would kill us. So we opened our label to techno artists that I curated, but I needed to know they understood a certain way of using the music in this way that I speak of. In two years, we ended up signing about 60 artists, from China to Spain and around the world who I sensed had this unique way of using electronic instruments. We released their music, and it was really successful, and they began to converse amongst themselves, because they all recognized it too.

Part of the process is that you need to submit the idea first. I don’t want any music. You need to tell me what the album is about, why those tracks are named that, how it all goes together. So basically showing them how to make a concept album. And you need to explain to me what the album is about and why you did it. So it’s kind of like a academic way of doing it, which they all did. For many of them, it was their first album, and so they entered the industry making a conceptual album. From these 60 artists, my theory about this sense was true, and it’s been space and science-oriented, UFO-ology, connected with other dimensional type of understanding about reality. For me, this is not an overground, underground whatever, but the core of an art form that has longevity, because it’s about the bigger subjects. It’s about cosmos. It’s about galaxies and nature.

20. Who’s been your greatest mentor and what’s the best piece of advice they gave you?

Prince. Not only because he was a great musician, but how he was able to manage the Prince universe and everybody connected to it. Everything, the hairstyles, the entourage, he must have been up all night. He must’ve never slept. I mean, how did he manage all this? As an artist and as someone that creates and who’s in the public sphere and has to manage and filter, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that before.