92 22BULLETS

From: Bangkok, Thailand

Rising star DJ/producer of 2021: “Topic.”

Not many producers could have a club hit via a despondent mouldy-oldie made famous, decades ago, by both Nancy Sinatra and Cher. But then again, 22Bullets, the artist who collaborated this year with Fedde Le Grand on that addictively bouncy version of ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)’ is not your average artist. (Yes, Guetta’s covered it as well.) It’s all in a day’s work for the man born Varun Sony, who’s made something of a speciality out of working on big-ticket collabs, with recent work with Timmy Trumpet and Dash Berlin also making waves. They’re just two of the latest entries in the Thailand-based DJ’s burgeoning discography, and they won’t be the last: he promises more “mega-collabs, especially with Asian pop stars.”

How was your first gig back after lockdown?

“It felt amazing to be able to reconnect with all the fans and to share with them the labours of love that were done during the lockdown.”
How have the last 18 months changed how you view your work/life balance? 

“I started to get into proper exercising, and that really helps me to focus with the studio time.”

What further steps should the industry take to combat climate change?

“We should always be prepared for whatever is coming because we can never be sure what is going to happen. Learning from the past is the way to step into the future.”
What’s the best bit of tech you’ve added to your studio or DJ setup this year?

“I recently got into hardware synths and picked up a Novation Peak. It’s so hands-on, not like VSTs. It feels great to touch something or twist something and give it some action.”
 

What’s the best album you’ve heard this year?

“Porter Robinson’s ‘Nurture’ is so good!”