DJ duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike: ‘The bigger the beat, the better the reaction’

We check in with DJ brother act Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike ahead of their UAE debut at Meydan in Dubai.

Like Mike, left, and Dimitri Vegas will make their UAE debut on New Year’s Eve at Meydan, Dubai. Sonia Recchia / WireImage

The DJ duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike invaded dance floors during the second half of this year with the anthems Tremor and Body Talk (Mammoth), and they were voted number two in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs poll. We caught up with the Greek-Belgian brothers ahead of their appearance at #DXBNYE on Wednesday.

Of all the places in the world, why did you choose to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the UAE at #DXBNYE?

Mike: The line-up is great, a real blend of genres and styles. It's going to be an incredible party with such a diverse range of performers. We've never played in Dubai before, so New Year seemed like a great first time to visit.

We’re sure you get asked this a lot – so apologies in advance – but what is it really like touring, eating, sleeping and working with your brother 24/7?

Mike: Nowadays we always tour with bigger groups so we have a lot of different people with us, but it used to be just me and Dimitri. We have a great relationship – like all brothers, we have some arguments, but luckily it's mostly solved after five minutes.

At the time of writing, Dimitri has about 250,000 more Twitter followers than you, Mike – are you jealous?

Mike: No – it's actually because we used Dimitri's Twitter more intensively in the early stages.

You’re known for huge beats – can a beat ever be too big?

Dimitri: I don't think so, we have always found the bigger the beat, the better the reaction from the crowd – but we will have to test this out in Dubai.

Why has the world gone mad for dance music in the past couple of years?

Dimitri: The fact that DJs started working with pop stars helped reach a wider audience, as crossover radio stations started playing these records. And, of course, the huge festivals that appear everywhere now, like our Tomorrowland. Events like this have really put dance music and us on the map.

You’ve put out a stack of tunes – but no traditional ­albums. Is the LP as an art form dead?

Mike: No way, we have an artist album that we have been working on and will be released mid-next year.

Dimitri: Yeah the LP is still a very relevant medium – but I see where you're coming from and, yes, I would agree the scene is very track-focused at the moment. I feel many artists can get by on single-track releases and touring a lot.

We, of course, must mention the DJ Mag No 2 ranking. So, are your sights set on the top spot next year?

Dimitri: Ah, yes. Thank you so much – it was amazing to receive the award. It is so cool knowing your fans voted for you.