Nightlife

The Weekly Interview: Steve Angello

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Steve Angello
Photo: Tim Saccenti

You’ve had residencies at top Las Vegas clubs. What is it about Omnia at Caesars Palace that made it the right home in Las Vegas for you now? It’s about when I walked in for the first time. They blew my mind with architecture and design, took it up a notch, and by doing that it shows the commitment to dance music. It was really interesting to see the design, sound-wise, and the visual effects and how the DJ is really the center of attention. It allows you to really carry a crowd and for me that’s the most important thing. It sounds really good, there’s a good vibe, the people are happy and the visual aspect is phenomenal. I’m really excited.

How many times have you been? Twice. I made sure to go on off days to see how it felt, on Thursday and Sunday. It’s surprising how big the venue is, with the terrace. Everything is so well-executed. I never thought anybody would make such a big commitment, so I was a bit surprised.

So you feel Omnia has really raised the stakes? I’m on my 13th or 14th year [playing] in Vegas. I’ve gone from playing in a club that’s really a bar for 100 people to this, today. The good part about Vegas is it’s about competition—not between us [DJs] but between these venues. Competition can be really healthy, and by [Hakkasan Group] doing [Omnia], it makes me really curious to see what the next steps are, how [other nightclubs] are going to answer back. Vegas is really the only place in the world that still develops nightclubs. Most other [places] have stopped or are in a position where they don’t need to improve, but Vegas is always improving all the time, keeping the interest high.

What’s the latest on your album, Wild Youth? Well, you know, it’s been done for a while. I bought myself out of a deal [with Columbia Records] and that crippled me a little bit, but we’re past that now. We released “Children of the Wild” last month and now we’re going into the second single, and hopefully the album will be out by the end of summer. It’s been great for me to spend a lot of time in the studio and at home thinking a lot and re-doing the music maybe 15 times. It’s good because it gets me in a position where I have to improve and really think about my choices. I want to create something timeless and mature and something that at the same time speaks to my musical integrity based on what I appreciate and like. I’ve been blessed to have had the time.

You’ve said a lot recently about how DJs and producers need to reach for more creative ground. How does a producer set themselves apart in 2015 when there seems to be a glut of similar sounds in dance music? It’s going to be hard. If you’re trying to follow directly in someone’s footsteps, there’s not much of a chance. You might have one song that gets some attention but after a second, it’s gone.

Today’s fans are smarter. They’re not being told what’s good anymore. The scene is really maturing and we’re seeing the underground scene growing really fast and less pop stuff in the mainstream. Mediocre is not going to last. In the ‘80s and ‘90s and ‘00s all those mediocre hits came through but you don’t even know them, you only know the music that really touched you. There’s a lot of hype now with so many acts and festivals. It’s really important as an artist to be creative.

STEVE ANGELLO AT OMNIA With DJ Crooked. August 4, 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women.

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Brock Radke

Brock Radke is an award-winning writer and columnist who currently occupies the role of editor-at-large at Las Vegas Weekly magazine. ...

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