The Future isn’t just the name of David Gravell’s latest single, it’s the start of a reinvention. The 30-year-old Dutch DJ/Producer, and one of the faces of Armin van Buuren’s Armada record label, is looking to elevate his career to new heights in 2018. What better way to start than by releasing, what he calls, his biggest trance track to date?
Gravell, who hails from the trance-rich city of Amsterdam, first received widespread attention in 2013 following the release of Bulldozer on W&W’s Mainstage Music record label. In a scene where so many artists have a similar sound, Gravell’s is rather distinguishable: a mixture of big room and trance elements that has rocked many dancefloors with its relentless energy.
One of our trance artists to watch in 2017, Gravell, lived up to the hype- steadily releasing new tunes from the start of last year, all the way to its end. So far, 2018 has seen him put his heart, time, and energy into his ID-rich A State of Trance 850 Utrecht set back in February, and his Miami Music Week sets just last month. We caught up with David Gravell in Miami to talk about last year’s success, his new collaboration with good friend Andrew Rayel, and what fans can expect in 2018!
Just going back in the time machine here, 2017, you released a lot of music. You had the Discover compilation. What was last year like for you?
David Gravell: I think my main goal, also with the label, is that I was producing a lot of new tracks and we thought it was good to have a steady release schedule every month.
It’s important to deliver something in a certain amount of time. We thought it was necessary, and I had a lot of new music. It was awesome. We released a lot of tracks, which had a lot of attention from a lot of people around the world. Also, the mix compilation was something where I could put all the new stuff on. One mixture of new stuff, and the sound I was working on. So the sound you hear on the mix compilation is what I mix live, as well.
Onto this year, 2018. You just released a collab with Andrew (Rayel)- Trance Reborn. Where did that idea come from?
DG: Last year, I was a part of his (Andrew Rayel) Moments Tour in North America. So I was traveling with him to do the shows as support.
I remember we had one week off in Las Vegas, so we stayed there for the week. It was the only time we were together because everyone is always flying or traveling- it’s hard to work on something together in the studio.
We were talking about what we were going to do. I thought it was good to bring that Rayel sound back a little bit, with a new mixture of sounds. That’s where it all started. We were playing piano…he had this melody. Within three days, we finished the track.
It was nice to work with Andrew. It was awesome.
What about you this year? As a solo artist? Any big projects in the work? I know you just did ASOT 850 in Utrecht, with a lot of IDs. Any material fans can expect in the near future?
DG: I played a lot of stuff people have never heard before (at ASOT 850). I created those tracks especially for that event. I worked for a month to get that whole show going. All the tracks that were in that live show- we’re not sure when we’re going to release them. So a lot of new music coming up.
Also, I’ve been working on a new logo. If you watched the livestream, you see a little bit of the logo. It’s an introduction of what I’m working on. It’s not finished yet, so every show until the summer, we try to work on it. We’re working on something, and are trying to put the little pieces together- so it’s going to be a lot of fun.
My visuals, also those were brand new for the whole event- ASOT. So we have a lot of things in the works.
If you haven’t heard David Gravell’s banging ASOT 850 set, check it out below- for it’s a good preview of what’s time come this year! While we eagerly wait for him to make his Pacific Northwest debut, you can see him in action Friday, June 1st in Los Angeles, a short, and relatively cheap flight away, along with MaRLo and Orjan Nilsen!
Tell us what you think in the comments below!
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