For ten years Daan Romers also known as Dannic has been creating Electro and Big Room House music that has catapulted him to the top tier of the genre’s talent pool. He has built his reputation and worldwide popularity through his massive anthemic solo releases, as well as, his grand collaborations with Hardwell, DYRO, Sick Individuals, Fedde Le Grand and many others. Three years ago, in October of 2016, Dannic embarked on a new venture with the mission of helping younger, developing producers and artists break through the clutter with the launch of Fonk Recordings. Daan had a plan right from the “get go” to provide emerging talent an environment that nurtures artistic creativity, growth and exposure by offering advice and production tips, along with other mentoring aspects related to success. We caught up with Daan to check in about how the label is doing, what releases are coming out and what the rest of the year and the future look like for the growing label.
Three years ago we had a conversation talking about the launch of your label. How’s it going?
Daan: It’s going really amazing, thank you! I remember when we first launched, I knew what I wanted to do, the path I wanted to take, it was just streamlining everything and growing from an idea into our own unique Fonk family that took time. It’s been great to get to engage with producers from all over the world and not only make our label a growing hub for new music, but also a safe space where I want the artists that we sign to be able to come to me for advice; whether it’s production tips, getting out of a music-making rut when they have a bit of writer’s block, or advice on navigating the industry. I want us to be a close collective all doing something we love and I feel like that is something we’ve really achieved.
How has Fonk Recordings evolved over the last three years? What kind of obstacles, if any, did you experience and what adjustments (for the better) did the label have to make for greater impact, whether in sales, visibility and reach, artist bookings, etc…
Daan: Of course there have been some hiccups along the way but that’s the beauty! Sure, it’s frustrating when a track we wanted to sign falls though, or a relationship just doesn’t work, but it happens to everyone, both making music and running labels. It can be frustrating for everyone involved! The important thing is to dust yourself off and luckily we’ve had a great following and a very loyal fanbase who continue to support our releases.
Tell us about the label’s new music coming out this summer beginning your new single “Whip.”
Daan: “Whip” has actually just been released! The lyrics are a play on something you may have heard before but I wanted to bring that big-room energy with a slightly tribal feel coming to the drop; it almost pairs together this notion that I still love the classic sounds by paying homage or tipping my hat, but with a fresh Dannic twist. Bingo Players, Garrix, R3hab, Ummet Ozcan and so many more great guys have been supporting “Whip,” it’s super cool how great the response has been from the fans too! We also have a Summer EP dropping in July which really will get everyone excited for the brighter months, lots of energy and positive vibes! I always enjoy compiling these various artists projects because we can indulge in a few different styles that are individual to the producers making them and still offer variety to our listeners that won’t alienate them. I will also have a new collaboration out on the label with Bougenvilla and then in August, we welcome back We AM for another special link-up! Make sure you follow us to be the first to know.
Do you have any special label oriented plans for ADE 2019 that you can share with us?
Daan: Well, ADE is always my favorite time of the year, I love it! It’s always crazy but getting to visit the city and hang around with everyone you may not have seen, maybe all year, because the whole industry attends, is always fun! For the past three years, our Fonk parties at ADE have always sold-out and we’ve brought a wave of new guys through with us but we were also lucky enough to have Hardwell pass through and surprise everyone with a set one year! Who knows what this year will bring, but you can keep a watch for announcements across our social media.
Where do you see Fonk Recordings in the future?
Daan: I just want us to keep expanding and making sure that we always place the welfare of our artists, both mentally, physically and how they feel positioned in the industry; I want to give artists both new and established a place to release their music as part of a collective. From big-room to house, EDM to the more uptempo tracks, all of the artists we sign to Fonk, I try to make sure that everyone is happy and confident in the processes. Of course, we are always looking to expand and accept demos for exciting new sounds and banging tracks – I want us to remain growing, positive and an active and relevant label within the dance world that we operate. It’s 2019 and we’re still plotting for the next big move, I hope you all join us for the ride!
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