Belgian DJ/Producer Henri PFR has been consistently putting out some groovy house tunes over the years. The young gun debuted in the recently announced DJ Mag Top 100 poll at the 97th position. Henri’s knack for melody, combined with his sunny disposition, shines through in his music that has a lightness of touch rarely found in the EDM world. Releasing his debut tune at 14, Brussels based Henri caught the ear of both the public and his peers and in 2014 scored a global club with “Tarida” released on Armin Van Buuren’s label. Henri’s 2019 track ‘Wave Goodbye’ currently stands at over 10 million streams. He also won ‘Artist Of The Year’ at the Belgian Music awards as well as 6 other awards. He has previously played on Tomorrowland’s mainstage and Disney’s Electroland Festival.
We got an amazing opportunity to chat with the young prodigy, check it out!
1.Hey Henri, congratulations on debuting in the DJ MAG rankings! How does it feel to be a part of the list amongst the world’s biggest acts?
H: Thank you very much, it’s just great! Having started a few years ago in my room and having the chance to now enter the top 100 list of the best DJs in the world is just crazy. I will never be grateful enough to all the people who support me in this crazy adventure!
2. This year you dropped a lot of amazing tunes and remixes, performed at major electronic music festivals such as Tomorrowland in Belgium and soon the winter edition, how would you describe the year in a nutshell?
H: Just amazing! I’m lucky to do what I love the most so even though it’s my job I never feel like I’m working! Performing at big festivals like on the mainstage of Tomorrowland, for example, was amazing. Making music in the studio is one thing but being able to see the people dance to it is the best feeling.
3. Let’s get into the flashback, as you first fell in love with electronic music in 2014, which tune garnered your attention at that age and inspired you to put out your own mixtape?
H: Back then, I listened a lot to Tiesto’s Lord Of Trance and a Belgian DJ called DJ Furax who made Hardstyle! I think it would really be the two people who motivated me the most into electro and djing!
4. What according to you makes a DJ/Producer standout in the ever-growing electronic music industry?
H: For me, the secret is the passion we put into music. Do not embark on a career for “success”, “money”, or other motivations. If you make music do it for the right reasons and do not copy what works. Make music that you like and represent who you are.
5. This year you were appointed as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador following a humanitarian mission to the Ivory Coast & after getting involved in it you started your ‘Music For Bricks’ campaign. Can you tell us a bit about this campaign & it’s a positive impact?
H: With pleasure. The idea is to organize a huge charity concert where 100% of the profits would go to fund the construction of schools in the Ivory Coast made from bricks made with recycled plastic. I had the honor to become an official ambassador for UNICEF and had the chance to go with them on a field humanitarian mission in the Ivory Coast, Africa. After witnessing the situation over there and the amazing things that the local UNICEF office did I absolutely had to help in any way possible. This is how the idea of the concert came up, to finance the construction of infrastructure, including schools, toilets, water wells in the Ivory Coast, so people can go to a concert and at the same time do good and allow several thousand children to go at school.
https://www.facebook.com/HenriPfr/photos/a.519092764838287/2194758083938405/?type=3&theater
6. Which are your top 5 tunes at this moment?
H: Waw! This is a difficult question because I really listen to a lot of tracks! I will still try to make a little top 6 of the moment.
I have to put my new track in the top spot of course “Henri PFR – Going On (ft. Soran)”, in 2 it would probably be “Vincent – I’m Not Magician (ft. Love, Alexa)”, in 3 “Emma Steinbakken – Not Gonna Cry “, in 4” The Chainsmokers – Push My Luck “, in 5” Lane 8 & RBBTS – Visions “and in 6” Lauv & Anne-Marie – fuck, I’m lonely “.
But if you really want to listen to all the songs I love right now, I invite you to have a look at my Spotify playlist “Sunday Vibes by Henri PFR” where you can find everything!
7. What can your fans expect in the coming year, an album may be (fingers crossed)?
H: I prefer to answer no for the moment, unfortunately. I have enough songs to release an album but I prefer not to put pressure on me and continue to release my singles 1 by 1 but who knows, maybe I will release an album but not in the near future.
8. Any special message to your fans based in India?
H: Simply thank you. Because it is thanks to you that I can live from my passion, that I can travel, create, work from my music. I never thought I would ever be able to share my world with so many people around the world and it’s just the best thing I could dream of so again: thank you.
You can also check out the amazing guest mix he did for our official podcast Rave Radio EP-088.
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