Turkish/German DJ Deniz Koyu has established himself as one of dance music’s go-to producers, a he cites Fedde Le Grand, Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, Avicii and more as some of his biggest fans. Musically-minded since he was five years of age, Deniz has constantly been immersing himself in the world of DJ’ing and producing, pumping out high quality releases through acclaimed labels like Refune, Axtone, and Flamingo Records.
Deniz bursted into the scene with his track “Tung,” followed by “Bong,” “Goin Down,” and “Rage.” His progressive sound can be heard on main stages worldwide, as he has played at festivals like Tomorrowland, Electric Zoo, and Creamfields. If you’re unable to catch him at a tour date near you, you can always tune into his weekly Bongbastic radio show, which features the latest in electro and progressive house.
Recently, Koyu hosted the Generation Wild Miami party during Miami Music Week, featuring Danny Avila, Thomas Gold, Tujamo and many more. Before that took place, however, we caught up with the producer for a brief, but enjoyable chat about what he’s been up to this week, his favorite places to eat in Miami, and more.
Check out our interview with Deniz below, and enjoy!
How’s Miami going?
Deniz Koyu: Great! Last night I played at E11even with Benny Benassi. It was a long night. [Laughs]
Did you play any new music?
Deniz Koyu: Of course. I have three new releases out right now. I have “Lift,” which is on Protocol, which is doing really well. I also have “Solar” which is on Axtone, and then there’s “Sonic,” which is coming out on Spinnin’ Records this week.
Speaking of Axtone, you’re on the lineup for their pool party this week, correct?
Deniz Koyu: Yup, very excited for that.
And what’s the rest of your schedule looking like so far?
Deniz Koyu: It’s looking great. Last night was my first show and then Friday, like you mentioned, I’m playing at Axtone. And then later that night I’m at Set with Thomas Gold. Saturday I have a show at Mansion with Nicky Romero, it’s for his Protocol party, and then Sunday I have Generation Wild at Nikki Beach.
Anything else planned for while you’re down here?
Deniz Koyu: I’ll probably head to the studio for a bit on Friday. I need to finish one more song that I want to play this weekend, so I need to put the final touches on it. Aside from that, I’m just hanging with friends. And that’s really the best part about Miami Music Week. Everyone is here and you get to see everyone. It’s great to just meet up and have fun. Even if it’s just for a quick dinner or something.
Speaking of dinner, do you have any favorite restaurants here?
Deniz Koyu: I have a lot. [Laughs] I like Moshi Moshi, the sushi place. And they’re open till 5:30am, which is great. I also really like another sushi place called Doraku, it’s on Lincoln. It’s actually owned by Steve Aoki’s dad.
When you go out here, which other DJs do you usually hang with?
Deniz Koyu: Thomas Gold for sure. Danny Avila I’m close with as well. Also Tujamo, I’ve known him for a while. There’s a few more, too. Nicky Romero, Fedde Le Grand, Axwell, Tiesto……you kind of know everyone in this industry because you’re constantly bumping into everyone.
Have you been to the beach yet?
Deniz Koyu: I haven’t had the chance, no. I need to though.
You got to work on your tan.
Deniz Koyu: I know, I do. [Laughs] I’m working on it. I actually went tanning at a solarium before I came down here so the sun wouldn’t hit me too hard.
Do you find you get noticed a lot when you walk down the streets here?
Deniz Koyu: Oh, ya. Especially during Miami Music Week. There’s always someone who recognizes you. There’s a lot of fans down here and I’ll often get stopped. It’s cool, though.
That concludes our interview, but we’d like to thank Deniz Koyu very much for his time!