This week on @RoadPodcast, the crew sits down with future house pioneer @DonDiablo for a deep and personal conversation. At 01:55, Don talks about running on little sleep before his Pier 19 show and why NYC remains his biggest market. By 06:55, he explains why he avoids repeating sets, preferring Tomorrowland’s smaller, darker stages over the main stage. At 12:20, Don reflects on his teenage years in the Dutch scene, from being taken advantage of as a young producer to being labeled a “weirdo” by peers. He admits that sometimes he hates being Don Diablo, finding true acceptance only through his fans. At 18:10, he recalls his production roots and the joy of creating purely for fun. By 24:55, the tone shifts as Don shares a powerful story about his father’s illness, the lessons from their final conversations, and how this shaped his outlook on time, purpose, and music. He recalls writing songs like “The Artist Inside” as a tribute to his father, and performing it at his funeral, the most difficult moment of his career. At 37:55, Don speaks on the therapeutic nature of songwriting, before offering his perspective on AI at 44:01, viewing it not as a threat, but as a tool to make creativity even more human. Closing out at 1:01:44, Don dives into his Hexagon label, the video for “Anytime”, and the contracts he gave artists. At 1:05:01, he shouts out @BeatsourceOfficial, and at 1:18:45, leaves us with a quote to remember: “The devil works hard, but the DJ works harder.”
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