KC Lights is a Scottish DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He has been producing remixes for some of the biggest names in music, including Paul Simon, Ed Sheeran, MK, Becky Hill, Alicia Keys, Joel Corry, and Marshmello. He has also released his own originals and collaborations, and has cultivated a dedicated global fanbase. Read more
From sweaty clubs to the Hollywood Hills, DJs in the main electronic scene are modern-day rock stars. The not-so-humble abodes of household name DJs such as David Guetta, Calvin Harris and more are a testament to just how well selling and playing to the masses can pay. With news of Eric Prydz listing his Hollywood Hills home on the market for a cool $5.9 million, all eyes are renewed on what a big business EDM has become. Armed with not much more than a USB stick, DJs can travel the world playing gigs with ease. The high DJ fees and songwriting royalties created multi-millionaires out of many now household names. DJs now rub elbows with the elite, purchasing properties neighboring A-list celebrities and high-rollers. Earning spots in some of the most exclusive zip codes in the United States and the world-at-large, DJs are certainly living large.
The 2017 list of highest paid DJs for 2017 has been revealed, crowning Calvin Harris at the top for the fifth year in a row. According to Forbes, the Scottish DJ and producer earned $48.5m in the 12 months between June 2016 and June 2017.
The evergreen Tiesto finished second with a reported $39m, while the third spot is a new entry by The Chainsmokers, who make their debut on the annual list thanks to a breakthrough year that has seen them make $38m.
Calvin Harris’ ranking has a lot to do with his recording artist success, thanks to the release of his new alum Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 in June that features collaborations with Frank Ocean and Katy Perry among others. His asking price for gigs includes “mid-six-figure fees for his Las Vegas performances and seven-figure music festival,” according to Forbes.
Lack of diversity is an issue on this list once again, with no women featured. Perhaps also unsurprisingly, a giant marshmallow made it to the number 8 spot with $21m.
Please note that these numbers, while huge, are not the actual income figures for each artist. They do not take into consideration any expenses that would still need to be subtracted from the revenue figure reported by Forbes. This includes items such as travel expenses, managers, agents, lawyers and other services and staffing that artists of this caliber are certainly using.
Last week deadmau5 made news when his New Year’s Eve set at Decadence NYE in Arizona became subject of attack by fans of EDM artist Marshmello, who took the stage after him to perform the headlining set of the night. The reason? According to Marshmello fans the Canadian producer had played a boring set, a perhaps expected and uneducated conclusion from EDM fans who found themselves listening to house and techno tracks by Maceo Plex and Jay Lumen, amongst others.
In the following days the Toronto-born artist was unapologetic and rightly so. In line with his stance, he has now kicked off his 2017 BBC Radio 1 Residency with a debut mix that is filled with underground dance tracks, spanning genres that include progressive house and techno.
There is no denying that Joel Zimmerman as an artist has always preferred to steer clear of the mainstream side of dance music, despite his widely popular progressive signature tracks landing him coveted headlining slots at some of the world’s most popular EDM festivals. As EDM blew up in the States (and the rest of the world) Joel has continuously taken a stance against what he has perceived as sell-out artists playing recycled music for a quick buck. Instead, he has continued to stay true to his roots, while recently perhaps digging deeper than ever with on-stage collaborations with Richie Hawtin and Eric Prydz, as well as solo performances filled with house and techno sounds.
His inaugural 2017 BBC Radio mix is a testament to the direction Joel is on, one he does not look like to be leaving any time soon. The two-hour mix includes a Pig & Dan premiere, as well as works from Maceo Plex, Pan-Pot and Jon Hopkins just to name a few.
See below for full track list and to enjoy the mix:
1. deadmau5 – Imaginary Friends
2. Maceo Plex – Motor Rotor
3. ANNA – Face Your Fears
4. DkA – Anneessens
5.Max Cooper – Distant Light
6. Pig&Dan – Back To Graceland
7. Pryda – The End Is Just The Beginning
8. Pan-Pot – Solace
9. Undercatt – Mongrel
10. Lane 8 – With Me
11. Gardens Of God – River
12. Robert Oaks – On The Run
13. Dom Kane – Borg
14. Tycho – Epoch
15. deadmau5 – Strobe (Com Truise Remix)
16. Jon Hopkins – Lost In Thought
17. Boards Of Canada – Satellite Anthem Icarus
18. ATTLAS ft. Charlz – Ensnared
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