{"id":4103,"date":"2024-08-07T23:52:31","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T23:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heartbit.me\/?p=4103"},"modified":"2024-08-26T19:44:16","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T19:44:16","slug":"an-introverts-breakout-how-don-diablo-built-his-boldest-show-yet-on-a-foundation-of-silence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/heartbit.me\/index.php\/2024\/08\/07\/an-introverts-breakout-how-don-diablo-built-his-boldest-show-yet-on-a-foundation-of-silence\/","title":{"rendered":"An Introvert's Breakout: How Don Diablo Built His Boldest Show Yet on a Foundation of Silence"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don Diablo<\/a>: a name that echoes through the world’s most epic arenas and music festivals, yet belongs to a man who finds the most comfort in the hushed spaces between.<\/p>\n

Silence breeds thunder in the hyper-creative world of Diablo, a buccaneering DJ with the soul of a poet. Fans know him as the headlining, pioneering progenitor of the future house genre, but underneath the veil lies a fascinating dichotomy between the larger-than-life persona and introverted recluse.<\/p>\n

We caught up with the Dutch electronic music superstar ahead of a\u00a0can’t-miss performance<\/a> on August 9th at the Brooklyn Mirage, where he’s debuting an ambitious and deeply personal live show concept. Like a hermit in a hurricane, he’s laying bare his humanity more than ever at the monumental concert.<\/p>\n

“I’m a guy who’s always hiding behind three layers of clothing, always wearing sunglasses, and there’s barely a photo out there of me wearing a t-shirt,” Diablo tells EDM.com<\/em>.\u00a0“I generally don’t like to show any skin or anything of the real Don. I’m always living in the future, sort of hiding behind a wall of technology. So I think for [the Brooklyn Mirage show] it was important to show a little bit more Don.”<\/p>\n

“There’s a custom DJ booth that’s see-through so you can actually see me,” he continues. “Usually when you see a DJ, you just see half a body… It’s really more about making it a little bit more personal as well as finding a way to push the technology and come up with clever things.”<\/p>\n

\n View the original article<\/a> to see embedded media.<\/strong>\n <\/p>\n

The ghost in the machine will take form at the Mirage with help from\u00a0Ethan Tobman, the renowned Creative Director of Taylor Swift’s historic “Eras Tour,” which in late-2023 became the highest-grossing tour of all-time<\/a> after surpassing $1 billion in revenue.<\/p>\n

The two were introduced by Diablo’s agency, WME, and he was surprised to learn that Tobman was a fan. Tobman, he said, read his sci-fi adventure comic series, HEXAGON<\/em>,\u00a0three times back-to-back.<\/p>\n

“I actually never ever met anyone who did that,” Diablo recalls. “He was that<\/em> well-versed into my world and into my psyche and into my brain. There really wasn’t another option then but to work with him. He has a very different approach and style than I have, which is what I need because I need somebody that goes against me\u2014someone who has a different vision.”<\/p>\n

The acclaimed production designer’s influence has been paramount not only to Diablo’s creative breakthroughs, but also his own self-esteem. He points to the Tobman-directed video for “SexyBack,” his remake of Justin Timberlake’s generational hit of the same name, wherein he appeared shirtless for the first time after years of grappling with body confidence issues.<\/p>\n

“I’ve always felt very not confident about my body,” Diablo says. “I used to weigh roughly about 50 pounds more than I do now, when I was a teen.\u00a0I never go to the beach. I never go to the swimming pool. I generally just don’t feel confident when I’m not wearing a shitload of clothes.”<\/p>\n

Now, however, Diablo says he feels younger and healthier than he ever has, which also helps him mentally and creatively.<\/p>\n

“I lost around 17 pounds to do the ‘SexyBack’ video, which was a really scary thing for me to do,” he continues. “You have to be comfortable with yourself, so I really worked my ass off.”<\/p>\n