Electronic producer and superstar DJ Like Mike of Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about his latest endeavors, which include “Pulsating Energy” and his artist project HEREON.
Born Michael “Mike” Thivaios, he is one half of the Belgian–Greek DJ electronic duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike (along with his brother Dimitri).
He started his new artist project HEREON, which is dedicated to the melodic techno genre in collaboration with Tomorrowland Music.
“HEREON has been a behind-the-scenes passion project of mine for a while now,” he said.
“Through HEREON, I get to go deep into the progressive and darker side of my music, bringing a completely different rhythm and feeling to my sets,” he said.
“My debut album for the project has been received really well so far, and I’m happy to know my fans enjoy this new direction I’m taking with this project,” he added.
On his inspiration for “Pulsating Energy,” he said, “I’m inspired by my day-to-day life and the energy around me. Collaborating with Florentin and Sam Martin felt like the perfect combination for my debut HEREON release.”
For his fans, he remarked about “Pulsating Energy,” “Thank you for the love you’ve all shown this new project. I always create music as an expression of myself, so to have my fans so into it and enjoying the whole vibe is a great feeling. That’s all I can ever ask for.”
In 2023, he ranked No. 2 in the DJ Magazine Top 100 DJs poll as part of the musical duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike (right behind David Guetta). “It means a lot to have the support of the fans,” he acknowledged.
“We’ve had the honor of being in the Top 3 for the past decade because of the incredible support fans. We can’t thank them all enough for the love!” he exclaimed.
On his plans for the future, he shared, “Right now, I’m focusing all my creative energy on studio time, working on new ideas and finishing tracks for 2024 releases.”
“There are several new HEREON tracks ready to go and another album in the works, too,” he noted.
“This year, I am continuing to work on myself by improving my health and centering my mind and soul to find a good balance in life. I feel super driven right now and really excited for what the future holds,” he added.
On being an artist in the digital age, Like Mike explained, “The physical side of music was an incredible era, and I still love cassette tapes, CDs and vinyl, but as a touring DJ and active producer, I like how instantaneous the digital age is.”
When asked about the future of electronic music, in the next five years, he responded, “It will only go up. The influx of new talent coming into the scene right now is staggering, and the quality of the music being released is amazing.”
“Dance music feels like it’s on a roll again and you can see this with all the incredible shows and festivals happening across the globe.
On his favorite mottos to live by, he revealed, “Life becomes better when you stop being who you think you are. Don’t let the external take over from the internal. Age isn’t necessarily how old you are; age is how well you take care of yourself.”
His superpower of choice would be teleportation. “It would save me a lot of time between flights and airports,” he said.
Regarding his definition of the word success, Like Mike concluded, “For me, success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out. Every new habit you form becomes a key component of whether or not you achieve your definition of success.”
“Pulsating Energy” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
For more information on Like Mike, follow him on Instagram.
