Hardwell’s protégé Kill the Buzz opens up in Exclusive Interview

When you create so much ‘buzz’ that a 2-time #1 DJ like Hardwell sings your praises you’re definitely doing something right. This is certainly the case for Kill the Buzz, real name Adithya Nanuru, whose ignited passion for music would lead him to playing to some of the biggest festivals in the world alongside the biggest names in electronic music. The Breda-based producer has climbed the progressive house ladder right to the top and receiving valiant support from the titans of the upper reaches – a cast that includes artists such as Sander van Doorn, David Guetta and of course Revealed mentor Hardwell. Nanuru has supported the power DJ around the globe as part of his ‘I Am Hardwell’ series of shows as well as his Ibiza residency among many more.

However, Kill the Buzz’s ambitions see him looking far beyond the boundaries of dance music, with his increasingly vocal and more melodic tracks demonstrating a desire to create sounds that appeal to the vast and diverse audience of global music fans, alongside the more traditional club tracks he has already showcased proficiency in.

This summer we were fortunate enough to be a part of an evening at ‘Hardwell’s DNA’ – the third season-long residency at the magnificent open-air club Ushuaïa Ibiza. Kill the Buzz joined Hardwell and other colleagues on the infamous Ushuaïa stage on the sun-kissed island. We talked to Kill the Buzz about joining Hardwell in Ibiza, finishing the ‘I am Hardwell’ tour and much more.

‘Hardwell’s DNA’ at Ushuaïa is a special event and venue for the Dutchman:

“Every year it’s always special to play in Ibiza because the vibe over here is different than you’d find in any other place in the world. The main thing about ‘Hardwell’s DNA’ is that we want to build a vibe. The first acts only play more tech-y and vibe-ey kind of music. It’s a lot more groovy instead of the regular EDM stuff that we’re used to playing. The reason for that is that you can really build the night because Hardwell’s DNA is  for everybody who is into music – it doesn’t matter which type of music you like. Even if you’re not into the commercial or tech house music – you will still feel a buildup for the night. And then at the end Hardwell is playing his own show. The vibe is really good over here because the house music and the techno music – that’s what people are really into in Ibiza. Over here you can play everything. It’s really cool to see people vibe-ing to it cos I’m not used to playing groovy or tech house but people catch on the groove that you bring them and it goes on for the night.”

It was recently an end of an era as the ‘I am Hardwell’ world tour came to a close. The Revealed star reminisces:

“It’s sad cos we’ve made so many memories over the last 2 years from laughing with each other on the plane and the bus and hanging out and sight seeing and then we would do the show. We also have the family type of dinners where the whole crew is there and it’s one big table and then you do the show and after the show you’d have the after-party and those are the memories. All that stops on that last show. But to play there was really good. The energy there in Germany was amazing. As soon as I started my intro everyone was shouting and doing everything that you as a DJ want them to do. On the other hand, when we were in the backroom with Hardwell and he was doing a speech you could feel that everyone was a little bit sad. It feels like saying goodbye but you know you’ve made good friends over the last few years.”

Hardwell and his Revealed colleagues recently created the ‘World’s Biggest Guestlist’ in India where they organised a massive free show that not only provided Indian fans a unique opportunity to see their favorite DJs but will also benefit the community for years to come.

“60-70,000 people in front of me – you cannot describe how people go out over there. When you’re at such a big festival and as soon as I dropped tracks I could see 60,000 people in front of me jumping – it was like a big wave of hands coming at you. Everybody was so enthusiastic that at one point it even became a little bit dangerous as everybody was pushing each other to the front. At one point the audience got so much energy – it became too dangerous. I had to slow down and even stop the music. When I was going back again (as the music stopped for 15 mins) I played vibe-ey kind of music instead of EDM.”

Kill The Buzz’s music is on a rapid trajectory to the top becoming further solidified by his standing in the dance music community. The talented producer delves into his music evolution:

“With me back in the days I just wanted to make really banger club tracks and I wanted to be making the tracks that W&W and Hardwell made back in the days. But as soon as I started evolving during my career I noticed that I’m more into commercialized music. Besides club music, just sing-alongs , things that people will sing along to in the car or at home. Back in the days I wasn’t sure what to make (club tracks or whatever) but at this point I want to have more sing-alongs that you can see that the audience is singing along to it. My Instagram skyrocketed in the last 3-4 months and I see a lot of growth in myself. I want to create tracks that everyone can listen to.”

The protégé recently collaborated with hit-maker Tom Swoon on the melodic hit ‘All The Way Down’. Kill The Buzz explains:

“Tom Swoon and I wanted to work together for a couple of years now and we finally had some time to collaborate with each other. That’s basically how ‘All The Way Down’ was born. He had a great idea, I had my ideas, the vocal came in and from that point on it was sending it back and forth. The chemistry was that good that we created a track where you can hear both of our styles. It hit #1 on the Beatport Progressive House chart so that’s really good.”

Even with such a busy touring schedule, the young star still finds the time for new productions and to the delight of many Revealed fans, there are upcoming collaborations with superstar Hardwell:

“There are a lot of tracks that I’ve worked on lately during all the touring but not all of them are finished. I’m experimenting with them to see if the club vibe is working and in which way. I did 2 collaborations with Hardwell. One of them we are still recording and we need to finalize it. There is also the track that I’ve been working on – it’s more of a 145 bpm future house track that’s almost done. I still have to add the singer and to get it out on the radio. Other stuff as well. Finding out what I really want to create in the next 10 years to find out what I’m capable of musically.”

After a string of consistent releases, huge world tours and the support of one of the biggest DJ’s in the world, Kill The Buzz’s dedication to his DJ-ing and production is evident. His unique style and characteristic sound has seen an ever-growing faithful fan base, and has gained both the attention and respect from the music industry titans. This young star is on a rapid ascension to great heights in the highly competitive dance music industry and we can’t wait to see what’s in store in his future.

Ushuaïa Ibiza Photographs: Roberto Castaño