DUTCH DJ/Producer, Tale Of Us and Afterlife affiliate Colyn has played around the world at some of the scenes biggest festivals and venues, and as well as Afterlife, he has released on other huge labels like Rose Avenue, Anjunadeep and DGTL.
He’s recently launched his UNFILTERED docu-series that consists of 20 minute episodes that will run over the next few months on Colyn’s YouTube channel, documenting his life on the road touring whilst featuring previously released music, special edits created solely for the series plus music that will never be released, and teasers of what’s to come next year.
We caught up with Colyn and he talked us through his top ten tracks of 2023.
Icehouse, Cassian – Great Southern Land (Rose Avenue)
“For me, Cassian is one of the big breakthrough artists of 2023 for me. He’s an amazing producer and solidifies that reputation for his work on the albums of Rüfüs Du Sol and his own productions. His take on this Ozzy classic by Icehouse has been an absolute blast in my sets over the last year.”
Colyn – Cyclone (Rose Avenue)
“The lead track of my latest EP on the label of Rüfüs Du Sol. It’s been a really strong track in my prime time sets with a nostalgic trancy riff, contrasted by a strong and powerful bass hook. It’s been on rotation for almost the entire year and never failed me.”
Cubicolor – The Outsider (Colyn ‘Palapas’ Remix) (Anjunadeep)
“A remix I redid over and over again, because I just couldn’t get it right. Halfway this year during a tour in Argentina, I finally found the right direction and finished it in proper style. Now it’s a no brainer in my sets to add an emotive and deeper touch.”
Frank Ocean – Lost (Beswerda Private Remix) (Free Download)
“Beswerda is a close friend of mine and he sent me this a long long time ago. I instantly fell in love with his take on Lost by Frank Ocean and championed it in almost all my sets throughout 2023. A true high quality cut for peak time dancefloors that need the extra oomph.”
Armin Van Buuren – Never Say Never (Colyn Remix) (Armada Music)
“A very specific memory of this is my set at Tomorrowland last summer, where it really stood out as a highlight. I’m very grateful for Armin reaching out and giving me a pick in his discography to my liking for a remix. I grabbed that opportunity with both hands and picked my favourite classic from his early days.”
Eric Prydz vs. Empire Of The Sun – We Are Mirage (Virgin Records)
“It is not even on purpose but every year I somehow dust off another Prydz blast from the past and reintroduce it… this has been it for me in 2023. Every time I played We Are Mirage it induced a high emotion and energy to the crowd that was very special to see. Absolute class from one of my favourite artists of all time.”
Innellea & Colyn – Downfall (Ft. Braev) (Afterlife)
“Innellea is one of my best friends in the musical world. Our careers grew up alongside together and we’ve been enjoying creating and playing together for years now. This is the latest fruit of our close relationship as friends, accompanied by the beautiful vocals of Braev. It is coming out soon…”
Rex The Dog – Change This Pain For Ecstacy (Kompakt Records)
“When I first heard this song I was playing b2b with Jonathan Kaspar, it was still very much unreleased and I needed to know the name and above all I wanted to PLAY IT! I asked him and he revealed it was Rex The Dog and I quickly adopted it in my sets after he sent it to me. A perfect combination of nostalgia and modern sounds for me.”
Fever Ray – Shiver (Ivory Remix) (Rabid Records)
“Absolutely stunning remix by one of the brightest talents in the industry, Ivory. His feel for mixing percussive elements and melodies is unparalleled of late. Have been playing this remix long before it got released and will keep playing it in the future for sure, it’s an absolute gem.”
Day ‘N’ Nite (Colyn & Beswerda Private Remix) (Free Download)
“Beswerda and me sat down in my studio in Amsterdam in the spring of 2023 with the idea to create something that would empower our sets. We made an instrumental that sounded powerful but missed something… I had the vocals of Kid Cudi Day n Nite on my computer and started incorporating them. Some hours of processing later we finished our private remix of this iconic song.”
