Double Touch are finding melodic magic between two worldsDouble Touch are finding melodic magic between two worlds

For Double Touch, music has always been about creating moments. Whether performing beneath the stars at Burning Man, soundtracking sunsets in Ibiza or captivating crowds as part of Lee Burridge’s All Day I Dream community, the duo has built their career on emotion, spontaneity and human connection.

This summer, they’ll bring that philosophy to DIO Crete as resident artists for HEDONISM Sundays. Before they arrive on the island, we caught up with Mark Olsen and Van-Anh Nguyen to discuss their story so far and the exciting chapter that lies ahead.

Double Touch feels like two completely different musical backgrounds colliding. How did you get together and what sparked your musical partnership to take you away from your individual creative interests?

MARK: We actually met during a studio session many years ago. What excited us from the beginning was how different our musical backgrounds were. I had always loved classical music, while Van-Anh was equally passionate about house music, so we were curious to see what would happen if we blended those worlds together.

VAN-ANH: We started by experimenting with a fusion of classical and electronic elements, and over the years that naturally evolved into what people now recognize as the Double Touch sound.

Your live show sits somewhere between a DJ set and a live concert. How difficult is it to balance spontaneity with the responsibility of keeping a dance floor moving?

Our live show is built around a continuous DJ set, with the tracks mixed together at compatible tempos, so maintaining the flow and energy of the dance floor is always the priority. Unlike a traditional concert, there are no stop-start moments. Within that framework, we love adding spontaneous live elements, whether it’s percussion, keys, or an unexpected musical idea. We think of it as adding little moments of magic on top of the foundation of the DJ set rather than disrupting the momentum.

When you’re on stage improvising, can you describe how those decisions happen in real time? Is there a language between you that the audience never sees?

MARK: Absolutely. Sometimes Van-Anh will start playing a piano melody or chord progression that I’ve never heard before, and it just works perfectly in the moment. There’s definitely an unspoken musical connection that develops after performing together for so many years. That said, I don’t think we hide it very well from the audience—usually I’ll be looking over at her with a huge grin or yelling “Keep going!” because I’m just as excited as everyone else.

You’ve played everywhere from Burning Man to Brooklyn Mirage, Scorpios Mykonos and Ibiza. Which crowd has surprised you the most and why?

VAN-ANH: We played in South America for the first time earlier this year and the crowds completely blew us away. There is such a deep passion for house music there, and the energy was infectious from the very first moments of the set. You could feel the connection instantly. From the very first track, the crowd was fully engaged and giving that energy right back to us. It’s one of those experiences that stays with you long after the show is over.

Is there one performance or moment that changed the trajectory of Double Touch to get to this point in your careers?

MARK: I think our first All Day I Dream show in San Francisco was a real turning point. We’d just released our first EP on the label and this was our first major international performance as Double Touch. At the time, we were still struggling to secure any local shows we wanted back home in Australia. After videos from that event started circulating online, everything seemed to shift. Suddenly promoters who we’d been reaching out to for years were contacting us directly to book shows. It was one of those moments where years of hard work finally started to gain momentum.

A lot of electronic acts rely heavily on technology, but your sound is rooted in actual musicianship. Do you think audiences are craving more human elements in electronic music right now?

VAN-ANH: Yes, I think so. Technology has opened up incredible possibilities in electronic music, but people are always searching for a human connection. After spending so much of our lives looking at screens, there’s something powerful about seeing real musicians performing in the moment and knowing that what you’re hearing isn’t completely pre-programmed.

MARK: For us, the live elements have always been at the heart of Double Touch—Van-Anh is playing keys, I’m playing percussion, and there’s a level of spontaneity that keeps every performance unique. Even when we play the same songs, they never come out exactly the same way twice. That said, I don’t see it as musicianship versus technology. Some of the most innovative electronic artists are using technology in amazing ways. For us, the sweet spot is combining both worlds—using technology as a tool while keeping the emotion, interaction, and human imperfections that make a performance feel alive. I think audiences connect with that because it feels authentic and gives them something they can’t experience by simply listening to a recording at home.

Your music moves between ambient soundscapes, organic house, Afro house and melodic house. Do you consciously think about genres anymore, or are they becoming irrelevant?

MARK: We’ve always drawn inspiration from a wide range of genres throughout our music careers, and that’s something we never want to lose. These days we don’t really think too much about fitting into a specific category.

VAN-ANH: Sometimes we write music that sits somewhere between genres and we’re not even sure where it belongs or which DJs might play it, but that’s part of the fun. We try not to overthink it and instead focus on creating whatever feels inspiring and authentic in that moment. If a track ends up blending elements of different genres, we’re happy to let the listeners decide where it fits.

Double Touch – Mark Olsen and Van-Anh Nguyen

Double Touch has become closely associated with the All Day I Dream family. What is it about that community and philosophy that feels like home for you?

MARK: The All Day I Dream community is incredibly special and has felt like home for us from the very beginning. The artists on the label and at the events are like a family, and the people who attend the parties bring such a positive energy. There’s a genuine sense of connection, openness, and love for the music that you don’t find everywhere. Whether we’re playing or simply attending as guests, it always feels like a gathering of friends rather than just another event. It’s a community built around happy faces, good times, and a shared appreciation for music that takes people on a journey, which aligns perfectly with what Double Touch is all about.

What have you learned from watching artists like Lee Burridge build experiences rather than just events?

MARK: Watching artists like Lee Burridge build All Day I Dream has shown us that it’s about so much more than putting together an event and booking DJs. The most successful brands create a genuine sense of community where people feel connected to something bigger than a single party. People return not just for the music, but for the atmosphere, the friendships, and the feeling they get when they’re there. That’s something we’ve really taken inspiration from. Great events come and go, but great communities can last for decades.

After travelling the world together, what’s something you’ve learned about each other that has made the partnership stronger?

MARK: We’ve learned that we’re actually very different people, and that’s one of our biggest strengths. We often approach situations from completely different perspectives, whether it’s music, business or travel, but we’ve come to appreciate that those differences help us make better decisions. Instead of trying to think the same way, we’ve learned to trust and value what the other person brings.

VAN-ANH: We are like Yin & Yang. We each have our fortes and weaknesses, we have worked these out and it’s like each of us covers several departments of a business.

You have been announced as resident artists for HEDONISM Sundays at DIO in Crete this summer. You must be thrilled? What does a residency allow you to do creatively that a one-off festival appearance doesn’t? And what can the party people expect from you guys?

MARK: We’re incredibly excited. This is actually our first ever residency, so we’ll be experiencing it for the first time ourselves. What makes it so special is that instead of flying in for a single show and leaving the next day, we get the opportunity to become part of the island for the summer, get to know the locals, the venue staff, and the community around the party. Creatively, a residency gives you the chance to build a journey over time rather than trying to fit everything into one performance.

VAN-ANH: We’re also setting up our portable studio in Crete, so we’ll be writing a lot of new music during the week and then testing those ideas on the dance floor each week. For us, that’s one of the most exciting parts. As for what people can expect, we’ll be bringing the full Double Touch experience with live percussion, piano, plenty of unreleased music, and hopefully a few surprises along the way. We can’t think of a better place than Crete to spend a summer doing what we love.

Double Touch – Mark Olsen and Van-Anh Nguyen

DIO is trying to bring the energy of places like Ibiza, Bali and Mykonos to Crete while still maintaining its own identity. What makes Crete a unique destination from a performer’s perspective?

MARK: I think a lot of people are looking for a new destination to get excited about. Ibiza and Mykonos will always be iconic, but for many travellers, they’ve become very commercial over the years and the costs can be pretty overwhelming. What excites us about Crete is that it still feels authentic. It has an incredible mix of natural beauty, culture, history, amazing food, and a strong local community, while still being relatively undiscovered by the international dance music scene.

VAN-ANH: We’ve had Greek friends telling us for years that Crete was the island we needed to experience, so we’re really excited to finally spend an extended period of time there. From a performer’s perspective, it’s exciting to be part of a destination that’s still emerging and helping to create something new rather than simply following an established formula.

The venue describes HEDONISM as a celebration of abundance, pleasure and living fully in the moment. How does that philosophy connect with the music and atmosphere you try to create during your sets?

MARK: That philosophy connects perfectly with what we try to create through our music. Our goal has always been to give people an opportunity to switch off from the stresses and worries of everyday life and become fully immersed in the moment. Whether it’s through an emotional melody, a beautiful sunset, a few tequilas, or a shared experience on the dance floor, we want people to forget about everything else for a few hours and simply enjoy where they are and who they’re with. For us, the best nights are the ones where people lose track of time, connect with each other, and leave feeling happier than when they arrived.

DIO’s tagline is “Freedom Lives Here.” What does freedom in music mean to you personally?

MARK: For me, freedom in music means creating without limitations or worrying about where a song fits, what genre it belongs to, or whether it’s following current trends. Some of our favourite tracks are the ones we wrote simply because we loved them.

VAN-ANH: Freedom is also about self-expression and being able to share a piece of yourself with an audience. When you’re on stage and completely lost in the music, and the crowd is experiencing that same feeling with you, that’s a form of freedom that’s hard to find anywhere else.

Because you’ll be playing regularly throughout the summer, will each HEDONISM set have its own personality, or are you building a larger musical journey across the season?

VAN-ANH: I think it will be a bit of both. Each night will have its own personality because the crowd, the energy and even the weather can influence where the music goes. At the same time, we’re looking at the residency as one long musical journey across the summer. We’ll be writing new music while we’re in Crete and testing a lot of it at the residency, so people who come back multiple times will hopefully hear the evolution of both our sets and our productions throughout the season.

What are the challenges of keeping a residency fresh when audiences may return week after week?

MARK: I actually think that’s one of the exciting parts. It pushes us to keep searching for new music, testing out unreleased tracks and continuing to evolve. We never want people to feel like they’re hearing the same set twice.

VAN-ANH: Between new releases, music we’re working on in Crete, and the live elements we add during our performances, there are always opportunities to keep things feeling fresh while still maintaining the sound people come to hear from Double Touch.

Double Touch – Mark Olsen and Van-Anh Nguyen

Your music blends organic, melodic and Afro-inspired sounds. Do you feel those genres naturally belong in Mediterranean settings like Crete?

MARK: Absolutely. There’s something about being surrounded by nature, the ocean, sunshine and open-air venues that really complements this style of music. Organic and melodic sounds tend to create emotion and atmosphere, while Afro and Latin inspired rhythms bring energy and movement. Those elements seem to fit perfectly with Mediterranean destinations where people are relaxed, connected and open to experiencing music in a deeper way.

At the end of the night, what’s the ideal memory somebody takes home from a Double Touch performance at DIO?

VAN-ANH: More than anything, we’d love people to leave with a feeling rather than a specific memory. Maybe it’s a moment they shared with friends, a song that gave them goosebumps, or simply a few hours where they forgot about everything else and were completely present. If someone walks away smiling and feeling a little more connected to the people around them and the experience they just had, then we’ve done our job.

DIO, Crete

DIO’s founder says he imagined what the house of Dionysus would look like if it existed today. If Double Touch were creating the soundtrack for that house, what would it sound like?

MARK: It would probably sound a lot like a Double Touch set! We’d blend ancient and modern influences together, organic percussion, beautiful melodies, hypnotic grooves and moments of pure emotion. We’d want it to feel celebratory and uplifting, but also have depth and soul. The kind of soundtrack that starts with a beautiful sunset, builds into a big celebration, and ends with people dancing under the stars and completely losing themselves in the moment.ack for that house, what would it sound like?

Learn more about Double Touch’s residency at DIO in Crete HERE.

Read the full interview with Double Touch on The Night Bazaar website HERE.