IN CONVERSATION WITH FASTER HORSES
Interview by Samo Šajn
Manchester-based DJ and producer Faster Horses has become one of the exciting new names in electronic music. Known for his high-energy sets and genre-blending sound across techno, trance, hard house and UK garage. With standout releases, major festival appearances and a strong connection to rave culture, he continues to bring a fresh and colourful perspective to the scene. Ahead of his Amsterdam show this Sunday at Thuishaven, we spoke with him about his journey, influences and what comes next.
You often say you're a raver first and a DJ second. How has that mindset shaped the way you make music and approach your sets?
I think it just means that my ethos when it comes to production and DJing is always very much crowd-based. Spending so much time on the dancefloor really gives you a good insight into how things work out there, and I think there is such an art to controlling the energy.
Your sound moves between techno, hard house, UK garage and trance. Why has it always been important for you to stay genre-fluid?
I think I just love too many different genres to ever restrict myself, and all my favourite DJs are very genre-fluid. That’s what I enjoy on the dancefloor, so it makes sense that it finds its way into the booth too.
Your colourful visual identity breaks away from the darker image often associated with techno. What inspired that approach?
I think I’ve just personally never associated techno with the dark aesthetic that it’s become known for. My favourite genre of music to listen to when I’m not DJing is probably techno, and it’s soundtracked a lot of happy moments for me over the last few years. I guess I just associate it more with a colourful life than a dark one, and that probably inspired my own visual identity as an artist.
This year has been huge, from sold-out headline shows to your US debut and Awakenings Upclose. What's been the biggest highlight so far?
Honestly, there have been so many sick moments to choose from, but I think Pitch Festival probably wins. It was beyond surreal. I also recently closed Hideout Festival while the sun rose, and that had an equal amount of magic to it.
For me, the best moments are the ones where you feel like you’ve truly been transported somewhere else, somewhere almost alien, and these two sets definitely had an element of that. Pitch was visually so striking, looking out into the darkness and seeing the dood sticks flashing in front of me, and at Hideout, the sun rose behind the Croatian mountains as I was playing. It was beyond beautiful.
You'll be playing at Thuishaven in Amsterdam on August 9th. What can fans expect from your set?
I’m playing b2b with Milion, who’s an artist I really look up to, and aside from that, a good friend who I feel very aligned with. I think it will go well. It’s our first b2b, and that can sometimes be scary, but I’ve come to realise that when you’re friends with someone before you DJ with them, it removes any awkwardness that could be generated by a new, unfamiliar b2b.
Your remix of Kerri Chandler's "You're In My System" became one of your biggest releases, while tracks like "Only Girl" have kept the momentum going. How has your approach in the studio evolved since those early records?
To be honest, my approach hasn’t evolved too much. I just think I’ve got a lot better at deciding what sounds need to go where, and sometimes recognising when something isn’t needed.
I used to fill my projects with so many tracks, so many synths, background ambience and crazy FX, always in pursuit of transporting the listener to a new place. I suppose recently I’ve changed my approach to this, figured out that sometimes less is more, and it can still have the same effect.
Your new release on Live From Earth comes out on August 7th. What did this record allow you to explore that listeners might not have heard from you before?
It’s a little harder than my recent releases and maybe almost a bit of a return to my older, techno-based sound. For OG fans, it will feel nostalgic, capturing that classic 2022 Faster Horses trance-techno vibe while also having a bit of a new-generation feel to it. For new fans, it’s a good demonstration of my inspirations in their purest form.
You've played some of the biggest clubs and festivals in Europe, but you're still known for being in the crowd after your own sets. Why is staying connected to rave culture so important to you?
I just love being on the dance floor. It’s not a conscious thought to stay connected to rave culture; it's something that I have to make myself do. I just love it and would never stop. It’s my passion. Dance music scratches an itch nothing else ever has.
With more Warehouse Project dates ahead and your audience growing so quickly, what do you want the next chapter of Faster Horses to look like?
Probably the same as it’s going right now, but with more focus on my own music. I’d like to play a live set soon focusing exclusively on my own productions, so maybe I’ll work on that.
