With every generation emerges one world class DJ, bringing with them a new sort of sound to set the proverbial roof on fire. Right now, the man searing dancefloors across the globe is Dutch house maestro R3hab.
For his latest venture he's collaborated with Pepsi MAX, composing the titular tune for a new short film called Unstoppable, which also sees the short film directorial debut of Hollywood heavyweight Idris Elba.
"I thought it was a very interesting project," R3hab tells us of the project. "The word 'Unstoppable' relates to sport, and football for sure, but can mean so many things: relationships, studying and even health."
One thing clearly in good health is his music taste, as having remixed for everyone from Lady Gaga to No Doubt and David Guetta, it's clear the DJ/producer boasts a broad palate away from dance music. So, taking this up a notch, we asked the man himself to list the tracks of his life thus far...
Unstoppable is the third track released on the Pepsi MAX Beats of the Beautiful Game album.
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Favourite Sad Song
There’s a reason cinema can make you feel something deep, and Hans Zimmer's Time, featured in his score for the film Inception, is bursting with emotion. It’s used for one scene where the main characters are waiting for a train, a metaphor as much as anything, and these deep notes and booming strings amplify those tense visuals as no other piece of music could. I see Christopher Nolan as a king of moviemaking, and Hans Zimmer as a king of film scoring.
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Favourite Song From Your Childhood
Growing up in Holland, I listened to a lot of tracks like Wonderful Days by Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo. And they were wonderful days. It was cheesy, cheeky, upbeat, and perfect party songs to enjoy with friends. It was also my first introduction to electronic music of sorts. I remember hearing the energy of The Prodigy and the creativity of The Chemical Brothers, and sure it might be cool to name-check those guys as early influences, but it was happy hard-core such as this track that was the first reason for my love of dance music.
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Favourite Lyric From A Song
I’m notoriously hard at picking favourites, but Nero – Promises, while not really a lyrical song at all, has a track name that strongly resonates with me. Think of that word, ‘promises’, the way it leaves your lips, a call to action, wasted unless you do something about them. It could be a diet, it could be a relationship; the only promise I’ve made to myself of late is to be on my phone less. Our generation is on the phone so much that we can’t go to the restroom without being on one. I’ll be playing a show and have a thousand beautiful people in front of me and as soon as the music starts they’ll be making pictures on their phone. Sometimes we need to remember to live in the moment. I think some clubs have no reception for that reason!
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Favourite Movie Soundtrack Song
Yes, I know, Hans Zimmer again. There’s no one better at what he does, or dedicated. I read all his interviews - I’m very geeky about his career in the film scoring world. I’ve heard him talk about how he’s used old guitars more than 100-years-old and out of tune in the pursuit of a certain sound – I like how he thinks so much before every piece he writes. I’m going to say Sherlock Holmes is one of my favourites. It’s very dramatic, bouncy, interesting - exactly what you want from a Sherlock Holmes movie.
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Favourite Club Anthem
They’re timeless in what they’ve done, The Prodigy. When you’re at a festival and you hear they are going to come on one of the stages, there’s no way you miss that, because you know full well the madness and the rollercoaster ride they’re going to bring, along with those iconic songs. Every artist respects them, no matter the genre. My favourite Prodigy track is No Good, for the simple fact it’s got a great beat and I remember people breakdancing in the video. Just amazing.
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Favourite Wedding Song
Believe it or not, I’ve never actually been to a wedding! Well, I’ve been to the re-wedding of my parents, but I can’t remember what music was played. I’m always touring somewhere so tend to miss the days when my friends are married. So if we’re talking about a classic pop song , one that I had to pick to get everyone dancing to, young or old, I could say Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On, or anything from Barry White. My choice, however is Luther Vandross – Never Too Much. The right kind of cheesy.
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Favourite Song Of Your Own
I could just as easily cited Samurai, because it goes down really well with audiences at the moment and has been a big success, but I’m going with Sending My Love because this was my breakthrough track. Funnily enough, I’d been watching lots of The Dark Knight when I was composing it, so, I was listening to lots of Hans Zimmer - yes, I’m a little obsessed – who used one string and the same note for a whole song on his soundtrack, so that’s what I tried to weave into Sending My Love. So that’s another reason why it means a lot to me.
