A Full Plate for Bad Boombox: The DJ on All-Night Sets, "Hard Beach," and a BBQ at ADE
An exclusive interview with the artist on touring, his new track "Obsession," and staying fluid to keep it fun.
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria and raised in the USA, Bad Boombox blends European dance music with the soulful grooves of Motown, disco, and funk, creating a vibrant mix of Balkan rhythms, funky beats, and electronic roots. Inspired early on by a club experience with his dad, he has grown into a globally recognized DJ and producer, drawing from influences like Daft Punk and Todd Terje while collaborating with artists such as Funk Tribu, Mija, and Justin Jay. His high-energy sets have lit up festivals and venues worldwide, including Glitch, Baum, Terminal V, and Boiler Room, with a standout all-night performance for Intercell in Amsterdam. Known for his playful personality as much as his eclectic sound, Bad Boombox continues to push boundaries with fresh projects that unite dancefloors across the globe.
Badboombox returns for another 6AM exclusive interview to talk about touring, his new track "Obsession", his event concepts, and staying fluid to keep it fun.
Hi Badboombox! Great to be chatting with you again. How are you doing?
Amazing, good to be back here!
Back in July you played an all-night-long set at Paradiso in Amsterdam, and now the full six-hour stream is about to drop on YouTube. For people who haven’t seen you play a set of that length before, how do you prepare for something so intense, and what moments from that night still stick with you? A lot of different artists have their preferences for doing these extended sets, what are some of yours?
I love these extended sets the most because they provide this freedom to take the night into any direction. Not like a festival set in which I have to cram the bangers in an hour and a half. Pure freedom. Then what ends up happening is I still run out of time.
This particular one was the pinnacle of this, because I was with 100% my true fans who come to all of my shows in Netherlands and Germany, and trusted me to put on a great show in the middle of the summer at a club in Amsterdam. I started with some housey, groovy and hypnotic rhythms, then did a very tasteful back2back with my label mate Ollie Lishman, who serves such a hot sound and our styles mesh very nicely together. Then ended with many of my personal hits and higher energy weapons. So we covered all bases from open to close in this beautiful venue.
The preparation was actually easy since I already meticulously organize my new music every week. I have specific folders and playlists for specific vibes and moods (not only by genre and bpm), which makes finding the perfect track for the scenario much easier.
Also, since I like to collect most other dance genres, this extended set was an opportunity to flex my library.
You’ve been building this “Hard Beach” idea into your shows, which combines the laid-back energy of balearic house with the harder edge of underground techno. It started as a playful inside joke with fans but has now become part of your identity. What exactly is the inside joke for those that don’t know? How did that transition happen to a fully realized concept, and what does the “Hard Beach” vibe mean to you when you are performing?
I remember saying in an old interview with Intercell when asked how I’d describe my ideal sound and scene that I’d like to combine hard and beach, and some of my fans ran with it. I mean adding “hard” to any noun is hilarious to me. But yes, I grew up with balearic house rhythms and saucy beach house grooves you’d hear at open-air beach clubs like in Ibiza and coastal regions.
But since these sounds have been around since literally the beginning of dance music, they’re missing a bit of an edge and a bit of a boundary push. How do you push the tempo and energy without losing the emotion and mental image? I’ve come to help answer that question with this concept. As time went I sat more and more with the concept until we decided to try this full production at Paradiso for the first time, and I think we nailed it. Much like the “hard beach” sound evolves, so will the production. It has to stay fluid to stay fun, and I hope to tour it around the world as soon as I can.
Your new single “Obsession” marks your first release with Mija, and you two finished it in one session in Berlin. What made her the right person to create this track with, and how did her presence influence the direction it took? Why do you feel you were able to finish this track so quickly with her?
Mija’s energy and vibe was a perfect match since we first met. It was a no-brainer for her to move to Berlin and be part of our collective, and we’ve been working on ideas since day one. Well one day in the winter we got together in the studio and jammed, this was the result. So yeah, with our two styles meshing nicely together we were able to start and finish Obsession in one short session. And I always say to students that your best tracks worth releasing are the ones that came to you in one stream of consciousness because the listener also picks up on that subtlety, and not the ones you spent months perfecting.
You and Mija have described “Obsession” as rooted in house but pushed toward club intensity. “Obsession” pulls from classic house but also leans into a harder club sound, which gives it a lot of versatility. When you picture it being played out, what kind of response do you hope it creates on the dance floor? Do you see it as the kind of track that shifts the direction of a set, keeps a steady momentum going, or maybe serves as a peak moment? And when you were putting it together with Mija, did you think about how DJs might use it in their own sets, or was it more about capturing a feeling in the studio first?
It’s absolutely CRITICAL to not analyze the end result while you’re in the process of making the damn thing. You’ll get in your own way and not finish it. During the session we liked how it was sounding as we were making the track and then it was done. Tested it a couple of times in the club and did some minor mixing tweaks without changing the idea since it was already complete.We always flirt with the concept of bringing back some house sounds that sizzle nicely in the higher tempo, while adding this new hot house energy in the mix. Hot House is here to stay, watch out.
Alongside this release and stream you also have a US tour starting and a big ADE show planned called “Bad Boombox’s BBQ.” Why the BBQ theme? With so many large, themed projects on the horizon, how do you balance the energy it takes to design these experiences with the time and headspace you need in the studio?
The BBQ flows nicely into Hard Beach because who doesn’t like some grilled deliciousness by the sea? Also as Hot Meal dad I’m obligated to bust out the socks n sandals and be grillmaster with the homies there. It’s going to be such a fun show - I have Ollie Lishman, Jessie Dols, and the maestro KiNK joining the barbeque adding their own spicy grooves.
Designing these concepts isn’t difficult when you have a good team supporting you and you absolutely LOVE what you do. It’s gotta be fun at the end of the day. And if it ain’t, change it up.
Always a pleasure talking to you! Is there anything else you would like to add before signing off?
Thank you for having me, we’ve done some great things together and I’m stoked to keep the flame going. See you on labor day weekend for an unforgettable one.