With the release of his exclusive mix for the signature In Search of Sunrise (Black Hole Recordings) compilation series, Markus Schulz has Los Angeles on his mind. The City of Angels has always held a dear place in the global trance/progressive music DJ/producer’s heart. The new In Search of Sunrise 20 (ISoS20) release commemorates the 20th edition and 25 years of the series, a must-have mix compilation for every self-respecting electronic dance music (EDM) lover. Though he spends every weekend touring the world and DJing in venues intimate, huge and festival mega-sized, he somehow always manages to come back around to Los Angeles. Considering he spends more time on First Class flights than most flight attendants, we wondered what it was about L.A., exactly, that keeps drawing this globetrotter back time and again. On the eve of Markus Schulz’s return to The Golden Stage to play Dreamstate on November 22nd, 2024, L.A. Confidential sat down with the man himself to discover what makes him tick.
L.A. Examiner: You’re somewhat of a DJ legend around L.A., a metropolis that’s very fickle when it comes to nightlife. What is it about your relationship with Los Angeles that’s proved so resilient over the years?
Markus Schulz: The Los Angeles chapter of my career has to be among the most important. When I started touring, I was quite intimidated by playing in Los Angeles and wasn’t sure if I belonged in the same sentence as the greats of our scene. I was really lucky that there was a small but very passionate selection of fans who embraced my sound early on, and it was through their enthusiasm and word-of-mouth that the number of people coming to see me would grow quite quickly. I’ve never forgotten those people. What makes it special is that they are still coming to the shows to this day.
L.A. Examiner: Take us to the beginnings of your involvement with Avalon Hollywood. When you first started performing there, did you envision your events would become the beasts they’ve become?
Markus Schulz: It would have been around the late 2000s. I didn’t really have a regular home in the clubs there. Most of my appearances in Southern California were at the big arena or outdoor events such as Monster Massive and Together As One. But when I was booked to play at Avalon, knowing that there was an after hours culture and the club would stay open beyond 2am, it really fed into my soul as a DJ.
L.A. Examiner: So, in a way, the city’s culture inspired you artistically, which in turn allowed you to grow your foothold in Los Angeles?
Markus Schulz: I used to have a mix compilation series themed around certain cities around the world which held special resonance, and the 2012 edition was dedicated to Los Angeles. For the release party, we took over Avalon for two consecutive nights on Presidents’ Day weekend. The first night was my first open to close solo set experience at the venue, and on the second I was joined for back to back sessions with a selection of DJs from the Coldharbour Recordings family. That sowed the seeds for everything that has happened at Avalon since.
L.A. Examiner: You are one of the rare DJs on earth who regularly play “marathon” DJ sets exceeding eight, nine, 10 hours, often more. In and around L.A., your New Year’s Eve shows at Avalon Hollywood (open-to-close, naturally) came to be known in some circles as almost a rite-of-passage for ringing-in the New Year. Can you share with us some of your all-time highlights and memories?
Markus Schulz: It’s an incredible privilege to have been able to play open to close sets at a historic venue like Avalon on so many occasions, especially on New Year’s Eve. I haven’t kept count, but it must be getting close to 10 times, soon. The great thing about them is because Los Angeles is a destination city, people from all over the United States and even internationally plan trips around the shows; so it feels like there’s a worldwide family housed within those famous walls.
The most memorable moment I ever had was when I proposed to [my wife] Adina [Butar] onstage on New Year’s Eve. I was so nervous about it and had practiced the sequence with my visuals guy to make sure everything was right. Adina had been onstage performing and thought she was about to start singing another song, when the audio changed to “Destiny,” one of my biggest tracks and a personal one because I wrote it about her. I get emotional thinking about it because Adina’s parents were there, and mine were there, too. My mother, Rose, passed away in February 2019, only a few months before the wedding; but I look back and I was so grateful she got to experience such a personal moment.
L.A. Examiner: Where else can dance music-lovers find you playing in the L.A. metro area?
Markus Schulz: I’m delighted to be playing Dreamstate Southern California on November 22nd. I’ve played Insomniac’s events all over the world – from Poland to Mexico and in the U.S. in San Francisco and Chicago – so, to finally play at the one where the Dreamstate experience began will be pretty cool.
Follow Markus Schulz online:
Official website: https://www.markusschulz.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/markusschulz
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6OO0PboZcIWUWL7j2IyeoL
Instagram: www.instagram.com/markusschulz
Written in partnership with Trillest Ent.
