Nicky Romero

Nicky Romero, real name Nick Rotteveel, was born on 6 January 1989 in Amerongen (Utrecht province, the Netherlands). Regarded as a wunderkind of the electronic scene, he quickly became a major figure in EDM.

He began with a strong interest in drums and worked as a DJ playing house and R&B before dedicating himself fully to production. His early releases, noticed by Once Records, drew the attention of established labels such as Spinnin’, Fly Eye, Toolroom and Flamingo Recordings.

Refining a sound that blends progressive house with electro and acid touches, he released a bootleg of David Guetta “When Love Takes Over“. The online success caught Guetta’s attention, who became his mentor; their collaboration produced “Metropolis” and “Wild One Two”, and Romero held a FMIF residency at Ushuaia Ibiza in summer 2012.

He made a notable entry at number 17 in the DJ Mag Top 100 in 2012, the highest new entry of the year, before rising to 7th in 2013. His philosophy is: “The main aim is to up my game at every possible turn without compromise.”

In the studio his prolific output includes the single “S.O.T.U.” on Size Records (Steve Angello), the global hit “Legacy” with Krewella, his solo track “Symphonica”, the UK No.1 “I Could Be The One” with Avicii, and remixes for Zedd and Calvin Harris. He also co-produced “Right Now” for Rihanna with David Guetta.

Today his brand Protocol — label, club night and radio show — supports new artists such as Don Diablo, John Dahlbäck, Vicetone, Kryder, Michael Calfan and Merk & Kremont, as well as established acts like Calvin Harris, R3hab, Nervo, Krewella and Bassjackers. The label’s releases regularly chart in Beatport’s top 10.

The weekly show Protocol Radio, syndicated on over 60 FM stations, reaches more than 40 million listeners each week, confirming the global impact of his musical ecosystem.