Paul Van Dyk

Paul van Dyk, born Matthias Paul on 16 December 1971 in Eisenhüttenstadt and sometimes nicknamed DFM, is a German DJ and composer. He grew up east of Berlin, raised by a single parent after his father left when he was four. His passion for music developed from listening to popular but banned radio stations like RIAS and SFB and to clandestinely imported mixtapes, in a town without record shops.

His DJ career began in March 1991 at Berlin’s famed club Tresor. He gained international renown with tracks such as For An Angel, which became a trance classic and reached number one on the UK Dance Chart, and Out There and Back (2000). His album Reflections (2004) earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album.

Recognized as the world’s number-one DJ by DJ Mag in 2005 and 2006, Paul van Dyk is also a producer and composer. His sixth studio album, Evolution, was released on 3 April 2012; he collaborated on it with artists including Adam Young (known as Owl City) on the track “Eternity”, as well as Arty, Austin Leeds, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Tyler Michaud and Ummet Ozcan. Vocal contributions came from Johnny McDaid of the group Fieldwork and Sarah Howells.

Beyond music, he engaged politically in 2004 by taking part in the America’s Rock the Vote campaign. He also hosts a weekly radio show on the German station Fritz, broadcast every Wednesday from 20:00 to 22:00, alongside his touring and productions.