PAJANE: "The freedom to create again with honesty is my goal"

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1 day ago
6 min read

PAJANE is an emerging talent in the electronic music scene, rapidly gaining international recognition: his number-one single reached the top 5 on 1001Tracklist and received support from renowned artists, solidifying his presence on a global scale. In addition to this success, he has released official remixes, collaborations, and free tracks that have amassed hundreds of thousands of plays, and at just 23 years old, he consistently demonstrates a level of production and artistic skill far beyond his age. His nominations for "Tomorrowland's 20 of 2023" and "A State of Dance Music" by 1001Tracklist establish him as one of the most promising artists in the industry, confirming PAJANE as a young DJ and producer destined to continue achieving success on the international stage. continue achieving success on the international stage.

After the success of "Back Once More" and your growing presence on international stages, how would you describe the evolution of your sound leading up to your new single "Crush"?

After "Back Once More", I was very much branded as a Tech House artist, which made sense at the time. But after that, I started experimenting a lot. I wouldn’t say I got lost, but I tried different directions. Some tracks leaned more commercial, some more Big Room, some just pure experimentation. "Crush" feels like a full circle moment for me. Sonically, it is the closest I have been to my 2022 sound, and that makes me genuinely happy.

My sound has always been very influenced by the US scene, especially in terms of groove and energy. Over time, I tried to figure out how that fits with my European roots and club background. "Crush" brought me back to that balance. It is simple, direct, and built for the dance floor.

The track came together super fast. I wrote the first version in maybe one or two hours. It reminded me that sometimes simplicity is the key. When you have a big release, you start overthinking every detail, but with "Crush" I just followed instinct. Four on the floor beats, raw club energy, and no overcomplication. That is the essence of why I started producing in the first place.

You recently launched your own label, OVERSTIM. What are the main challenges and opportunities of running a label while continuing to grow your career as a DJ and producer?

Running OVERSTIM is honestly one of the hardest things I have done. I handle almost everything myself, except the artwork which I trust my friend EV Coverz with. I have always been very hands-on, not just as an artist but also on the business side of music. I used to be signed to a publishing company, so I learned a lot about the background of the industry, from copyright splits to registrations and all the small details that most artists do not see.

That experience gave me the confidence to launch my own label. I have always wanted to be deeply involved in the creative side, not just release music and disappear. When I worked with labels like Spinnin’ or Atlantic, I was always part of the conversations about the music and the direction. OVERSTIM is now a way to take full creative control and to release music that feels right in the moment. I treat it less like a label and more like a creative hub, where I can build ideas from scratch and shape them all the way until release.

It is also a space to experiment. Everyone expects me to stay in House music, but I love exploring different sounds. I grew up listening to Dubstep and remaking Skrillex tracks when I was a kid, so that energy has always been part of me. OVERSTIM gives me the freedom to drop whatever feels true, whether it is club-driven or something completely unexpected.

Looking ahead, I am also building creative partnerships, like the current collaboration with WCD Music where Crush is coming out. The goal is to build something long-term that connects artistic freedom, international perspective, and strong identity without being stuck in a major-label structure. I want OVERSTIM to stand for creative independence, quality, and a culture that is built by artists who really care about the craft.

You’ve worked with artists like Joel Corry, Tiësto, and Sidney Samson. How do these collaborations influence your creative process, and what do you look for in an ideal musical partner?

Working with artists like Joel Corry, Tiësto, and Sidney Samson started very early, right after Back Once More. Joel and Tiësto were actually among the first to play that track, which was already surreal for me at the time. When it later came out on Tiësto’s label Musical Freedom, it felt like everything I had worked for suddenly made sense. Seeing my name next to his, especially after his track 1035 with Tate McRae became such a massive global hit, was a moment I will never forget. Two world stars and my name right there with them. It still gives me goosebumps when I think about it.

Joel also made an official remix of 1035, and we were the only two acts featured on that remix EP. That moment really connected us. Since then, we have built a genuine friendship. We talk a lot, share ideas, and he has always been incredibly supportive. What I really admire about him is how grounded and focused he is, even with all his success. Getting to know his team and seeing how much passion and discipline goes into everything they do was eye-opening. It taught me a lot about what it really means to move at that level.

For me, an ideal musical partner is someone I can truly create with. Someone who shares that same drive and joy for the process. It is not about status or streaming numbers. It is about the energy, the fun, and the respect for the craft. When you find someone like that, it reminds you why you started doing this in the first place.

With over 23 million streams and a strong presence on SoundCloud, how do you maintain a balance between mainstream success and the underground authenticity that defined your early productions?

Balancing mainstream success and underground authenticity is honestly still a hard question for me to answer. I am still in a kind of transition phase, and time will tell where I naturally end up. For a while, I think I tried to do a bit of everything because so much happened at once after Back Once More. That put me into a certain box, and I kind of forgot what really matters: making music I actually like, music I play, and music that feels true to me. That has to come first. Everything else follows.

It is not easy, because on one side I have releases like the 1035 remix or Riverside MF that reached a big mainstream audience, and on the other side I have tracks like Rude Boy, Back Once More, or Can’t You See, which are way more underground. Finding a hybrid between those worlds is tricky, even for the live shows. Some promoters probably expect a more commercial set, others expect a deep club vibe. And I get that. But I also believe the right balance will come naturally as my sound keeps evolving.

At the end of the day, I just want to make music that I truly love and would play myself. I do not want to chase numbers or try to please everyone. I know every artist dreams of playing the big stages like EDC, Ultra, or Tomorrowland, I do too, but I would never want to fake it or change who I am to get there. I want to get there with my sound, not someone else’s version of me. And hopefully, promoters and agents will see that. It should not just be about who has 50 million streams. It should be about who is an artist in the real sense. Someone who creates, evolves, and stays true to what he believes in. The rest will follow naturally.

After being named one of Tomorrowland’s "20 Artists to Watch" and solidifying your international presence, what are your next artistic goals, and how do you envision the evolution of your sound in the coming years?

My main goal is to build something real. I want to create a credible network around my music and be recognized as an artist in the truest sense. Not just someone who releases tracks, but someone who stands for a vision. Touring internationally is a big part of that, especially in the United States. Every time I have been there, I felt like my sound and energy just fit naturally. The people, the atmosphere, the way the culture connects with music, that is where I feel at home. Europe is where I am from, but my sound belongs somewhere bigger, somewhere global.

Another goal is to be consistent again. For a while, I got lost in my own head. Too much pressure, too much overthinking, and not enough creating. Even when things looked successful from the outside, I had to rebuild my relationship with music. Now it is about freedom. About creating again with honesty. I want to release regularly, to experiment, to make music that I truly love and would play myself, no matter if it is a simple club track or something complex.

I want to reach people who still feel music the way I did when I was a kid. I remember hearing those tracks from 2012 or 2013 on Monstercat, songs that still hit me today. That feeling of discovery, emotion, and connection is what I want to give back. I wanna create a community of people who really get it. Who stick with me because the music means something to them..