To listen to Billy Gillies is to capture true joy, because every song he produces and DJ set he performs radiates pure passion and vibrant spirit.

 

The Northern Irishman’s blend of quirky Eurodance synths, uplifting trance grandeur and hard-hitting bass rhythms goes beyond catchy melodies and expert timing, as breakout hits “Lagoon” and “Youth” tap into the very essence of what makes a night spent on the dancefloor with your best mates such a special experience.

 

That’s why he’s earned more than 145 million views on TikTok, filled a Creamfields tent with thousands of ravers at 1 p.m. on a Sunday, and why he’s managed to get an official remix of Madison Avenue’s 1999 hit “Don’t Call Me Baby” after ripping the iconic vocal off the internet.

 

Crowds chant his name from Taiwan to Texas because Billy Gillies dares to do something different; something unique to himself. Now, Billy Gillies is the next superstar-DJ-in-the-making, poised to take over the world.

 

Billy’s musical obsession started in the 2000s when his older sister started buying Clubland compilation CDs and dating a local DJ. One night, the boyfriend came over and brought his decks, but when the couple left to go dancing, 11-year-old Billy snuck into his sister’s room and started playing with the turntables.

 

“I was like, ‘what is this music? I love this,’” he laughs. “On the Christmas list for that year was a set of decks.”

 

His mom delivered with his first set of Kam belt drives, and Billy’s been mad for mixing ever since. Each Saturday, he’d head out of the house with a five Pound note and spend it on a new record (Tiesto’s Traffic being particularly influential). In turn, he’d spend the next week learning to mix that record in and out of his steadily growing collection.

 

When he was 17, he got his first taste of true Clubland. A year underaged, he caught an hour-long bus from Belfast to Banbridge and talked his way into a club called Coach. Japanese DJ Yoji Biomehanika and the UK’s own Lisa Lashes dropped heavy hard-house records all night, and Billy started dreaming of his own chance to rock a crowd, proper.

 

He knew that if he wanted to be an in-demand DJ, he’d have to come up with some original songs. In 2011, he locked himself in his bedroom with a copy of Ableton Live and didn’t come out until he’d mastered the basic trance sound.

 

He fell in love with music production and started sending his tracks to BBC Radio 1 DJ Judge Jules, who played them on his show every Friday night. For 19-year-old Billy, there was nothing better.

 

After spending much of his 20s as a self-described “party animal,” 28-year-old Billy once again locked himself inside his bedroom and churned out a ton of original tunes. The result? A spot on the lineup of Luminosity 2019 alongside major trance legends Paul Van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Gareth Emery and more. He played a set of all-original material, and when a recording was posted to Soundcloud, it earned more plays than any of the headliners.

 

“I’d brung a fresh sound into the trance scene,” Gillies says. “Everyone was making the same type of thing, where I just look back at my influences growing up and crammed it into the main trance style.”

 

International booking requests flooded in, sending him to Argentina to Australia—and then COVID struck. Many of his peers saw no point releasing music to a locked-down crowd, but Billy saw a chance to experiment.

 

“People need music in hard times, not just for clubs,” he says. “The music I was making around that time was proper emotional melodies, and it was resonating with everyone.”

 

He’d share each tune in a rough clip to Facebook or TikTok, and every post brought shares in the thousands. His fan base wasn’t just growing, it was ballooning, due in part not only to his masterful skills in the studio but also his effervescent personality that spills into each tune.

Lostly, also known as André Frauenstein, is a highly acclaimed trance producer and DJ hailing from South Africa / Germany. He entered the music industry in 2009 and has since become one of the most prominent figures in the trance scene. Lostly's music can be described as a fusion of driving beats, euphoric melodies, and uplifting energy. 

His sound has earned him recognition from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Armin van Buuren, and Paul van Dyk. Lostly has released numerous tracks and remixes on major labels such as Armada, Subculture, Pure Trance, FSOE, VANDIT and more. His music has been well-received by fans around the world, who appreciate his ability to create emotive and energetic tracks that capture the essence of trance music. Lostly has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the trance scene. One notable collaboration was with Paul van Dyk, a legendary DJ and producer who has been at the forefront of the trance genre for decades.  

In addition to producing music, Lostly is also an accomplished DJ. He has performed at major events and festivals such as EDC in Las Vegas, Dreamstate, Luminosity Beach Festival, Love Parade. His sets are known for their high energy and expertly crafted track selection, which keep audiences on their feet from start to finish. 

With his talent and dedication to his craft, Lostly is sure to continue making a name for himself in the world of electronic dance music.

Self-Taught, Independant DJ and Producer from Dundee, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❤️ Harder Styles are my preference. "NEVER GIVE UP" "MUSIC FOR THE PEOPLE" x

not much still tryimg to figure out this mixing malarky on a dj controller llf

Syd Smith is following