ARMAND VAN HELDEN

An awful lot has changed for Armand Van Helden since he first signed to Southern Fried in 2002. By 2005, he had scored a huge commercial hit with “My My My,” his biggest success since “You Don’t Know Me” reached number one in 1999. In between, he released two excellent albums, Nympho (2004) and Ghettoblaster (2007), as well as mix compilations like New York: A Mix Odyssey (2004) and A Mix Odyssey Two (2008), the latter a homage to the emerging hip house and electro movement of 1988. Yet, by his own admission, not much has really changed.

“I had my son for a long time—only David Morales had kids before me!” he laughs. “But I never had a golden retriever. That’s supposed to slow you down, but I think it makes you more focused. Most artists are happiest when they’re out of the public eye. Whenever I’ve fallen off, it means I’m enjoying life.” Southern Fried, he says, understands this about him. While constant exposure may drive sales, he is not concerned with being visible all the time.

With multiple top thirty singles and strong sales behind him, Van Helden appears to have found a solid place in the new millennium. He praises Southern Fried as “completely amazing,” noting their rare ability to understand his approach. “They’ve done what nobody else could do in terms of understanding,” he says.

Born in Boston in 1970 to a Dutch-Indonesian father and a French-Lebanese mother, Van Helden spent his childhood traveling due to his father’s military career. He bought a drum machine as a teenager and began DJing soon after, though he still prefers producing. His career took off with “Witch Doktor” in 1994, but he has never followed a strict plan. Even the success of “My My My” came almost accidentally: “I was trying to produce hip-hop, found a sample, and just snapped it together.”

This instinctive approach defines his work. “I don’t live this scene,” he insists. He avoids closely following trends, preferring to rely on feel rather than knowledge. This distance allows him to move freely between genres, from house and garage to electro and rock-influenced pop, making him difficult to categorize.

His love of hip-hop continues to shape his music, especially in his Odyssey projects, where he revisits hip house and introduces it to new audiences. “I’m combining and showing people the great records from ’88—it’s for the kids,” he explains. He sees this as reviving a forgotten style and highlighting its cultural importance.

Van Helden also emphasizes the social power of music. He believes dance music should bring people together rather than divide them by nationality or scene. “Are we separating or are we bringing together?” he asks, stressing the importance of diversity and shared experience.

When asked about success, he admits he has no clear formula. Instead, he sees music-making as something that should feel natural. “The main thing is for it to be unforced,” he says.

Despite changes in the industry, Van Helden remains optimistic. He acknowledges the rise of digital culture and shifting party scenes but views them as evolution rather than decline. A silent rave he witnessed in Union Square—where hundreds danced in unison to music on headphones—struck him as “borderline genius.”

Still living much as he always has, Van Helden stays on the fringes of the scene, observing rather than fully immersing himself. Curious and reflective, he continues to see music as both a personal pursuit and a cultural force that can transcend boundaries.