Purple Disco Machine about home and success

The Dresden native not only made music with his guests, he also played the city guide for them. "Everyone loved it somehow. Many had either no idea or completely different ideas about the city," he says. It was a great experience to bring people into his comfort zone and make music with them there.

In October, Piontek will be embarking on a live tour of Europe with "Paradise", a new project. For the first time, he will be on the road with a mixture of DJ set and band - with the musicians he already worked with for the album.

The 44-year-old prefers the really big shows. "The more people, the better, this intimacy is almost a bit too personal for me," he says. With 200 spectators, you get direct feedback from everyone. "With 80,000 people, it's easy, you see the first four rows - and those are usually the hardcore fans." The rest is then just a sea of people where you can no longer see the personal emotions.

Cancelling Taylor Swift "no big deal at all"

Piontek has already released disco remixes of some of the biggest hits by artists such as Lizzo, Elton John and Britney Spears. However, he turned down one of the world's biggest stars: the management of US pop singer Taylor Swift had asked him for a remix. For Piontek, it was "no big deal" to turn down the request. It was only afterwards that the topic was blown up in the media, says Piontek.

He does not believe that Swift herself even knew about the request. Her label reacted with irritation; no one had ever turned her down, Piontek recalls. But the offer simply came at the wrong time. "I was fully in the album process and didn't want to interrupt it to make some quick money on the side."

"I hope the bubble doesn't burst at some point"

Piontek doesn't trust his success. Many would work long hours towards an appearance at the world-famous Coachella festival, for example, but it almost comes to him. "Sometimes you have a guilty conscience and think: I hope the bubble doesn't burst at some point and people realize that he can't actually do anything."

He is still surprised about his Grammy win to this day. The music prize is considered the highest award in the music world. Similar to the Oscars in the film industry, around 13,000 members of the Recording Academy - representatives of the music industry, including musicians, labels and journalists - decide on the winners.

"That's why I was so surprised. It wasn't a fan vote, but people from the industry who voted for me," says Piontek. He wouldn't have traveled to the award ceremony in Los Angeles if his wife hadn't convinced him. Now he is a member of the jury himself - an honor, says the Dresden native.

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