Dropstar.
In the middle of it.
Dropstar on a changing sound, the intimacy of a 360° stage and shows where music, lighting and visuals come together.
In conversation with Kevin Michael Haas · Dropstar
For Dropstar, a set does not end at the mixer. The Carinthian DJ and producer Kevin Michael Haas also works with lighting, sound and video for television and radio. That perspective shapes how he sees a stage: how do sound and images work together, and what happens when the audience surrounds him? Ahead of his announced Night Campus appearance at Graz’s Dom im Berg on 7 November, he discusses changing tastes, an album in progress and an event he hopes to make happen.
Dropstar is Austrian DJ and producer Kevin Michael Haas. Alongside his own music, he develops the Vibe Vision event concept with DJ AM3LLO and is part of Eventify. Five questions by email; answers received on 19 October 2026, lightly edited and translated from German.
A sound that grows with you.
Your first releases were hypertechno. How has your taste changed since then, and where is it taking you now?
Tech house and bass house have actually been a firm part of my musical taste ever since I started DJing. Over the years, and through going to lots of festivals, I developed more and more of a taste for techno and hard techno. Together with my bro DJ AM3LLO, we even started our own event concept, built around a 360-degree stage and a mixture of drum & bass, techno and hard techno. Audiences have always responded really well to it.
The idea behind releasing those two hypertechno tracks was quite simple: hypertechno was having its big moment, and I wanted to produce music that would really get people going while still including certain techno elements. Hypertechno was a perfect fit for that at the time.
If you asked me today whether I would produce hypertechno again, though, my answer would be a clear no. I have developed enormously in the past few years, both musically and in terms of production, and gained a lot of new experience.
I have now been working for over two years on a small album that is meant to reflect exactly the sound I stand for as a DJ today. Its tracks will represent my current taste and personal style.
Between chance and perfection.
Where do you start when producing, and how do you deal with ideas that no longer work for you a few days later?
Honestly? I do not really have a precise routine that I always follow when producing. Sometimes I stumble across sounds I like and simply experiment with them, trying to create something new. On other days, I have a very specific idea in my head that I really want to bring to life.
I have probably deleted more productions than I have finished. But I think a lot of producers out there know that feeling: you work on a track for hours, you are really excited about it at first, then you listen again a few days later — and suddenly you are not happy with it at all.
Because I also work professionally as a sound engineer for television and radio, the quality of my productions naturally matters a great deal to me. Maybe I am sometimes even a little too much of a perfectionist and get in my own way.
So there is no fixed process for me. Sometimes I start with a drop, sometimes with a build-up, and then work my way through the rest of the track step by step.
I have probably deleted more productions than I have finished.
The crowd all around.
The 360° setup is central to Vibe Vision, and Night Campus has also been announced in that format. What changes for you when the audience is all around you?
I think the vibe on a 360° stage is something really special. The interaction with the crowd is much more direct and personal because, as the DJ, you are right in the middle of it, celebrating with everyone on the dancefloor. That creates a different energy from the very beginning, and you feel the audience’s mood much more intensely.
That is exactly what appeals to me about the concept. You pick up people’s reactions from every direction, which lets you respond to the crowd much more spontaneously and adapt your set accordingly.
Personally, I always have so much fun with this setup, and I am already really looking forward to 7 November at Dom im Berg in Graz!
When the show comes together.
You also work with lighting, sound and video. What makes a good show for you, and what do you hope for from the technical team?
Because I work a lot with lighting, sound and video professionally, the professionalism and overall look of a show naturally matter a great deal to me. Ideally, I would have a fully programmed lighting and visual show at every gig, perfectly matched to my music. Unfortunately, that is not always possible because of the cost.
But I think that, however good a DJ may be, having the visuals and lighting perfectly matched to the music takes the whole show to another level.
That is why I am always really happy to meet motivated, creative lighting technicians who do not just leave an automated chase running, but really feel the music and actively help shape the show. Of course, the sound also has to be right and must not be neglected.
For me, it is often those moments when music, lighting and visuals work perfectly together that make a performance special. I think those are the moments that stay with the audience for a long time, as well as with me as a DJ.
Making something happen together.
What does working with Eventify mean to you, and what event of your own would you still like to bring to life?
Eventify is a group of really good DJs who offer a complete package for school balls and other events. From DJs and lighting and sound equipment to photographers and videographers, we provide everything from one team.
We have already played some really great balls together, and being onstage with the other DJs is so much fun every time. Exchanging ideas and performing together are always something special.
One thing I definitely want to do in the future is organise a larger event of my own, with the proceeds going to Kärntner Kinderkrebshilfe. It has been a wish of mine for quite a while because I would love to connect my passion for music with a good cause.
Of course, an event like that involves an enormous amount of planning, high costs and a certain financial risk. Even so, I would really love to make it happen. My view is: if you do not take a risk, you cannot win. And if doing something you love can also help other people, that would be the best part of it for me.
Dropstar
Interview by email · Editorial and image art direction: SCENE:ID. Dropstar (bereitgestellt) · SCENE:ID art direction