HE’S a famous content creator who’s part of global online sensations the Sidemen.
But away from social media, Vikkstar – real name Vikram Singh Barn – is finding his way as an EDM DJ and has his own UK headline tour next month.
Sidemen’s Vikkstar is going on a UK tour next month[/caption]
The content creator began learning to DJ in lockdown[/caption]
The 29-year-old has learned from the best with top industry artists like Alan Walker and Afrojack acting as mentors.
And his music has been going down a storm ever since his breakthrough collab with Walker and Dash Berlin, Better Off Alone, was released in 2023. It’s so far clocked up over 130 million streams.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Vik explained how his love affair with the genre began over a decade ago when he visited huge festivals like Miami Ultra and Tomorrowland.
He said: “I’ve met a load of the kind of DJs and producers behind it.
“A lot of them are gamers, so we were gaming together a lot during lockdown and it was only at Tomorrowland in 2022 that Alan Walker took me up on stage with him at the main stage there and then afterwards said, ‘you know, if you enjoy it, you should go and learn to DJ and start making your own sound’.”
Tomorrowland festival was born out of the aptly named Boom, Belgium, in 2005.
Vik called it a “crazy” experience stepping out onto its main stage and describes the event as “magical”, which certainly isn’t hyperbole.
Each year it presents a mystical new theme and its stage creators go above and beyond to produce the most breathtaking live music backdrops out there.
When it comes to his own sound, Vik favours melodic dance with crowd-pleasing drops.
He said fans can expect “energetic” sets that have been finetuned at gigs in Asia, India, Australia, Malta and the exclusive Val Thorens ski resort.
“For me, it’s all about that big, big melodic kind of uplifting EDM music,” said Vik. “I just love kind of bringing that back and stuff that everyone knows, stuff that’s super energetic. I have the most fun playing that and it seems like the crowds are most enjoying that when I play.
“I’m really happy just kind of making the kind of music that I love to listen to and go out and enjoy myself. So for now that’s kind of the aim is just to share that with as many people as possible and make it a fun experience.”
While he’s close pals with fellow Sideman KSI, Vik has no immediate plans to make music with him or any other singer for that matter, at least not for now.
He said: “In the UK, there are a lot of great, great vocalists who I’d love to work with at some point.
“But I think it’s kind of finding the stuff. Also, I kind of want to build up my name and my music first before kind of relying on other people.”
KSI is currently working as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent and has tasted chart glory with nine top 10 singles and a number one album.
The Sidemen have millions of fans around the globe[/caption]
KSI has had nine top 10 singles in the UK[/caption]
Despite his breakout success, he’s remained loyal to the Sidemen and it’s no different for Vikkstar and his music career.
For over 11 years the gaming collective has been putting out videos online and building a loyal army of supporters, and Vik sees it as a major positive when it comes to growing his musical fanbase.
“We kind of showcase ourselves as we are on the Sidemen channel and aim to have as much fun as possible and then what I’m doing with the live shows, I feel it’s just an extension of that,” he said.
“I’m playing kind of music that’s fun, getting to interact with people that feel like they know me on a personal level, which is great.
“So yeah, it all kind of adds to the experience and makes it really fun.
“You know, even if I can do something in person for a few hundred people or a few thousand, it’s a really special experience.”
The jet-setting media star, who’s worth an estimated £8m, often travels by private jet and squeezes in high profile appearances at glitzy events like Formula 1 and Gumball meets and rubs shoulders with Jake Paul and Sir Richard Branson.
But so far, his career highlight is performing with Walker, which he admits sparked a bout of “impostor syndrome”.
But it’s something he’s managed to overcome and he has no problem showing his musical development on social media.
He recently hung out with Don Diablo in London and made music with Afrojack in the Alps, while last year he got a crowd hyped with Steve Aoki.
And his solo shows are all the more confident and polished for it, with fans losing it in smoky, laser-lit clubs as Vik goes to work on the decks.
Next month he will play shows at XOYO Birmingham (4 Apr), O2 Ritz, Manchester (5 Apr), District, Cardiff (11 Apr) and SWX, Bristol (12 Apr).
And ticketholders are sure to walk away energised and ready to tackle the night.
Tickets for Vik’s tour are on sale now at https://vikkstar-live.com
