Celebrating 10 years of his label Protocol Recordings, Nicky Romero looks back at 10 special tracks that defined Protocol’s decade.
When I launched my own record label in 2012 called Protocol Recordings, I desired creative freedom and to be able to decide which tracks I would like to release and how. Additionally, I wanted to provide a platform where other artists could also release their music, express their creativity and build their brands.
10 years down the road, I am happy to say that we’ve succeeded, and I’m very pleased with the progress we have made with our team. Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure to work with artists such as Calvin Harris, David Guetta, NERVO, Krewella, R3HAB, Tommy Trash, Nile Rodgers, W&W, Stadiumx, Deniz Koyu, Thomas Gold, Raiden, and more. These are just literally a few of the artists who are part of the Protocol’s journey.
Nicky Romero, Nervo – Like Home [Protocol Recordings]
“Like Home” is where it really took off for me with Protocol. It’s a real Protocol classic! Every time I play the track live, I’m amazed by how people all around the world still sing along to every single word. It’s a nostalgic record that I will definitely keep including in my sets.
Stadiumx – Howl At The Moon (feat. Taylr Renee) [Protocol Recordings]
This was the first track that Stadiumx released on Protocol, and it instantly went through the roof! It was topping the charts in multiple countries and received a Gold certificate. At Protocol, we always love working with Hungarian duo. “Howl At The Moon” just carries that amazing energy that fits my sets, so for me, it was a no-brainer to sign this track to the label and continue working with Stadiumx over the years.
Nicky Romero, Calvin Harris – Iron [Protocol Recordings]
It was an honor to work with Calvin Harris on Protocol, who has been such an inspiration to me from the beginning. “Iron” ended up on his highly praised studio album 18 Months, which I’m proud to be a part of. Still, after all those years, it’s a very special track that means a lot to me and Protocol Recordings.
Tritonal, Paris Blohm – Colors (feat. Sterling Fox) [Protocol Recordings]
I’m very proud to see that Tritonal have been building and developing their sound so well. “Colors” is a great festival track with a lot of energy. We decided to include a lot of fans in the music video, which was so much fun to work on too. It was very special to have all the fans involved in this release.
Nicky Romero, Krewella – Legacy [Protocol Recordings]
I really loved working on “Legacy” with Krewella. The whole process was a great and smooth experience, and the track still resonates with me whenever I hear it. Even though it is one of the first Protocol releases ever, it is still so relevant for many Protocol fans.
Deniz Koyu, Don Palm – Lift [Protocol Recordings]
Deniz is one of the artists who has been with us since I can remember. “Lift” was his first track on Protocol, and it’s one of those records that I still love to play during my live sets. All the Protocol fans still know the tune whenever I drop it. It’s a timeless classic!
Nicky Romero, Volt & State – Warriors [Protocol Recordings]
“Warriors” is one of the Protocol fans’ favorites! This collaboration with the Dutch duo Volt & State is one that I also play very often in my live sets. I still get goosebumps when it comes on at a big event because a huge portion of my current fans still knows the lyrics of it.
Nicky Romero, Nile Rodgers – Future Funk [Protocol Recordings]
The collaboration with Nile Rodgers was a really special one for me. I remember being in the studio with him for the first time together with our A&R Jorik van de Pol, and it was unbelievable to work with such a legend. I think the song that came out of the collaboration also is one of the most remarkable ones since I launched Protocol.
Florian Picasso, Raiden – Hanabi [Protocol Recordings]
Florian Picasso and Raiden are two amazingly talented artists and great to work with! A precious memory of “Hanabi” was when both joined me on stage at Ultra Music Festival in Miami in 2017 so we could premiere their track together. Since then, the individual careers of both have propelled, and they worked with some top-of-the-line artists afterward. For example, Florian has worked with Martin Garrix while Raiden collaborated with amazing K-Pop artists.
Nicky Romero, GATTÜSO – Afterglow (feat. Jared Lee) [Protocol Recordings]
“Afterglow” has a special place in my heart as the track has been in the making for a very long time. I first played it at the Avicii Tribute show in Stockholm in 2019, which was such a special moment, but we didn’t release it until January 2022. Since premiering it, I played “Afterglow” in many of my sets between 2019 and 2022, and the fans really got familiar with it, loved it, and already knew it, as well as its lyrics, long before it was released. There were also a lot of fans’ comments online asking when I’m going to release it. It shouldn’t be a surprise that I was very happy to finally release it together with GATTÜSO and Jared Lee. “Afterglow” was also my first single of 2022.
Listen to Nicky Romero’s full ’10 Years of Protocol Recordings’ chart below or check it out on Beatport.
