Nicky Romero, real name Nick Rotteveel, was born January 6th 1989 in the small city of Amerongen, Holland. A keen interest in the drums and an early career spinning house and r&b quickly evolved into an unbridled passion for music production. Early releases, picked up by boutique outfit Once Records, caught the attention of some of the more established labels: Spinnin’, Fly Eye, Toolroom and Flamingo Recordings.
As he worked on honing his sound – a seductive blend of progressive house tinged with electro and acid – he sent a bootleg of David Guetta smash “When Love Takes Over” out into the world. The track’s online success piqued the interest of Guetta himself and in that moment Romero found his mentor and champion. They have since collaborated on multiple projects including “Metropolis” and “Wild One Two,” and in the summer of 2012 Nicky Romero accepted a residency at David Guetta’s infamous FMIF club night at Pacha/Ushuaia Ibiza.
Today, Nicky Romero is paying it forward with his Protocol brand that is quickly establishing itself as a leading dance music platform – a go-to outlet for forward-thinking dance music. Championing up and coming artists, like Don Diablo, John Dahlback, Vicetone, Kryder, Michael Calfan and Merk & Kremont, with his record label, club night and radio show, Romero extends his influence to help develop the next generation of artists, while also supporting more established acts such as Calvin Harris, R3hab, Nervo, Krewella and Bassjackers, amongst others. With the label’s releases consistently flowing in the Beatport top 10, it is clear that its impact is being heard around the world. Furthermore, Protocol Radio, a weekly show syndicated to more than 60 radio stations on FM, receives over 40 million listeners every week and it continues to grow at a rapid rate.