Shape-shifter of deep dance floors, Dixon now calls Lisbon home
Dixon has been at the top of electronic music for nearly two decades, but you wouldn’t know it from how he carries himself. No big speeches, no social media noise. Just a reputation that holds across time zones, scenes, and generations.Originally from Berlin, Dixon came up in the deep house explosion of the early 2000s, co-founding the Innervisions label with Âme and shaping what became one of the most recognisable global aesthetics in electronic music: layered, melodic, emotionally intense — but never cheesy.
He wasn’t just another DJ. He was the one people stayed out for.
Over the years, he’s headlined everything from Panorama Bar and DC10 to Dekmantel and Moga. And for a solid six-year stretch, he was a perennial #1 on Resident Advisor’s Top 100 DJs list — not because he shouted loud, but because people kept showing up.
More recently, though, the compass has shifted. Dixon has been spending more and more time in Portugal — particularly in Lisbon — where he’s set up a base for both living and working. His sets here feel looser, more expansive. Still calculated, but with more risk. There’s a warmth to the way he plays in Lisbon that reflects the surroundings: fewer crescendos, more glide. You can really see that shift best by checking out his constantly updated Dixon ID's list on Spotify, which houses everything you could enjoy from laid-back Sunday afternoon vibes to early Sunday morning seshes.
Beyond the decks, Dixon’s interest in technology and immersive art continues to evolve. His Transmoderna project — part label, part creative direction, part performance platform — has roots in Lisbon too, with recent test runs of live A/V experiences at art spaces outside the club circuit. And of course Innervisions, who have recently announced Lisbon on their 20 Year Anniversary tour - tickets available here.
Dixon isn’t probably done moving. But Lisbon feels less like a pit stop and more like a chapter. A slower rhythm. A new lens and a different pace of life, but he's certainly not hanging up his boots in the studio anytime soon...
Interview forthcoming on Lisbon Sounds... watch this space.
