Beatportal Exclusive: Rising Star Riordan on ‘Gimme,’ Career Highlights, and the Road Ahead
Riordan has quickly established himself as one of dance music’s most exciting new talents. In this exclusive chat with Beatportal, the rising star shares the story behind his latest track, “Gimme,” reflects on key moments from his career, and reveals what’s next as he continues to make waves in the industry



What inspired you to put your signature twist on Kraze’s classic ‘The Party’ for ‘Gimme’?
This track started while I was on the road in between shows. I didn’t have much time so I needed to work quickly - the only goal for this track was to make something high energy that would really pump a crowd up in my sets. I wanted something fresh to play. I got the groove made up first, and then searched for the right vocal to fit. When I came across this vocal from The Party, I instantly knew it was the one. The way he shouts just has so much energy and I knew it would be perfect. I tested the track for the first time live at Escape Festival in San Bernardino in front of around 20,000 people. It went nuts, and at that moment I knew I was onto something.
Can you talk us through the process of creating the track, especially layering the Think drum break with the explosive drop?
For me I like to start a track with the drums. They are the backbone of a dance record and I make sure to get them perfect before moving on. Then I normally come up with a baseline or find a vocal sample that inspires me, and build the rest of the track around these core elements.
I love mixing genres, I do it in most of my tracks. Adding a little breakbeat or tempo change always gives some variation and brings an old school vibe. It’s kinda become part of my sound. And with the vocal I chose for this track, the Think drum break just fit so well and felt like it was meant to be there, so I went with it.
How did the collaboration with Three Six Zero Recordings come about for this release?
Three Six Zero has been a target label of mine for ages, and they have been on fire throughout 2024. They are widely recognised as one of the best labels in the game, so they were a top priority for the new music I’ve been working on these last few months. I wasn't sure what track they would be interested in the most so I sent them quite a wide range of stuff, but Gimme was the one that stood out to them and in all honesty it was the one I hoped they would love. I’m stoked to be making my debut on the label!
What do you hope listeners feel when they hear ‘Gimme’?
Honestly, I hope it gets them moving. Bringing some energy to the dancefloor was my main goal for this record, and hopefully I have achieved this. I also wanted it to feel like a track that could have been made in 2024 or back in the ‘90s. So I hope it takes them back, and has that kind of instant nostalgia effect.

2024 was a massive year for you with highlights like supporting Calvin Harris and playing at iconic venues. Which moment stands out most for you, and why?
My headline tour was the biggest achievement for me. The fact that we sold out shows all over the world (the biggest ones being London, New York and LA) is still crazy to me. When you play a headline show the energy is just different because people have literally come to see you. It’s definitely a feeling I am still getting used to, but the energy in those rooms was just next level and they knew all my music inside out. For me the big festivals were incredible, but these are the moments I’m most proud of and where I felt most connected to my fans.
Your track ‘Needle On The Record’ hit #1 on Beatport and has over 6 million streams. What do you think made it resonate so strongly with listeners?
I think there were multiple reasons to be honest. The catchy and simple vocal, a very heavy hitting bass and the combination of breakbeat and tech house are all big factors. But also from a social standpoint, getting brought out on stage by Gorgon City at Drumsheds to play it in front of 15,000 people was a big factor. The video racked up hundreds of thousands of views across all platforms and really helped to push the song. I feel like with this song there were so many small wins that lined up to make it as big as it turned out to be, and I’m just so grateful for it.
You’ve been named as one of the most exciting talents in dance music right now. How do you handle the pressure of living up to such expectations?
I honestly don’t think about it too much. I try to keep things simple. I’m writing this interview from my bedroom studio at home in the same bedroom I was in when I had zero followers and was making mashups on my mum's ironing board to post online. I feel pretty much the same as I did then as I do now, the shows are just a bit bigger. And trust me, I love it so much but I am still just as hungry as ever and there is still lots of work to be done. So I don’t focus on it too much, I just try to do my thing and keep making records I love.
Your journey began during the pandemic, and you quickly gained attention with viral success on TikTok. How did that platform shape your career?
TikTok has definitely had a huge impact on my career. I think the best thing about tiktok is that you don't have to have followers to get views. Sure, it helps, but if you drop a killer piece of content it's going to do well regardless. I saw that as a huge opportunity and started to take advantage of it early on. It was the first platform where I started to get significant growth, and my management even discovered me through TikTok in 2021 which has ultimately led to all the opportunities I have today.
Your set at Rise Festival in December was a huge moment, and it was streamed live for fans to experience. What was it like performing in that setting, and how did the crowd’s energy impact your set?
It was incredible. We did the set in collaboration with Mixmag which has been a huge goal of mine - I've been watching their sets on YouTube for years and I'm really proud to have one of my own. The setting was unbelievable; we were right up high in the French Alps at one of the apres-ski bars on the side of the mountain and the weather was absolutely perfect. Not a cloud in sight. From a personal standpoint, I think it's one of the best sets I’ve played. I love snowboarding and I love DJing so it really combined my two favourite things. The vibes at an apres-ski bar are always high, and the crowd was a proper vibe. I took it fairly steady at the start, and wanted to build up the energy gradually to peak around an hour into the 90 minute set. I think the plan worked well, and it's definitely inspired me to try and do more sets in unique, remote locations.
How do you prepare differently for festivals like EDC Las Vegas or Rise Festival compared to more intimate venues like Space Miami or Brooklyn Mirage?
I tend to prepare my sets more for the huge festival events. This is because these sets are often recorded and performed in front of thousands of people. When I go out there, I wanna feel confident that the set I'm about to play will resonate with the crowd. They also tend to be shorter (normally 60-90 minutes), so planning helps to make sure I don’t lose track of time and forget to play an important ID or track. Often I don’t fully stick to the plan, but I still like to have one when I go on stage. For the smaller, intimate venues I like to have a much more free approach. I have a big playlist of music that is constantly being updated, changed and moved around as I produce or find new music that excites me. When I play at this type of venue I normally know what song I’m going to start with and finish with - that’s it. Everything else in between is just me reading the crowd and trusting my experience as a DJ to play the right tracks. It keeps me on my toes and means I never play the same set twice.
How do you see your sound evolving in the future?
It’s hard to predict. Truthfully I think this is the first time I’ve really felt confident in my sound and the direction my music is heading, so my priority is to push that as much as possible and double down on it, not to change it. I’m sure my sound will evolve naturally over time as my taste changes, but it’s not something I’m going to force - it happens naturally. I do like fusing different genres with house music, so maybe I’d like to experiment with that more, but otherwise I think it’s important to recognise when you are finding your niche and focus on that.