Kornél Kovács rang 'The Bells' and gave us joyous house music in 2016

“On a political level, it’s been a really shitty year,” sighs Kornél Kovács when asked to sum up his 2016, before pointing out that dance music is particularly vulnerable when society shifts to the right.

Speaking to Mixmag from New York, he’s elated at having finished a North American tour with a “very special” back-to-back set with Mister Saturday Night’s Justin Carter, but also concerned by the implications of the US election. “Escapism is important, but people’s energy on the dancefloor can be a force for good,” he says. “It might sound naive, but on things like homophobia and
club closures in 2016, we’ve been outspoken, rather than just taking more drugs and ignoring the situation.”