

A-Trak: Travel secrets of a superstar DJ
Is there anyone in music who’s as well-traveled as A-Trak? The DJ, producer and label boss shares his survival tricks—as well as where to find rare records, free sounds, and the best fests
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A-Trak knows a thing or two about traveling for music. And no wonder: Having started out touring with Kanye West, the 42-year-old Canadian triple threat (superstar DJ, producer, record label boss) has performed in all corners of the globe. If there’s a festival, nightclub or record store he hasn’t been to, it probably isn’t worth knowing about.
The one thing he hasn’t quite conquered is jet lag—but he’s mastered all the hacks to make sure that he still arrives at his destination box-fresh. “Through years of traveling through different time zones to places where I need to perform and look rested, I’ve learned to anticipate what my body is going to experience,” says A-Trak (Alain Macklovitch to his parents), who lives in New York City when he isn’t on a plane. “People tell me, ‘Oh, you must be used to it by now.’ I’m sorry, but you never get used to jet lag. It doesn’t work like that, you just learn routines to minimize it.”
Read on for his advice on how to get the best out of music-inspired vacations—whether you’re on a budget, want to track down out-of-the-ordinary venues, or maybe don’t think you’re the sort of person who goes to festivals…

A-Trak’s pro guide to music travel
When you’re heading to a festival, plan well
“There are things that might not be a factor in day-to-day life—can you reach your friends? Is the phone service going to get jammy? Set a meeting point—if you lose each other, meet there at 9 p.m. Think, pollen and dust might kick off your allergies. Did you bring sunscreen? One of my biggest hacks is a cheap little atomizer for perfume to have in your pocket. That’s a life changer. Also, make the festival schedule your phone background, so you can see it when you don’t have service.”
When traveling, think of your body like a machine
Not a typical festival goer? Go to Coachella
“Coachella is pleasant—walking through the grounds is really quite lovely. It’s a polo field surrounded by prehistoric-looking mountains. There’s no mud, and a tasteful curation of music. I played the first Coachella in 1999, when it was just a rave in the desert. Now, they keep adding stages. People hear about big headliners, but there are smaller tents like Sonora and the Yuma Tent where you hear cooler stuff. There are hotels 15 minutes away, so figure out which ones have shuttles to the festival.”
Go to Tokyo for rare records
“Tokyo will always be a cool city for record shopping. Japanese people are extremely curious and very thorough when they embrace subcultures, so hip-hop, house music, streetwear, sneaker culture, all those things became popular a long time ago. I started going there in the late 1990s and I was like, ‘Whoa, I just found this rare Beastie Boys super limited 12-inch with the Prince Paul remake from the B-side.’ I’d buy records that were impossible to find elsewhere.”
Plan ahead to beat jet lag
“Go to sleep at local time—don’t fall victim to an afternoon nap that will confuse your body. Eat at the right times and get sunlight on your skin, get into that city’s circadian clock on the first day—if I hit a wall and fall asleep at 6 p.m., I’m going to be screwed for five days. When traveling, you start thinking about your body like a machine—I’m losing energy, what am I doing to replenish it?”
Find a venue that excites you
“Red Rocks is a natural amphitheater built in the rocks of Colorado. It is gorgeous and the sound quality is incredible. The Greeks figured out how to make amphitheaters in rocks and I don’t think we’ve come up with a better system since. On the other end of the spectrum, I could be in a venue that looks like an industrial hangar, like Drumsheds, a new venue in London in a converted IKEA, and that feels special too. Then there’s Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, an enormous artist commune that feels like you’re inside a fantastical Alice in Wonderland adventure.”
Traveling for music doesn’t have to be expensive
“My hometown Montreal is amazing for free music. I’m grateful I grew up in a city so culturally rich, there were always wonderful events to go to. As soon as it’s not cold, when you actually can be outside, everyone organizes so many things. The Montreal Jazz Festival is world renowned. I played there when I was 16, but much better musicians than me have played there for decades.”

Lara Kilner
Writer
Lara Kilner is a lifestyle journalist who has contributed to The Times, The Telegraph, and more. She has traveled extensively through five continents, but her most memorable trip was the one on which she met her Malaysian husband.

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