Welcome along John! Now your new project Editions is a kick-back against “the commercialized state of dance music culture”. On a 1–10 scale how annoyed with it are you!!?

10000!!! Clubland is on it's knees at the moment. Just look at the UK - where have all our clubs gone? The handful of 'superclubs' we have left are struggling to sustain monthly events. You want me to vent?

We want you to vent!

People have been brainwashed into believing they have to see a celebrity DJ when they go out, but this comes at a cost, hence the inflated door price. Clubbing was never about this, we trusted the name above the door of the club. The promoter used to have to power to program his nights musically, we trusted him and supported weekly clubs regardless of who was playing. We all went to enjoy the sense of community and comradeship of enjoying the music in a likewise environment.

What aspects of the commercialized state have particularly got your goat?!

The self-conscious DJ's and agents controlling the scene for all for the wrong reasons. They set out to become famous, become divas and cause so much trouble within the scene. We don't need people like this in the industry. The scene needs to split into two again, the divas can then do their thing on the commercial circuit (taking the drama with it), letting the underground scene rebuild itself to let new clubs, music and talent come through. We desperately need this...

What is Editions going to offer to wean the clubber off the “props, pyrotechnics and faux VIP’s” nature of the scene?

When I'm in the mood for a serious clubbing night, I have no care for the aforementioned, I just care for the music. The less visual distractions going on, allows me to concentrate on the story the DJ is unfolding with his music. The better the sound system, the more I feel that story. This is exactly what I'm doing at my own JOOF Editions nights. I strip away all the props etc, and upgrade every sound system. I also ensure the lighting guys works with each and every DJ creating the ultimate music lovers dream.

How long is the average J00F Editions set going to run?

J00F:: The longer the better to be honest. It all depends on the license of the club. I much prefer playing longer sets allowing me to express myself musically and dip into all the music I love. That has always been the job of a DJ to use your music as a tool to unfold that story.

You’re starting it at bass-camp in Brighton – what’s the plan in terms of taking it from there?

J00F:: Not quite, no... Brighton will be our main hub but we've already tested it in Manila, San Francisco, Sweden and Argentina and with a 100% success rate. People were hungry for this and are wanting change. People came out the woodwork for these events; it's amazing!

Keep an eye on the J00F website for all future events!

You kicked off your 'Summer of Schulz' yesterday. What does that consist of?

Well over the next 3 weeks I've got some big things going on so GDJB thought they'd bring them all together under the one banner.

Starting with Coldharbour Day, right?

Right.... This was our 3rd. We've been doing them on the 28th of July each year to celebrate major markers in CH's history.

So what was this year's?

It was actually the 100th release on the label, so we ran a special day of mixes on AHFM, with all the producer/DJs that have been instrumental in the label since 2004 mixing it up. We had a great reaction - I was very happy with how it all went down!

Great! So what is the 100th release?

It's my new single 'Perception'. As some people out there know its a very special one for me. The Cass & Slide original has been part of my life since I was a clubber, going to The Gallery every week. I did a reinterpretation for the 'Do You Dream?' album with Justine Suissa and it just seemed like synergy to make it the 100th release.

And where does the Schulz Summer take you from there?

Writing this I've got about an hour to go before I go on stage at Sunrise in Poland and then there's Pleasure Island &Tomorrowland, tomorrow (!), Nature One in Germany (which I just know is going to be off the hook!) next week on the 30th and then Dance Valley next month.

Cool! And Nature One is going out on the radio too, right?

It is indeed, on Sunshine Live; so if you can't make it, tune in and enjoy!

And then the home-run, Ibiza via Budapest.

That's right. I recorded the Budepest gig I did a week or so back as the August GDJB World Tour night and loaded the set with an incredible amount of exclusives, so that should be hot! Then, on Aug 10th I've got my solo 7hr all-nighter at Amnesia in Ibiza. I'm playing there 8 times this summer but this night is the one! I did one in September last year and from experience all I can say is if you're on the island, get down there. I'll make it worth your while!

John, last year was busy; this one looks like it's right out on the red line! How are you keeping it all together?

There certainly have been times when I wonder that myself! But it's a great privilege to play at events around the globe.

Let’s kick off with the label then. You started in Jan, you look like you’re flying. Is it all going the way you expected it to?

I couldn’t be happier - really. Subculture's releases have been very strong so far and I am glad to see the label form somewhat of a cult following. There is a lot more quality material to come - so stay tuned!

‘Desert Orchid’ is the latest J.O.C. single; where does the title come from?

Well my dad has been an avid racing fan all his life, and people might know the horse Desert Orchid. A story about it popped up on telly one night and thought I would name a tune after it in honour of his hobby!

You’ve also started running Subculture events in Ireland; how are they going?

JOC:: They've been monumental for us - really. We waited for years for our own first event in Dublin. It sold out and if you check the footage on my YouTube channel you can see we all had an amazing time. The next one's in December.

And there's another compilation coming?

Absolutely. I am right in the middle of compiling the tracklist for Subculture 2010 now. We've got a 8th of October release date, with brand new and exclusive tracks from all our Subculture artists.

You’re playing 6 times in Ibiza this year. How healthy is she looking in 2010?

She's thriving, you can barely walk down the sunset views at night – it is thronged! Cream Amnesia has been buzzing every week with close to capacity numbers. I have been on the decks 3 times so far, with 3 to go - love it!

Ibiza to one side, what else do you have looming on the gig horizon?

Global Gathering UK at the end of July, The Gallery, Airport Jam Estonia, Pacha NYC then off to S. America tour – oh and Toronto and LA for the big festivals too! Gods Oz Tour in Oct - Airmiles card at the ready!

Radio shows, labels, club nights, compilations – is anything missing from the set? Have you got more Subcultures to add? A men’s fragrance perhaps?!

Ha! Not quite, I am however working on my next artist album due for release 2011. I am really excited about the tunes I have demoed so far, there are a couple of tunes with big potential (I hope!), and thrown into the mix some classic uplifting trance.

Richard, you've been passed the In Search Of Sunrise reins this year. Did you have to think hard before accepting them?

Yep, long and.... When you take on a responsibility like that you have to. We already had a plan for my own compilation in the works, but then Black Hole approached me about ISOS. I chewed it over, deliberated and decided it was the right route to go.

Everyone's an individual - you've obviously got your own take on it. What adjectives would you use to describe your ISOS sound?

This is really hard to say... I did try to keep the ISOS feel, but I’m sure that I’ve picked tracks other than ones Tiësto would have. My style is not the same as his. As you say everyone is an individual!

Can you pick one track that you think most clearly exemplifies the sound?

Give me two and we’re talking! I’d go with Zoo Brazil featuring Rasmus Kellerman ‘There Is Hope’ and San vs. Wendel Kos ‘Kiss Of Life’ (Ibiza Sunrise Mix). I think between those two tracks lie all the elements of my ISOS.

ISOS Radio launches this month. What's the one thing you'd like to achieve with it above all others?

Well I’ll only be doing 1 ISOS compilation every year but there are so many new tracks I would like to hear to people. The show will allow that. There are other reasons, of course, but this is the main one.

Ok, we’re keen! How do we get hold of it?!

For now it is going out as a podcast on iTunes, but over the course of the next six months the show will start arriving on different internet and FM stations as we begin to syndicate it The ISOS tour looks to be rolling hard.

Where's it stopping next?

Next stop will be the North America tour and of course Australia! Two places I can never get enough of!

How's Ibiza looking to your eyes this year?

Amazing, but then it always is! I love to play at my resident club Judgement Sundays - the atmosphere is near unbeatably great!

Thanks for joining us chaps! First up, give us the Tritonal introduction.

Hi Guys!! Thank you for having us. Tritonal consists of Chad Cisneros & Dave Reed, a couple of guys from different sides of the US who met online discussing sound design. We've been at the Tritonal collaboration for two years now. In that time, we have really enjoyed ourselves! We definitely feel thankful with the amount of success in such a short time...

Alongside Ferry Tayle you’ve mixed the 2nd volume of Enhanced Sessions. Pick 3 tracks from it that you think typify your mix…

The 3 tracks that really stick out to us are Kyau & Albert’s ‘Once In A Life’, our personal remix of Nadia Ali's ‘Fantasy’, and our new, just promed track ‘Driftoff’.

You’re also progressing on to becoming an album act this year. As of today how close to completion is it?

We're about 75% done... We are so stoked for the tracks we have finished, and have so much more to do. We have about 4-5 tunes that are almost done, and need a week or 2 to wrap up.

You play a lot in your home country. Having spun in nearly every metropolis that counts in the United States do you think you’ve ‘cracked the nut!?

We are fortunate to be playing pretty much every city in the US, but there are some that we still need to hit. The US is a big place, so it’s nice having so many areas to play in. We are going to keep focused on building our profile with solid tracks; things will naturally fall into place.

You’re starting to spread your wings abroad this year – where else have you been playing?

Its been crazy, and have been to some amazing places. We were able to get over to Australia & NZ, and the UK. We also played Gatecrasher in Moscow which incredible; we did a live set with Cristina Soto - our go-to girl. We also played the huge US Electric Daisy Carnival festival which was just massive!

What’s the number one country or city on your ‘I wanna play there’ list?

Someday, we would love to play in Ibiza where all the major profile artists have been. We’ve always heard great things about that place and definitely want to make our mark!

Finally, you’ve just launched a new label through Enhanced. Tell us a bit about that…

Ahh yes! Air Up There Recordings will be launched on July 26th. It gets its name from our radio show - Air Up There. We really want to have an imprint from which we can ‘speak’. We couldn't be more excited teaming up with Will Holland – he’s a 100% class act!

Riel One: the last 12 months seems to have been silly-busy for you… Has touring taken over your life!?

Hell yes it has taken over my life! It’s become more busy with every month that's passed. You will however never hear my complain about it though because this is why I do it... This is the life - how fortunate am I to be doing all this??

Where have you been?

Well from one end of the world to the other (more or less) and everything in between. There are still some countries I haven’t been to yet but really want to and hopefully we can go there this coming year. I’ll play 6 out of 7 days a week if I have to.. l.o.v.e. it!

Hear that! Ok, so you're were handing out Dance Nation of the Year awards, who’d be getting it for 2010 so far?

That's a tough one, but I have to multiple answer that. I'd split the award in 3 ways (because I'm Sied and I can do so in my world). thirds each to Argentina, Poland and Australia. If I could hand out 2 more Those would go to the Nations of Montreal and Ibiza!

Rampant cheating, but we'll let it slide! So is there somewhere you’ve played over the course of the last 3 years that you’ve been dying to get back to, but not been able?

I would really like to play Lebanon again. The first event I did there 2 years ago was cool-as at a beach, but I have yet to do a proper club event in Beirut. Guabba Beach in Cyprus I would like to return to, and Macedonia - very much a place I want to spin.

What’s going on in terms of Sied van Riel productions at the moment?

There’s a lot of stuff going on. I’ve been on the down-low for a bit but that was down to a studio re-fit, switched from Cubase to Logic. Now everything is up and running again and there will be a lot of new stuff coming up in the coming weeks and months. Excited!

You’ve also done some collabs?

Sure. I recently did ones with Radion 6 and Ummet Ozcan. The track with Radion (‘Radiator’) went through the roof getting support by everybody and blew up the charts... Daytime airplay etc.. Crazy and very cool. The track with Ummet is just finished and will be pushed out within the coming weeks.

Are we going to see a second edition of 'In Riel Time' do you think?

For RIEL..! Working on it as we speak!! Lots of new tracks and stuff for it… Expect it out at the end of August/September time.

Bobina, welcome. First off tell us how that name came about?

Thanks! Well Bobina means real 2 real in Russian – the big cassette tapes that people still use on TV sometimes. I found this word quite cool and tapped it up!

You've made some great leaps in your career of late... What do you think has been the single biggest factor in that?

I can’t put it down to anything other than work, work... and work again! If you wanna reach something, hard work is always the most important factor in getting there.

You play a lot in the Russian Federation. How healthy is the scene over there?

Trance and progressive became really big here in Russia. I’m really happy about that. From year to year I see that more and more people get into it and they start to know the music. You can see this very clearly when you do a show in a club in one of Russia’s not so central cities.

It seems that you've been doing a lot more abroad over the last 12 months too...

Yes I try to do my best – that’s really interesting to discover the new countries, new cultures. I’m really happy I have a chance to do this!

Which new country you've played in has surprised you the most over the last year and why?

I think its South Africa, but it’s impossible for me to properly explain in words why. The closest thing is that it’s really, really different from Russia, in every respect.

You've got a new single out soon... Tell us a bit about that?

Ah yes, I do indeed. Actually I’m producing my next artist album at the moment. The 1st single is called ‘Angel of the North’ – it got a lot of support here in Russia on FM radio. The vocals on it are by Sabrina Altan and I have to say she’s an amazing singer. You can watch the official music video for the tune on
www.bobina.tv

Want to give us the inside scoop on any new projects up and coming?

My main project for the next 12 months is of course the album. I’m really having a lot of fun producing it and I hope to have it ready before summer 2011. Plus I’m really concentrated on bobina.tv - it takes a lot of time to make it – so I really hope people will tune in to watch what we're up to there!

How important is it to you to get exclusive material for Magic Island compilations?

For me it's very important, because I don't see this compilation series as just a mix album. For me it's more of an artist album with the help of a lot of different producers, so I always do a lot of productions and collaborations for them.

You're very often seen dressed in white whilst on stage - what first prompted that?

It was a white party in Montreal called Bal En Blanc; I played there the first time in white and really liked it.

Where is the most remotest place on the planet you've DJ'd?

I think that would have to be Mongolia.

And the closest to paradise?

In terms of crowd response paradise is wherever I go! Argentina, Mexico & Russia; these are my top 3 countries at the moment.

Audience participation seems very important to you - any particularly fond gig memories in that respect?

For me the interaction with the audience is the most important thing… Since I play a lot of live stuff when people are really into my music I can give my best on stage. There are so many memories of amazing shows I had in the past that it would take all the space we have just to start talking about them!

You say that Balearic People is more down to state of mind than geographical location... Give us some adjectives that go towards making up that state of mind.

That's right… Balearic is more a lifestyle for me, which combines beautiful places, melodic and peaceful music, beaches &sunsets together to create something like a neverending summer holiday. This is the vibe and feel I wanna give with my Balearic trance music.

There's a new Roger Shah Pres. Sunlounger album coming - what's the latest on it?

I’m still working on it but I think it will be released Early October. So far I'm very happy with it and I’m looking forward to playing a big album tour for the first time in my career.

You've also got a special gig coming up on Guabba Beach - tell us about that?

Yes I’m playing a kind of mini concert at my favorite beach party spot which will include my singers Chris Jones, Zara Taylor and Inger Hansen. This will be a kind of warm up / rehearsal for my first big solo concert show which we will do in October. As an exclusive I can tell you that it will be in Mexico AND inside a huge inflatable dome arena!

So Jon, ‘Found A Way’ looks like it’s done very well, holding the Beatport trance chart no.1 spot for 10 days straight. Does it qualify as your most successful release to date?

It’s up there with 'Ways & Means', which had a PVD remix. I think with ‘Found A Way’ being a vocal track, it appeals to more people as well. Very pleased with the support it has received, amazing remix by JOC too.

You’ve made your Garuda release debut too. What’s it called, who’s on the mix and where can the good people get their hands on it!?

The track is called ‘Out Of Touch’ and it comes with a funky Beltek remix. It’s out now on Beatport etc, with support from Armin, A&B, Gareth Emery, Ferry, Jules and more.

Are there any producers that you’ve not yet collaborated with, that you think you’d like to?

It would be pretty hard to top the guys I’ve collaborated with already. Amazing to have worked alongside Gareth Emery, Airwave and Activa. Maybe Paul van Dyk or John O’Callaghan would be a cool project!

Our 'leg or an arm' question: if you could only release artist albums or mix compilations from here on in, which would it be?!

That isn’t fair! I love doing both! I guess with me starting out as a DJ rather than a producer, I’d opt for compilations.

Jon, we salute that answer! Now you’re another of our 5 Minuters set to rock Tomorrowland. Have you played it before and what are you looking forward to most?

This will be my 3rd time at Tomorrowlands - amazing festival! It’s one of the friendliest as well, everyone has a constant smile whatever the weather. I’m most looking forward to (if its wet) mud wrestling (if its sunny) getting a British sunburn/tan.

Ha! You've also got some more North and South American action beckoning. Where are playing whilst you’re over there?

In the near future I’m back in San Francisco on 6th August at the amazing 1015. Colombia at the end of July and Argentina end of August, 2 gigs I’m really excited about!

1015 - say no more! The jungle drums are also telling us you’ve also got a Godskitchen tour on the horizon?

The drums would be correct, in Australia at the start of October. The last time I did this in 2008 it was my favourite tour by miles, so bring this on!

Give the people out there an instant snapshot of what you’re playing at the moment… What’s your big 3 for summer 2010?

Ok, 'Found A Way' – JOC Remix (Had to…)
'Out Of Touch' (Sorry, had to again…) Riva – 'Stringer' - Jon O’Bir Rework (hat trick!)

Rich you have some Cream @ Amnesia action lined up next month... What have you got up your sleeve to r-block it with?

Several killer remixes of tracks from the new album which I will be debuting on the night and also some brand new mixes of Solarstone classics.

Touchstone is one of the most diverse albums from a trance artist in years. Can you see a time when that tag just won't fit?

The 'trance artist' tag is one with which I do identify with at the moment for sure, but my recent experimentations in edgier orchestral film score music have opened up a new avenue which I'm exploring alongside my electronic dance music productions. Perhaps that will become a larger part of my repertoire, but I will always love trance music in all its incarnations.

Touchstone's an album about inspirations big and small. For giggles tell us the smallest one you can pin-point on the album?

There is a moment on 'The Best Way To Make Your Dreams Come True' which was inspired by the Pet Shop Boys 'West End Girls', where a female backing vocal appears, that moment gives me a little tingle every time I hear it (as it reminds me of being 15 years old and snogging my girlfriend!).

Both Touchstone and RainStarsEternal have a track with a Seven Cities/Solarcoaster feel to it, albeit in updated form. Do you find those tracks especially challenging?

They are challenging indeed, I use that 'classic Solarstone sound' for when I write a particular kind of melody, which comes around every couple of years. As it is a sound I spent a lot of time developing and nurturing I enjoy creating tracks which have something familiar about them.

'There's A Universe' has been described as your "down a rabbit hole moment". How did you view it when you finished it?

The track is a sort of 'Phil Spector meets electronica' record, it is very different indeed but I still think it has the characteristics of the Solarstone ethos embodied in it, which are 'warmth, melody and emotion'. It is a little bonkers though!

What's the latest on Elec. Architecture 2?

I am taking my time with it; I have a clutch of brilliant tracks from some very diverse and creative producers signed up for the record so far and I'm aiming at an early 2011 release for it.

Rob, you released your debut album last year. Were you satisfied with its reception?

I was really pleased with it, yes. It was a project that I put as much effort into as I possibly could. In addition to being personally happy with the results it was great to have such good feedback. I don’t think I could have asked for more.

With the benefit of 10 months hindsight which tracks do you think had the highest impact on the dance floor, and did you, yourself end up with a personal favourite?

I think that ‘Transmission’ has definitely had the best impact. It was made with a club in mind rather than an album as such. ‘Long Way Back’, the collaboration with Giuseppe Ottaviani gets great reactions too, both on dance floors and feedback from listeners.

You’ve just launched you own label Borderline. What are your aims and aspirations for the imprint?

I suppose the aim of Borderline is to be the platform to release trance, which keeps a bit more of an ‘energy’ about it as well as keeping the quality of the music as high as possible. I am working with some amazing new artists like Sonic Element and Impulsive Drive and more established producers like JK Walker and Marcos.

So what do you have lined up as the launch releases?

The first release is called ‘The Fall’. It’s a collaboration track between myself and Dave Parkinson. He has a few aliases the main two probably being Prime Mover and Revolution 9. We have decided to resurrect Revolution 9 for the collaboration. Its getting amazing feedback so far and will hopefully set the benchmark for the quality of trance that Borderline will be releasing.

Fantasy Island time: if you could sign any trance artist to Borderline who would it be?!

Stoneface & Terminal! The guys are amazing producers. Their style has changed quite a bit from the kind of trance I loved by them, but my choice would still be S&T.

After mixing ‘Live As. 6’ for Discover early last year you’re shortly going to be back out on compilation duty. Tell us about that?

Yeah, I am mixing the second disc of the new DS International series along with Ashley Wallbridge. It took me quite a long time to put together and will hopefully show. I was able to license one of my favourite ever tracks, Joker Jam – Innocence which gives the disc a great opening atmosphere. I’m excited to see how it’s received!

That’s excellent, one of our all-timers as well that one! Now you’ve just signed with Assured Artists – what prompted that move?

James was my manager at Fresh and someone that, since joining, I had only worked with. We both have similar ideas, music tastes and it was a natural progression really to move and work with him still once Assured was running. I think keeping the same manager (as long as you have a good working relationship) is very important.

The gig diary looks busy, where are you out and about on DJ manoeuvres for the rest of the summer?

I am pretty busy this summer, which is great... I have Tomorrowlands in Belgium, Beefree Festival in Slovakia very soon as well as dates at Godskitchen, Digital Society (for the album launch, 1015 in San Francisco and Art of Trance in Italy, which I can’t wait for!

Eddie, thanks for joining us! We’re hitting the Ibiza 2010 fast-lane now…How many Cream Amnesia years will this make for you?

This is my 4th year as a resident – however I played my first ever set at Cream Amnesia in 2004. It was a live broadcast for Radio 1’s Essential Mix.

Which was your first year on the island and have you ever been there out of season?

The first time I ever went to Ibiza was for my residency at Judgement Sundays in 2002, so not only had I never played there but was a complete Ibiza virgin! I’ve never been out of season but I know a few people that live out there all year round and they say Ibiza is very chilled place to be in the winter months.

Is the Amnesia DJ booth the world’s most impressive to stand in… or is there another!?

Amnesia DJ booth is certainly up there in my favourite DJ boxes in the world. It’s a pretty amazing feeling playing there – a real bonus about the Amnesia DJ booth that adds to the excitement is the special platform for your entourage – I really enjoy having all my gang around me when I’m playing.

You kick off the first of 8 Ibiza nights this week. What’s the one track you’re looking forward to dropping above the rest?

At the moment I am loving Joris Voorn’s ‘The Secret’ – it’s the perfect Ibiza anthem. He is really doing it production wise at the moment.

The Cream Ibiza album was out on 5th July… You have mixed both discs - stylistically is there any difference between the two discs?

My sound is pretty diverse, I play across the board – so it made perfect sense for me to do both CD’s. My style is always very energetic, uplifting and driving, which is consistent across both CD’s, but one is a terrace mix and the other is a main room mix.

Across the track-list over half the tracks have some ED-IT action going on?

I enjoy cutting up tracks and putting my own edge on them. It keeps the tracks fresh and unique.

Finally since you stepped behind a pair of 1210s for the first time, what do you consider your greatest evolutionary jump? Your move away from trance-only sets perhaps?

I think for every DJ the biggest move was moving from vinyl to digital. My general set up and ED-IT set up are much more advanced now, allowing me to be more creative as a DJ than ever before. With regards to moving away from a trance only set – I have never been a trance only DJ, my sets aways have been filled with a really broad spectrum of genres. I simply play good music!

Eddie Halliwell's Cream Ibiza 2010 album is out today.
More into @ eddiehalliwell.com!

Welcome along Mr 2XLC! Please be seated! So first, a fascinating fact - you actually invented the word ‘Techno’ didn’t you?

Well, the short story is: around 81/82 I was working in a record store in Frankfurt. At that time I was already infected with electronic music, everything from Kraftwerk to Depeche Mode. Many people came and asked me for these types of tracks. As they were created by technology I cut off the part "logy" and put them in my 'Techno' section. So as far I know, no one else described a musical genre with that name before that. Then I launched Technoclub in 84 and the rest is history! An alternate history to the 87/88 Detroit techno, admittedly!

You’ve recently been honored by the city of Frankfurt haven’t you? Tell us about that...

At the end of the December I got a letter from the Mayor saying that that the city wanted to give me their Badge of Honour for my musical work. When I Googled it I was pretty amazed - this award is only given to 2-5 people a year, mostly bank chiefs, professors or politicians. I actually received it on April 20th and I was surrounded by more than 100 people, most of them friends, but also politicians, press and TV.
I was a little nervous but also excited - a big honour and a very strong motivation for me to go on doing what I’ve been doing!

What is the origin of the name of your Tetsuo label?

I founded the original Tetsuo label, in the 90s when I was quite into Japanese art and music. One day I saw a B&W movie ‘Tetsuo - The Bodyslammer’ - veeery intense, very crazy stuff. I loved the word Tetsuo so much that I adopted it for the label.

Nice! So what’s the next release going to be?

I will do a new Talla 2XLC single called ‘The Spirits Within’ which will come with a very strong Ummet Ozcan remix. There are more new choons in the pipeline, but nothing else official yet. Keep an eye on the website for more info.

How are things going with your new Addicted To Trance (ATT) label?

Things are going great - it is designed for pure energetic uplifting and progressive trance. My tune ‘Terra Australis’ was a huge success and the next release will be a kick-ass co-op with Robert Burian called 'Pro-Life' followed by a 2010 remix release of my hit ‘Shine’.

Like TI, you’re a huge Fringe fan! Tell us what appeals to you about the show?

Yes – love it! The characters, actors, storylines... Totally catchy-funny-scary,-exciting elements. It's like The XFiles x 10. Mulder and Scully were good, but Walter; Olivia & Peter rockin’ it is far better. I hope we can await many more seasons.

As do we Talla! Thanks for joining us!

First into the T.I. hot seat this year, for a quick chat about the last decade and the one ahead, Florida’s finest, Mr Markus Schulz! How’s things with you sir!?

What’s up Trance International! I’m all good – thanks!

Great! So start off by telling us how and where you saw in the new decade?

I spent it the Los Angeles Sports Arena… but more specifically at the mammoth Together As One Event. I was there with Guetta, Digweed Schossow and a couple of local LA DJs.It's certainly in the top 5 of the biggest parties in LA throughout the year. I last played it last in 2005 and as an event, let’s just say it’s not lost a bit of its edge!

You released your ‘Best of The Global DJ Broadcast World Tour 2009’ album last month. Was it hard coming up with the final tracklist?

Let’s say that shrinking so many broadcasts down to just 15 tracks wasn’t easy! The ones that made it though are the absolute cream of the crop of the tunes that rocked and for sure that’s what I wanted to showcase.

It had a bit of a neat twist to it, didn't it? Tell us about that?

Basically the tracks I put into the mix were the original GDJB World Tour recordings, with all the local shouts cheers and general crowd noise locked in. It meant that as each track rolls, the listener moves from city to city.

Very nice touch! Now speaking of cities you’ve got a new compilation fast approaching. What’s going to be the target metropolis for the Twenty Ten edition?

Las Vegas – a place that I’ve felt a big kinship with for quite some time. I’ve played some amazing gigs at Rain at Fabulous and Moon at the Palms over the last 18 months - a compilation that focuses on it is long overdue – so I’m setting that right!

How do you personally perceive the city in a clubbing context?

I’ll just say this… If you’re seriously minded about music and clubbing, it’s going to become a place you have to say you’ve tried. Come the next decade it’s going to be a rival to Ibiza – hedonism, after all, has never been in short supply there!

Excellent, we’re looking forward to that already! When’s it out?

22nd of Feb!

We’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on out for that! Thanks for joining us Markus and all the best for the year ahead.

Thank you guys and the very same to you!

Markus' Website //
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Markus' Radio Show //
Markus On Beatport //

In our hot-seat this month, answering the questions that matter (and just possibly some that don’t!), Mr John Askew. How have you been John!?

Good thanks!

You’ve got a new compilation out this month, tell us a bit about that?

It’s a two CD compilation full of my favourite trance, techno and dirty electronic tunes, that’s out through Digital Society/Enhanced Recordings.

So what nuggets have you managed to land for its tracklist?

I’ve used my favourite tracks from the time that the album was made. Loads of upfront Discover shit from the top boys on the label and then a bunch of stuff from all of my other fave producers. There’s some of my latest remixes and tracks on there too and I’ve spent a lot of time editing and reworking loads of the other material to really make the whole album as customised and original as possible.

Any of your own bits on there?

Yes, I’ve popped the new single 'Bad Apple' on there, with 'Vandalism', 'Bored of You', 'Z List Uber Star' and 'Fade to Black' and a bunch of recent remixes.

Digital Society, as a night, is a genuine 08/09 success story. What do you think makes it so special?

The sordid little venue (!), the killer sound system, the exceptional line ups, the totally unique crowd that travel from far and wide to behave incredibly badly together, and the down to earth promoters who know their music, know their hospitality and know how to programme and produce the perfect night. It’s more than a success story – it’s the best club in the UK!

How are things going on the future productions front? What's coming up?

I’m still working on my next track 'Fucking Caps Lock' which keeps changing direction and causing major headaches. I have a few remixes in line too – one for Aly and Fila, one for Jordan Suckley’s new track and also one of a new Mike Nichol single, which is amazing. After all that I want to start work on a new album.

Are there any producers that you’ve not yet collaborated with, that you’d rather like to?

I’ve pencilled ideas for a new artist album for 2010, or maybe early 2011, that includes some collab ideas. Those producers haven’t been approached, so I don’t what to say anything quite yet!

Thanks for joining us Tom! So how did summer 2009 treat you?

It was excellent! I banged out some great tracks and did some nice gigs as well. Guvernment in Toronto, Egypt (which was a first for me) and a 14 day Australia tour - definitely a summer to remember!

How did you get into producing music?

Well, I remember the day actually ! I was sitting there watching TV and was bored out of my mind. I was already a DJ for a few years and I was thinking to myself: man, I should get off my ass and make some music! I went out and bought all this gear, brought it all home. I had a friend come over and help ease me into Logic and it just started to roll from there!

No one really gets on the ladder without someone giving them a big break. Who gave you yours?

I would say collectively John O’Callaghan, Sean Tyas, John Askew and Activa. I seemed to catch the eye of that group all at once with a few tracks.

Looking back at your discography thus-far, what track do you feel has pushed your career forward the most?

That’s a tough question to answer – there are a number of contenders. Probably, probably ‘Modern Day Madness’ was my biggest. It was the launch release of PVD’s digital imprint so it was great for me to be the first track of the label.

You’ve been working with Giuseppe Ottaviani and John O’Callaghan a fair bit. Do you think (generally speaking) you share a sound in common with them?

Yes, they are the guys I always listened too and looked up too. I have a lot of influence from Sean Tyas, who has been a huge part of what I’m doing today. He is a selfless kind person who was always ready to answer my annoying questions!

What’s next and up-and-coming up in the production pipeline?

A new EP on Liquid, out on October 6th called ‘Lifetime Connection’ which includes a John O’Callaghan remix. I have finished a new track for Discover which will see the light in late 2009/early 2010 and I have also completed several remixes for various labels. Just recently I signed a track to Vandit records called ‘The One’, which features me on vocals and guitar! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now. I was ecstatic to see it finally come to light.

In the hot-seat for ‘5 Minutes With…’ this month, Alan Nimmo. 50% of the Signalrunners and the boss man in the big leather swivel chair at Fraction Records!
Thanks for joining us Alan. Let’s start at the beginning. What motivated you to start Fraction?

The original idea behind the label was really the same as it is today. To try to provide a close knit community of producer friends and up-coming guys with a platform to shine, and one which doesn’t have specific guidelines on how their music should sound.

What’s been the most satisfying moment to date with the label?

There's been a lot of really satisfying moments – it’s hard to pinpoint just one. What I really enjoy is when one of our newer artists really explodes, and knowing you’ve helped them along the way. Paul Webster, for example, was fairly new when we signed him. He’s really on top of his game now.

Who do you regard as the backbone producers of Fraction?

Neal Scarborough, Paul Webster, David Forbes and Tritonal are all consistently producing the goods for us. There are so many great producers involved here, but I would say those would be considered as ‘in the family’!

What personally is your favourite Fraction release thus far?

I don't really have an out-and-out favorite, but I do have a soft spot for Akesson’s ‘Sunchaser'. I remember dropping that at Turnmills the same day we signed it and it literally hammering the dancefloor.

Do you curse the day that the mp3 was invented, or are you a ‘never look back’ man!?

I could give you a different answer for each day of the week on this, but today I'm going to go down the 'never look back' line! Ok, nobody I know likes the idea that trance vinyl is all but a collector’s item now. I'd be contradicting myself by moaning though as I haven't spun vinyl myself outside the studio for about 3 or 4 years! Technology dictates across the board though. When you think about it, as a producer, if the technology wasn't available for formats post vinyl then most likely I wouldn't have the luxury of things like Abelton, VST's (including software sampling), project recalling, automation and so on.

Among the many different aspects that a producer needs to be successful, what would say was the single most important?

Originality is definitely the key! I think if you dare to be different, then you will stand out if you are good enough. There's nothing wrong with being influenced by tracks you hear, but copying your favorite producer will only take you so far. Try to do something different in each new track you do, but hold on to some key elements and techniques from the previous one.

Finally, any chance of a competition and prize for the readership to get their teeth into?

Ok, why not! Complete the following:
the best type of trance is ___ bpm, because __________. The best/funniest/wittiest entry wins a 10 release CD & Digital Promo Fraction Records Membership.

So, Creamfields 2009 is just around the corner; what are you looking forward to most about it?

It’s always an honour to be part of the Creamfields line-up, it’s one of the oldest and longest running festivals in the U.K. Being located around the middle of the country, it’s great to be able to reach crowds that I don’t get to see that often.

Tune-wise what have you got in terms of hot ones stashed away to test drive for the Creamfields crowds?

I’ve just finished a number of remixes and tracks. So aside from playing a lot of tracks from my current artist album ‘Twice in a Blue Moon’, I’ll be testing a lot of new tracks this summer.

What’s you favourite festival memory to date?

Last month at Dance Valley actually! I closed the mainstage for their 15th anniversary. It was a real memorable experience and I was proud to do it.

Cream Ibiza is in the proverbial full-swing now; how are things looking to your eyes on the island this year?

Cream Ibiza has been amazing this year. I was happily surprised to see how busy it was. I know I had always promoted the island and the night despite rumours of the slowing down due to the economy. I’m happy to see that the real party crowd still knows where to find the best party on the island.

What’s the next single to be taken from 'Twice In A Blue Moon' then and who have you got on the remix?

It’s very likely to be ‘Twice in a Blue Moon’ actually! The remixes should be announced soon.

'Out of the Blue' has its 10th birthday in 2009. Was that your ‘made it’ moment, do you think?

Yes, it was. but I never expected it to do what it did. This track turned out to be the blue print of a lot trance productions which followed.

The first details of the 2009 edition of
Full On Ferry have just been announced, with a cracking looking line-up of DJs including Marco V, Super8&Tab and (in a big coup) B.T. all ready to rock the Ahoy in Rotterdam on October 17th. What Trance International wants to know though is were the rumours true? Was the event’s original name going to be… Very Ferry?!

Haha, T.I.! That’s a good one! Perhaps you should come up with the name of my next event or album... You’ve got it going on!

Thanks for joining us! For the uninitiated describe in 6 words the Remo Con sound?!

Tech, Rave, Electro, Trance, Hard groove, Funky!

That’s 7, but we’re not ones to split hairs! Is that the very much the Japanese ‘sound’ do you think? Or do other styles of trance go down over there too?

I would say it is not the Japanese style or any other country’s style, it is my style! A unique one that I am proud of!

Right! So what do you think is the most prevalent form of trance in Japan?

The trance played in clubs needs to have a harder edge then say Europe, and the techno influence is very strong. It’s not so common for long drawn out breakdowns, I guess it has a hard dance energy about it also.

What point in your discography/remix-ography do you think was your ‘breakthrough’ moment?

That's tough to say! I don't think there was one single one. 'G-Sigh’ was back in 2005 on Tracid Traxx, I also had the single ‘Cold Front’ which was released on Anjunabeats. More recently my remix of Charlie G's ‘Synchronicity’ had lots of support. And my Hellhouse releases like ‘Proto-type’, ‘Atavism’, ‘Narky Light’.

Is there a big bond between the Japanese electronic trance/hard-dance DJs and producers?

Yeah, most certainly. Yoji, Nish, Night Liberator, and many more. We all communicate and work with each other on some projects and nights, and all share a forward thinking music philosophy.

You’ve just played some big gigs outside your home country, tell us where they are?

I played Coach in Belfast on July the 4th and then the HQ stage of Dance Valley in Holland last week. I’ve also got the Black & White party in Calgary right at the start of August. Can't wait!

You’ve got your first artist album coming out on Yoji Biomehanika’s Hellhouse label shortly. How did you and he first meet?

About 5 years ago, I read Yoji's interview on Japanese club culture magazine. He said, "Most of Japanese DJs do not make own tunes. They are just playing other’s tunes. It's stupid." I was upset and thought: “there is DJ who is making tunes!!” Therefore, I sent him my demo directly and it was the first contact with him. Don’t worry, we are very good friends now!

Cool! So when’s the album out?

In UK, it's out on Aug 24th.

Thanks for joining us, Alex! So, ‘Purple Audio’; simply a cool title or does it have a deeper meaning?!

It really is a cool title, huh? No, seriously, there‘s more behind it. I love to draw in my free time. Actually I drew almost every picture on my wall at home. And what I love is the colour purple. It‘s strong and sharp, but still gentle, warm and beautiful. I wanted to combine two things I love: music and colour. Hence, Purple Audio!

The album is out today, what does it hold in store for us?

It‘s an album to listen to from start to end. It develops throughout its playtime taking you from closing your eyes, nodding your head to dancing around your place. I‘m really happy with the structure of the album; there‘s something for everyone, not only for lovers of electronic dance music.

Is it 100% trance or are there other elements in the mix?

It‘s not 100% Trance. I know that most of my fans wish to have that on the album, but I wanted to try and show new things that I‘m not so known for. I always love to experiment with new, unusual stuff and this is also reflected in the album. Some break-beats, a tip of relaxed productions, even a rock song called ’Wanna Be’, which came out really great and fresh in its own way. There‘s naturally also the typical M.O.R.P.H. stuff in it. You see, a very versatile album!

There’s quite a vocal slant to it, how did you go about selecting the singers you ended up worked with?

It‘s maybe 50/50 vocals on the album. When I do a vocal track, they have to be nice and fit the production. I have an exact vision of the vocals I want to have for it, male/female, breathy/strong etc... Working like this it‘s much easier to select a vocalist. Thank god, most of the time I made the correct decision right away, without really having to switch and decide between vocalist A or B to get it right.

You’ve scored something of a collaborating coup on ‘Purple Audio’. Tell us how the PvD link-up came about?

When I released ‘Life Less Ordinary’ with Rank1, Paul absolutely loved the production and also heavily supported some of my remixes at that time. For his ‘In Between’ album he was looking for a punching track in that direction, so he contacted me over my man-agement and we built up a first raw production and Paul loved it. So, in the end we pro-duced 2 PvD/M.O.R.P.H. co-ops for his album (‘Get Back’ and ‘In Circles’). The latter is so great that I just had to put it on.

Lastly a word on your signature style! How many truckers caps do you own and which one’s your favourite?!

Hahaha! I don‘t know, I just love these caps. I have about (Alex takes a long pause for thought here readers!) 45… I think. The “listen” one with Jesus & headphones, maybe, as I was born on the 24th of December.

Ireland has become something of a hotspot for trance producers in the last couple or years. Do you think they’re putting something in the water?!

Maybe!!! It goes without saying that John (O'Callaghan) is by far the best known. He's one of the biggest in the world at the moment and someone who I reckon could go on to become the world’s No1. Also people like Neal Scarborough & John Gibbons are doing great stuff and one I'd keep and eye on is an upcoming artist called Spencer who is signed to Askew's Discover label. That’s my tip in fact!

How would you describe the trance sound you’re producing?

Probably as ‘driving, techy trance’, but from time to time I experiment with the more uplifting stuff. Saying that though I've also just finished a slower 132bpm tech house track called ‘Tempist’ - so I’m really excited as to how that will go down over the coming months.

What prompted the remix re-visitations of ‘Cut Up’ and ‘Corruption’ last month?

To be honest the ‘Corruption’ remix was nothing to do with me. I just got sent it by the Mac & Taylor guys! I liked it, so I sent it on to Armada and they decided to release it. The ‘Cut Off’ remix by Will was something I was more involved in. I liked some of his earlier releases and speak to him quite a lot. It was good to get them out there as they seem to be getting a good old bit of support!

So across your relatively brief production history, which track and remix do you think has had the greatest impact(s) on your career?

‘Corruption’ is one of the tracks for sure. That’s the one that provided the breakthrough. Jules hammered it for months on Radio 1 and that gave the track massive exposure. That in turn led Armada to sign it. Remix-wise, well that was my rework of John Gibbons & Tist’s ‘Beautiful Filth’. It entered the Irish singles chart at 22, which was a massive achievement and was the first record without a vocal to do so in 12 years!

The collaborative route has always been popular in Trance. Anyone in particular you’d like to team up with?

Yeah, it’s definitely something that I'd be interested in and there are some project's in the pipeline that should happen sooner rather than later. Simon Patterson is one I'd like to collaborate with as our sounds are similar to a certain degree. That would be an interesting one!

What are the plans for the rest of 2009?

I signed to Fresh DJs in January so I've got some really nice gigs coming up through them. Production-wise my single ‘Istanbul’ has just been promoed on Armada with a monster remix from Fred Baker and I’ve got another darker, more tech-trance track, with a huge breakdown called ‘The Wolf’ coming too. Reactions have being amazing so far and some people are already suggesting its going to be one of the tunes of the summer (fingers crossed!!). I’m also about to start work on my first vocal track. I’ve just got a huge vocalist on board so I’m really excited about getting this done!

So ‘Imagine Remixed’ is out this month. How did you settle on which remixer was going to tackle which track? Tough decisions or a total cakewalk?!

Well basically I knew straight away when I was done with the original album. When I was playing any original I could see, or hear, which direction the remix could go to if that certain producer would produce it. I am really satisfied by the result, and it is great to see a lot of other DJ`s are picking up the remixes too!

The ‘next big thing’ is an evergreen topic in dance. Who do you see making that big leap forward in 2009?

There are many talents right now. Guys like Orjan Nilsen, Arnej, Sied van Riel etc have a great future ahead of them. Every year it is a surprise who is making the real difference!

What do you think inspires that extra level of fever amongst trance fans, over and above the other electronic dance genres?

I think its because Trance is such an experience. The music really touches your soul. The right record can make sure that you can just forget everything else around you. I think that is why the fans are way more passionate about the music. Trance is like a full meal where every course tastes different.

April sees both the ASOT’s 400th episode AND its 8th birthday, both duly commemorated by April’s ASOT400, (3 European gigs in 72 hours events). What aspect of the nights are you most looking forward to?

The whole thing really! I think it is amazing that we`ll travel to 3 different parties across Europe. That way a lot of people will be able to visit them. As announced on astateoftrance.com we will have a broadcast of 72 hours with many guest mixes and live coverage (video and audio) of the events and some older episodes will be re-broadcast, like the very first episode aired on the 1st of June 2001. This will be a great event for trance lovers around the globe!

If you could change one thing about the music industry with one big, sweeping gesture, what would it be?!

Get rid of illegal down loaders! People need to realize that they are killing the industry with that. Downloading the tunes means no income for the producer, which means they have to find other ways to pay their bills... instead of making music.

We hear that... Many thanks to Mr Van Buuren - on the verge of another groundbreaking gigging feat - for doing our March 'Five Minutes With....'

How’s it going fellas?

Talla: Very good indeed. I had a hectic start to 2009.
Robert: I am fine too, thanks! Busy, but, as always, busy means good!

So, Talla, what prompted this new production partnership?

Talla: I met Robert, when I played in Bratislava, Slovakia last year. We had a chat backstage, and quickly recognised a musical connection. A few weeks later I signed two tracks from him ‘Doom‘ and ‘Cobra‘ for Tetsuo. I emailed him a few times about working together, he liked the idea and the rest is future-history!

Robert, we’ve started seeing you name popping up. What’s driven that?

Robert: Well, its hard to explain really, because a lot of things have happened so randomly. A fair amount of it probably has to do with pure ‘application‘! In 2008 I was in the studio every single week of the year! I love doing music and my name is coming up because the sound, I think, is something new.

What are the first tracks coming to fruition from the pair of you then?

Talla: The first co-op was 2XLC’s new track ‘Dante´s Peak‘. Robert and I did a harsh, pumping electro-progger and Jerome Isma-ae did the remix. A really great job he did too – Armin‘s played it three time in a row at ASOT!

Our next steps are an uplifting trance project named T`N`R (standing, as you can probably guess, for Talla and Robert). The debut is called ‘Sound of the Crowd‘ and then it’ll be the follow-up 2XLC single, ‘Pulse‘

Generally-speaking, what sub-style of trance do you think best sums up your output?

Talla: I like to mix up plenty of genre types! I like music ‘both ways‘, low tempo 128-132 groovy electroish floorburners or uplifting 136 - 139 big-room anthems. Minds wide open mate! We want to surprise the people. With our collective creative brains together, nothing can really stop us!
Robert: I can’t say there is a sub-style which is the best for us. It depends on many things. So if we feel we want to make a tune for a big room then we will do it. If we feel something different then we will create something else you know. But wait! There’s a name for our output: Nu-Trance!

OK! So artist album or compilation… Which one are you going to do first!?

Talla: First we will do several projects throughout the year and then decide for which one of them we´ll do bigger releases than singles.

Mr Van Riel, 2008 was something of a hot one for you! Talk us through it!

Yeah man it was definitely the best year out of the first 2 ½ that I’ve been in it. It started great with ‘What You Want’, ‘Minimal Symphony’ and the collaborations I did with Leon Bolier, ‘Malibeer’ and ‘With the Flame in The Pipe’. After that I had ‘Rush’, ‘Contrasts’ and the remix I did for Offer Nissim’s ‘For Your Love’ and ‘Closer To You’ in the second half on 2009. The support I got this past year was insane. Due to that I got to play at events such as Trance Energy, Gatecrasher15, Godskitchen and Live Energy. Events I dreamed about 1 year ago and then all of a sudden you’re actually playing ‘em - that was massive!

'Closer to You', a universally adored track. Will it go down as your breakout single, do you think?

I don’t think that track in particular is my "breakout". It was my first vocal track with R.O.R. and it did do something special. It’s not a peak time track - I kept it deep and moody continuously building up to a subtle and emotional breakdown. I have to say that it did do really well and I’m enormously happy about that!

So what have we got coming in the first half of 2009 then?

A shed-load of gigs … Poland, Ireland, Scotland, The UK, NL, Finland - I think I’ll be platinum KLM-er 6 months from now! I’m also happy to announce that I’ll be traveling down under for Trance Energy Australia in April. I’m very excited about that as I’m doing mainstage on all 4 events there. I’m really, really, really (and yes!) RIELY looking forward to it.

Is that your first trip to Australia then?

Yeah, my first time and the first time they’re having Trance Energy in Australia. It will be fun traveling there with a bunch of friends… Bolier, Tyas, Schossow, Aly & Fila etc. I’m already practicing my vernacular and yes, I loved Flying Doctors BTW. Big fan!

A SVR album is on the cards. Where are you going to take the trance nation with it?

It'll be diverse. I want to show the people what I’ve got as a producer. I like a lot of styles within the electronic music scene. Uplifting, tech, prog, house etc… It’s not that I’ll be combining all genres but I do want to vary it as much as possible. 127 up to 136 BPM is my aim, but all with the Riel style and taste. We shall see where it ends up! I hope to finish it around April/May.

In 5 words, sum up the ‘Marcel Woods sound’… 

Bigger, badder, ruffer and tougher! 

Who has had the single greatest influence on your music? 

Me, myself and Walt! 

How would you describe the process of creating ‘Musical Madness’ overall?

That was fun all the way, I got sent so many nice tracks it was a really smooth process to put this CD together. 

What was your concept for the compilation and what did you want to achieve?

Musical Madness has been my credo for some years now, and I just wanted to point out that it's all about the music. To try to open up the eyes of narrow-minded people! It's not about black or white, in the end it's just music we all love!

Which of your tracks has had the greatest single impact on your career?

That, by far, would be ‘Advanced’. 

What’s the track you’d end the perfect set with and why?

That changes by the week and depends on the crowd I'm playing for. 

What gigs do you have coming up?

Check out www.marcelwoods.com for full details!