Amsterdam Dance Event is definitely the most magical time of the year, anything can happen during that insane week, even bumping into the legendary Ferry Corsten while walking in Armada Music’s hallway!!
We managed to have a quick chat with him about ADE, his project Unity and all the amazing collaborations, his view on some big names quitting the scene recently and more…
You can check it here:
A few weeks ago, while Amsterdam Dance Event was in full swing, we reached out Armada Music headquarter to sit down with one of the most talented young artist of the label, David Gravell.
He dragged us down the rabbit hole revealing us some very intriguing enlightenment about the ups and downs of being a successful artist and we cast a light on a few important issues like how to stay healthy and fully energized during a very busy tour schedule;
what’s the concept behind his new logo,
what’s the secret formula behind his smashing remixes; some insights about the upcoming EP and much more.
You can enjoy the whole chat right here:
One of the highlights of the last Amsterdam Dance Event for us has been hands down having the chance to meet some extraordinary artists from AVA Recordings ( Sheridan Grout, Sam Laxton, Memory Loss, Rinaly) and Bjorn Akesson as special guest, who have been so nice to sat down with us for a few minutes to introduce themselves and talk about their music career and the path their following.
AVA Recordings hosted a stage during ITWT night and let us tell you, we sincerely hope you didn’t miss it because we had a blast! The uplifting atmosphere and the pounding beats kept us going through the night dancing as…no one was watching us 🙂
We suggest you to keep those amazing talents on your radar as they are growing fast in what we can call a fully refreshed trance scene and boasting a huge support from the biggest names in the business they’re more than ready to destroy all the dance floors worldwide….you are warned 🙂
Now let’s check what they told us and what AVA Recordings means to them!!
SPECIAL GUEST: BJORN AKESSON!!!
Now that dust has just settled on a spectacular edition of Amsterdam Dance Event, we are proud to share with you our interview with the legendary Markus Schulz; a really interesting chat about all the insights of the new album ‘We Are The Light’, with some juicy info about the collaborations, the stories behind some of the tunes and much more.
Curious yet? Let’s check it all out HERE:
Listening, it’s hard to envisage, but Markus Schulz’s most “up” album to date – originated from a remarkably dark place. With his seventh long-player on full release this week, the DJ / Producer / Songwriter took the opportunity to share insights into the album’s production path and what lay in its bedrock.
“I’m a believer in having to hit bottom first before climbing back up Markus says. It’s a truism, but it’s also, I find, generally the case. It was around the time of the tragic events that unfolded in Las Vegas last October that Markus felt that nadir had finally been reached.
“I’ve always been very upfront about how mood influences the direction my music. In that respect it’s both a resource and outlet. I’m incredibly lucky that, over many a year now, the audience has come, not only anticipate this, but – as often – to embrace it.
So really “We Are The Light’ is equal parts rally cry to them and myself.”
In this respect Las Vegas proved again to be the backdrop for another pivotal moment for Markus. This time though it was 2018’s EDC. “This year there was a sense of resilience and defiance there. Absolutely you could feel it. A real air of determination amongst EDC’s audience, he says; people feeling that they weren’t going to be cowed or made to feel afraid, you know’. That was an incredibly transitional set and experience for me. And that’s where the direction of this album really took its biggest cue from”.
My state of mind now is that we have to believe we’re starting to turn a corner in order to actually get into the turn. We should be the ones that make the changes first. We (the electronic music community) are the light that the world needs right now. I think it’s time we – for lack of a better expression – ‘stepped up’. It’s time we showed the world how it could all be”.
“The last Dakota album was written from the standpoint of how I saw things at the time. ‘Watch The World’, in hindsight, was more observatory and third person. This one though is written from what I see as a shared collective perspective & experience between the fans and myself. We are the positivity that the world needs. Ultimately what I want is for people to feel good after listening to this album. To spark a greater sense of positivity; to empower in someway. I really see our community as a microcosm of what could ‘be’ with the world. In a way we are a poster child for a better way of being. If we could in some way harness the sense of community & its positivity and catalyse it beyond our bounds, it would give electronic music a legacy so, so much bigger than it even is now.”
You watch the new single’s official video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyNGpo75yFo) and pre-order Markus Schulz’s luminously produced new artist album ‘We Are The Light’ here (https://markusschulz.choons.at/wearethelight).
Tracklist:
01: Markus Schulz – The Awakening
02: Markus Schulz & Omnia featuring Seri – Road Of No Return
03: Markus Schulz & Alina Eremia – You Light Up The Night
04: Markus Schulz featuring Nikki Flores – We Are The Light
05: Markus Schulz – Heaven
06: Markus Schulz & Lachi – Far
07: Markus Schulz & Jared Lee – Together
08: Markus Schulz & Smiley – The Dreamers
09: Markus Schulz – Flight of the Phoenix
10: Markus Schulz & Soundland – 51°11′17″N 10°3′10″E (We Haven’t Lost Our Way)
11: Markus Schulz & JES – Calling For Love
12: Markus Schulz & Adina Butar – Breathe Me To Life
13: Markus Schulz & Emma Hewitt – Safe From Harm
14: Markus Schulz & Christina Novelli – Symphony of Stars
15: Markus Schulz & Jared Lee – Utopia
16: Markus Schulz featuring Sebu (Capital Cities) – Upon My Shoulders
More info available on Markus Schulz through the resources below:
markusschulz.com
facebook.com/markusschulz
twitter.com/markusschulz
instagram.com/markusschulz
No doubt ADE 2018 has been one for the books with a lot of special things happening; we met tons of artists, attended amazing parties and interesting press meetings.
One of our personal highlights has been for sure our interview with the Belgian talent Stereoclip, fresh from signing exclusively with Amsterdam-based record label Armada Music and dropping first album single ‘Feel The Game’, he has embarked on an exciting new journey dropping his second artist album, ‘Travel’ which he showcased during ADE at Armada’s pop up point.
Stereoclip explained us how this new album is a huge step forward after his first work ‘Hometown’ and got us some interesting insights about his production as well as showing us his point of view about the direction his music is taking, the production flow and so on.
Heralded by the entrancing soundscapes of ‘Day One’ and the aforementioned ‘Feel The Game’, ‘Travel’ sees the Brussels-based artist to open his mind to new musical developments and borderless genres, to improve and mature. Harboring twelve inspiring songs that take fans to places they never even knew existed, the album marks a wonderful body of work poised to exceed any and all expectations.
Stereoclip: “’Travel’ is very important to me as it shows how my sound and influences have evolved over the years, what it took to succeed and what I missed. It’s an exploration in sounds, synthesizers, recording and studio mixing, the first steps in my new artistic landscape. For me, it’s an eclectic electronic album; you can encounter hip-hop, pop, acoustic, techno, house, trance and ‘80s sounds. I have tried to convey what I like in music and turn my hand to it. The album represents interrogations, discovery, improvement and the pleasure to discover a new world after my debut album ‘Hometown’, which I made back when I still created music on instinct alone. I’m sure the ride has only just started and it’s never going to be finished, simply because music is an unlimited world.”
Through his own brand of deep, vocal-oriented and mysterious techno music, Stereoclip has been making big waves in the dance music scene. With the success of his 2016 album ‘Hometown’ as the first crown to his hard work (and the releases of ‘Travel’ as his second), the Belgian has been pulling out all the stops both in the studio and on the live front to further his career and to please the thousands of fans that have been hooked since they first learned of his masterstroke productions or peerless live performances.
Please find the whole chat here:
2018 has been a record-breaking year for famed DJ/Producer and EDM heavyweight Artem ‘Arty’ Stoliarov a.k.a. ARTY. After starting 2018 with his single “Sunrise” going to #2 on US dance radio, ARTY continues to shock the dance world with over 17 new releases in just seven months between his ARTY and progressive trance-focused ALPHA 9 projects, including incredibly successful remixes for Skrillex, Above and Beyond, Axwell /\ Ingrosso, and Armin Van Buuren — making him #1 in 2018 for most releases by any EDM artist.
ADE 2018 could not be that awesome without ARTY, and we’ve been lucky enough to catch up with him about his projects:
TBA: Congrats on your new single ‘Perfect Strangers’ what was the idea behind it?
A: For 2018, I wanted to get back to my roots and think about what my fans wanted to hear. To do that I had to think about what dance culture means to me in the first place. Perfect Strangers started as a powerful production I was using to start my DJ sets as a mashup with Up All Night. I wanted to have a deeper message to help vocalize my feelings for what this record is about, so I wrote the top line for it. To me, the dance community is all about people coming together as perfect strangers and sharing in our love for the music.
TBA: What are your plans in the near future in terms of touring and production?
A: I’m taking a break from touring at the end of this year to work in the studio and finish up all the songs I been working on because there’s been a lot of songs for both ARTY and ALPHA 9. I want to fully get ready for 2019 because I’m going to be playing a tour when I debut my next big single.
TBA: What about your alter ego ALPHA 9? Anything new coming up already?
A: I have a ton of ideas in the works, including some unexpected and experimental records. I’m taking the project more cinematic, and working with the deeper sounds. So far ALPHA 9 has stayed mostly instrumental, serving as my introduction to the project. For 2019, I’m working on more vocal songs.
TBA: Who was and is your biggest inspiration?
A: My biggest inspiration has always been Axwell, Eric Prydz, and Deadmau5. This year, straying from dance music a little, I’ve been listening to a lot of EDEN and London Grammar.
TBA: You have always been supported by the biggest names in the scene, is there someone you would like to collaborate with?
A: For ALPHA 9, I’d love to get back in the studio with Armin Van Buuren and Above & Beyond. I also want to collab with London Grammar because it would be cinematic and beautiful. For ARTY, I’d love to someday do something with Alesso where we could experiment together on a fresh take of progressive house music.
TBA: If you had the power to change something in the scene, what would you change?
A: I would change the fact that most of the musicians shouldn’t be scared of trying out new things. You don’t necessarily need to follow the trends that you see…you can look within yourself and be more open to following your heart.
TBA: You are living in L.A. now, right? How would you describe the music scene there?
A: It’s incredible. I think LA has the greatest amount of creative people in the city than any city in the world. Every person ends up living in LA because it’s a city of opportunities and has its own creative vibe. Just the fact that you can choose to either be completely locked down in the studio alone, or to do writing sessions, everything is more accessible.
TBA: Can you tell us a bit about the production process when you make a new tune?
A: Everything starts with the melody. Either I’m taking a shower, or making breakfast, or just thinking about different things. It’s a pretty random process how I come up with the melodies, but it always comes from the head first. If I sit just vibing on a midi keyboard it’s almost never happening.
ARTY has built an international following mixing his trademark big-room anthems with downtempo electronica year over year, showcasing his gift for translating club-focused sounds to the pop/radio format. With nods to classic trance, Arty continues to produce under the moniker ALPHA 9, and is currently wrapping up a United States tour with special performances internationally.
With an XS Encore Las Vegas residency under his belt, and a pedigree of performances at Ultra, Electric Daisy Carnival, Tomorrowland, Ushuaïa, Amnesia Ibiza, and Creamfields, Arty has established himself as one of the music industry’s most consistent artists, a prodigious talent, and has become a go-to for others artists, crafting immensely popular remixes for Skrillex, Axwell /\ Ingrosso, Armin Van Buuren, Halsey, OneRepublic, London Grammar, Above & Beyond, Porter Robinson, and Years & Years.As a leading influence in the music scene and top 25 DJ, Arty has several new works of original music and collaborations set for release later this year. Last summer he toured in Asia, and played sold out shows in Ibiza with Martin Garrix and Armin van Buuren. This summer he toured Japan, Russia, and played major festivals including EDC, Tomorrowland, and Dreamstate.
The Dutch electronic dance music DJ has performed at events across the world, Estiva has brought his infectious sound and energy to some of the most pivotal events in the scene. His new track ‘Rage Race’ shows a totally different side of his album ‘Spectacle’.
Estiva: ‘As much as I love the pretty and emotional melodies, sometimes I just feel like raving and raging on the dance floor. Rage Race is a bass driven track I wrote having a dark and steamy club environment in mind. I named it Rage Race because I want to see which one of you clubbers can go out of its mind best!’
Be ready to go on another crazy ride with Estiva, listen to ‘Rage Race’ here.
Definitely one of the darker tracks from his ‘Spectacle’ album, ‘Rage Race’ shows another side to the acclaimed signature sound of Dutch top producer Estiva. Merging a vicious sounding bassline with thumping beats and buzzing synth rises, this tune sets the mood as soon as it kicks in late at night.
And talking about dark and steamy clubs, we met Estiva during the summer at the world famous club Hi Ibiza, and sat down with him for a chat, check this out!
The day after the release of his summer anthem ‘Upon my Shoulder’, we’ve been lucky enough to meet the man himself, the legendary Markus Schulz, a few minutes before he rocked the MainStage at e-Lake festival in Luxembourg, here’s what he told us:
TBA: Hi it’s Jess from The Backstage Access, here with the amazing Markus Schulz
MS: Hellooo, it’s good to be here, actually it’s my first time here in
Luxembourg so I am pretty excited
TBA: First of all congrats on your new single
MS: Yeah, it’s called ‘Upon my shoulders’ and it’s just released yesterday;quite excited about it, I wrote it after last year Tomorrowland, I remember I was playing on the mainstage and I was looking out at the audience and I saw the flags in the air, and I saw the hands in the air, and then I saw the people on each other’s shoulders so when I went back into my studio I said I wanna write a song about that, you know, about what I’ve seen and it was funny as it all came together and the way it feels like a festival anthem so I am quite excited then the world is finally gonna hear it
TBA: And it’s very good it had that feels good vibe a festival has
MS: Yeah that was the important thing, to make a feel good summer vibe in the song
TBA: Well Markus, mission accomplished
MS: Thank you!
TBA: So last time we talked you were telling me how involved you were in writing the lyrics of your album
MS: With the other song writers, yes, to me it’s important to get
involved in the writing cause I want give messages that our community can relate to, I wanna do more than create song people can sing along to, I wanna make songs that people can relate to, for example Shoulders, I hope than when people hear it 10 years from now, it takes them back to Tomorrowland or EDC or here at e-lake, I want people to remember the lyrics and that it takes them back to their special time
TBA: You are always putting all yourself into your projects, like with
Dakota
MS: I really want to give all myself , the vibe, the energy that I have
inside of me, I need to put that in my music, I don’t wanna just
manufacture music for like no reason, I wanna put my heart and soul into everything and right now is really though because music goes so fast, everyday there is new Music, every week there is a new number one song, but at the end of the day this is why I am doing it, I put my heart and soul into it cause I wanna my songs last longer, I wanna be able to play them for the next couple of years
TBA : You always had that, basically got my soul with ‘Do you dream’
MS: That was a legendary album and this is what I hope to accomplish with the next album, I have to take my music to another level and make it a bit more accessible for the new generation but it still has to have that vibe that you can relate to it even listening to it 10 years from now as well
TBA: Do you ever feel vulnerable when you put so much of yourself into
your projects?
MS: No, cause I think my fans know I have always been open, that¹s why we have a special connection, they know I am not up there faking it… you know, I am not the kind of dj that make them do things like sit down, say heyyy ohhh, things like that, I just put all my energy into my set and let ppl be themselves I am not into those ‘Simon says’ games if you know what I mean
TBA: Is there something in the scene you would like to change?
MS: Well it’s funny we are having this conversation this week… Of course there is something I would like to change in the edm scene right now, there is a lot of that cake throwing and tricks but in the same time I know there is a certain vibe a certain energy when people go mainstage and they hear those kind of sets, it’s the same when you go to a heavy metal concert, when you go to a Metallica’s concert .. they might not be your cup of tea but the energy it’s infectious, it’s insane… so in the end , yes there is something I would change but you just have to keep things in perspective, don’t be a hater and do your things because at the
end of the day is who you are as an artist you should concentrate on and not on who other ppl are as an artist.
TBA: And what is your absolutely love about the scene?
MS: I love the fans, and the fact they all gather together, I know there are people here that drove here from Germany, from the Netherlands or from Belgium so it’s like a community and when you look at the audience you see familiar faces, so yeah it’s my first time here in Luxembourg but when I look out at the audience there are a lot of people I recognize
TBA : And what’s next?
MS: So we got ‘Upon My Shoulders’ just being released and the new album coming out October 5th it’s called ‘We Are The Light’ and I am quite excited about it and I hope everybody gets excited too cause I am really proud of it and I can’t wait for you guys to hear it
TBA: We are excited already indeed!!
Will it be a tour?
MS: Yes we will put together something special on selected dates to
bring singers and artists with me and it will be a lot of fun
TBA: Anything funny happened while touring lately ?
MS: Oh well this summer has been pretty crazy, it’s funny cause I was talking about it and I was thinking “I am gonna mention this at some point in an interview” …haha actually …tbh with you, everybody has been partying like crazy backstage this summer, the funniest thing has been seeing these dj’s being carried back to the hotel, I don’t wanna mention their names but let’s say everybody has been cutting loose this summer,djs have been celebrating a lot, it’s kinda nice to see that people are blowing off steam but backstage this summer has been quite amazing,pretty crazy
TBA : Ok Markus thanks a lot for your time and see you mainstage in a bit
MS: Thank you guys!
Simon Khainz has been putting his unique signature sound on dance music for nearly 20 years. But the easy-going DJ and producer is the first to admit this wasn’t part of a master plan at the beginning.
These days though, Khainz takes his distinctive tech-house groove to all the dance floors across the globe ,every weekend. During the week he can be found in his studio, adding up his ever-growing list of releases.
A prolific producer, he has released two albums, Module8 and Simple As That, and more than 150 tracks via labels like Yoshitoshi, Katermukke and Great Stuff Recordings.
Everything he does reflects his passion for electronic music and respect for the craft. “Technology changes constantly, who knows what it will be in five years,” he says. “What matters is the music. That doesn’t change.” Khainz likes to teach people to make music. He frequently invites fellow artists to his studio to make their own tracks.
While fans may have to wait a while for the next LP, his busy tour schedule ensures they never go too long without a fix of his irresistible beats…and to top it all, he’s been so nice to sit with us for chat:
TBA: How did it all start for you?
K: When I was about 15 y.o. and my older brother bought 2 turntables and some vinyls.
Back then, I was very skeptical towards electronic music as I came from a totally different genre but it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with it (djing and electronic music).
A few years later (1998) I stumbled over Rebirth ( a very limited music program) few months later I purchased my first version of Cubase (Cubasis back then) and started to produce.
TBA: Who is your biggest inspiration? / Who do you have a lot of respect for?
K: I have a lot of respect for people that do their own music and have a specific style.
Maceo Plex is one of the producers that still manages to impress me often with of his new releases also Bodzin has quite some influence on me.
From the newer upcoming acts I really like Jiggler and Township Rebellions, they are always able to surprise me with their new music.
As it comes to Djs, James Holden (he played one of the most interesting sets I’ve heard the past couple of years), Sasha, John Digweed.
TBA: What single night out has been the most memorable for you? As a DJ? As an attendee?
K: Very difficult to say after many hundreds nights out. some memorable playings are for sure Rainbow Serpent (Australia), Strawberryfiels (Australia), Playground at Rok Club (My residency in my hometown Lucerne), Noisily Festival (UK), Boom Festival (Portugal),Universo Parallelo (Brazil), Sisyphos (Berlin).
TBA: If you could eternally be stuck in one year’s music scene, which year would it be?
K: Hell no, I like that music evolves, for sure you have better and worse through the years but I’m glad that music evolves and keeps changing.
But the most unforgettable years were 2005/2006, so much timeless music got released in those years, just to name a few:
Gregor Trasher – A Tousand Nights
Petter – Some Polyphony
Thomas Schumacher – Red Purple
Booka Shade – Bodylanguage
Extrawelt – Soopertrack
TBA: What is it that you love about the scene?
K: The Music, the talks, the mess, the order and the good moments and fun times we share!
TBA: What is one track that never gets old for you no matter how many times you hear it?
K: Petter – Some Polyphony
TBA: What do you personally consider to be the incisive moments in your artistic career?
K: Difficult to say, probably remixing Format:B, Sharam (Deepdish) and many other great artists and releasing my music on established Labels. Sharing my music with people and to see them enjoying and dance to it.
TBA: What are currently your main challenges as a DJ? What is it about DJing, compared to, say, producing your own music, that makes it interesting for you?
K: Producing Music and djing are 2 totally different things, when I produce music I sit alone in my studio (mostly) and don’t have any feedback from the crowd while I’m doing it, so it’s always a surprise to find out how the new tracks will work on a dancefloor;
When it comes to djing I like the fact that i can play music from other artists I like and I can play what I think fits for the moment.
TBA: What can we expect from you in the near future?
K: A remix to Sharam (Deep Dish) on his imprint Yoshitoshi.
An Ep on Einmusika
A Quivver Edit from a new track on his Change Underground compilation
A remix to Mortagua on Timeless Moment
A remix to Chris Hartwig on Caballero Rec.
A remix to Moosfiebr on Dazed & Confused
A remix to Mikah on Lauter Unfug
A Soundtrack for a videogame
some collabs with friends (SuspectOne, Onur Ozman, Page, Jack & Chuus)
and hopefuly a finished album till end of the year.
TBA: Wow, that’s a lot of new music coming up, we’re thrilled to listen to it all, thanks a lot for your time and see you soon.
K: Thank you for having me!
What’s best than kick your week off with such an energy booster?
Let’s face it, even on Mondays…nothing’s more powerful than Orjan Nilsen’s energy on stage to lift your mood up.
We’ve sat down for a chat with the trance Viking and IMO label’s honcho to find out a few interesting news…
TBA : Hi Ørjan, great to see you again,how are you doing?
ØN: Hi Jess, nice to see you too, I am fine thanks, busy with the summer tour.
TBA : Indeed, I’ve seen your schedule and it’s insane.
ØN: Yes it’s very busy, there are a lot of dates in the upcoming 3 weeks, now Luxemburg, then Poland on Tuesday, China on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, then I go back home on Sunday I think, then I go to Czech Republic and then to Tijuana and then I guess the summer touring season will be sort of over for this year.
TBA : Will you manage to take some proper rest then?
ØN: I already told my manager I will take a week when I’ll just turn off my phone and will just chill on the couch watching Netflix.
TBA: Haha good, what are your favorite series?
ØN:Well, I love Game Of Thrones as everyone else, and I am also a huge fan of Friends which I’ve seen probably a thousand times but if I just wanna chill on the couch it’s still what I like to watch.
TBA: Congrats on the new album, we talked about it in a previous interview and you told me it’s just the first part,so when is the second part coming ?
ØN: The second part is coming next year, not too sure when exactly and it’s gonna be a different album, it’s sort of done but I am always making new tracks that I wanna add to it so the final track is not yet done, so hopefully by the end of October it will be.
TBA: Will it be as eclectic as Prism?
ØN: Tbh I am not too sure, I’ve been working in studio and had a lot of inspiration and made a lot of new tracks, around the end of October I’ll have a bout 25 tracks to choose from and I’ll figure it out.
TBA: Well you know I am a huge fan of you and one of the things I love the most is I never know what to expect, it’s always so different but always so freaking good…
ØN :Haha thanks
TBA: I mean I can always find trance in your tracks even when their style is so very different.
ØN: Oh yes I have a thing with melody so it will always shine through, but i have this philosophy: if I don’t know where I am going nobody else will either, so basically I sit in my studio and no one knows what is going to happen … I will never say this is what I am gonna do and that’s it! That’s just not me, so whenever I found an inspiration for something… it can be deep house, it can be techno it can be future house, future pop whatever.
TBA: It’s amazing cause everyone can find something they like on an album.
ØN: I wanna make sure ppl understand that I will always try new stuff but with my signature sound.
TBA: And did you manage to buy the moog voyager you wanted?
ØN: Not yet, I have been more focused on new samples and VSTs and I love Splice but i am still hungry for that moog voyager so I will get it.
TBA: What can we expect from you in the next future apart from the new album?
ØN: Well there is a lot of new music coming out, loads of new releases, I am trying to focus a bit more on my label as well; we already signed like 3 new artists for IMO so that’s really cool, one is a friend of mine from Norway, Fingerling and he has been part of IMO for a while, Shy Brothers, and there are a couple of other artists as well.
TBA: I’ll keep them on my radar then
ØN: Oh yes, I would do so!
TBA: Ok thanks a lot for your time and see you soon.
ØN:Thanks a lot for having me.
