Category Archives: INTERVIEWS

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC

EXCLUSIVE: KhoMha TALKS ABOUT ‘ELEMENTOS’, FUTURE PLANS SUCH AS A DEBUT ALBUM, HIS OWN LABEL AND MUCH MORE

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Right after the release of his stunning EP ‘Elementos’ we cauht up with the young  Colombian that has  been turning awe-inspiring Armin van Buuren originals (e.g. ‘Hystereo’, ‘The Expedition’) into monstrous stormers since the start of 2013, reeling in the support and frantically held breaths of an extensive selection of renowned DJs alongside ever-increasing numbers of clued-up clubbers.

With thrilling dancefloor-destroyers such as ‘Asylum’, ‘The Dark Knight’, and ‘Dusk Riddles’ raging over the festival grounds of Tomorrowland, Ultra, Global Gathering, A State Of Trance, and many more, the high-octane sounds of KhoMha are the ones of an EDM star in the making. It’s Columbian captivation at its finest.

Transcending the limitations of traditional Dance music, speeding to the top as one of the scene’s most promising artists, and following up on infectious tunes with even more impressive records faster than you can say “Marvelous Music”; KhoMha has been up for a chat with us about his new  concept Ep and his future plans in the music scene:

 

 

 

TBA: Hi Robert nice to catch up with you, first of all, how are you?

KhoMha: Hey guys I’m doing well.  Currently in Jakarta getting ready to travel to Kuala Lumpur to play at Zouk this weekend.

 

TBA: We’re still buzzing about ‘Tierra’ here at the office,can you tell us how it came to life?

 KhoMha: Thanks a lot for those words and im glad you guys are enjoying it, hope you’re playing it loud!  Tierra was the last track that I created for my ‘Elementos’ EP.  I wanted to create a track that resembled all of the other 3 elements. I wanted a track that was melodic like ‘Aire’, progressive and driving like ‘Agua’, and energetic like ‘Fuego’.  I wanted to show that all of these elements coming together could create something beautiful.

 

TBA: Would you let us know a bit of your creative process in the studio?

KhoMha:  I think creativity comes to you when you least expect it no matter where you are.  Sometimes I’ll be out on the street and come up with a melody and I would have to hum it and record it on my phone. When I’m in the studio however I get up early like 7 or 8 am and start my day. I either work on new ideas or old ideas that I may have in my hard drive.  Usually my team and I try to set a calendar with possible single releases, collabs and remixes for 6 months at a time. So that’s the way that I focus on my work.

 

TBA: What is your studio set up like?

KhoMha: In my studio I have the essentials.  Two Yamaha HS8 monitors. KRK 10S subwoofer.  Focus Rite 2i2 Audio interface. A Blue Microphone.  My studio computer that I custom built myself and my Daw’s that I produce with which are FL Studio and Ableton Live.

 

TBA: Armin van Buuren is giving you a massive support on his set, how does it feel to have such a mentor?

KhoMha:  Pfff I mean what can I say, its an amazing feeling.  Armin has always been an idol of mine he’s a legend in our genre and a legend for electronic music in general. Working so close with him has helped me evolve as an artist and as a business person.

 

TBA: Where does your EP ‘Elementos’ come from? What is the concept about it?

KhoMha: My team and I wanted to create something, we wanted to create a concept that would expand beyond music or beyond a release.  We wanted to create something that identified me and my music.  ‘Elementos’ marks a new beginning and a new way for me to perform.  My show is divided into 4 parts, each of these parts correspond to one of the elements in which the visuals, the lights, and the style of music I play all fit into that specific element.

 

TBA: What are your future plans musical wise?

KhoMha:  The idea is to finish this year strong.  There are some new remixes on the way, as well as new releases.  Hopefully we can release two new vocal tracks before the end of the year is over.  Talks about a debut album are also going on for the next year or two.  🙂

 

TBA: Where are we seeing you next?

KhoMha:  I will be playing in Kuala Lumpur this weekend at club Zouk, afterwards I will be in Amsterdam for business meetings, I will then head to Chicago to play at the mid, Avalon in LA the day after.  Lizard lounge in Dallas is also in the schedule then its time for ASOT Poland. Super excited for whats coming.

 

TBA: Where are you seeing yourself in…let’s say 5 years from now?

KhoMha: Well I hope to still be doing what I love which is produce music and perform far beyond those five years.  Within five years however I want to have my own label and my own themed nights.

 

TBA: If you have to choose one, what was the most important moment of your career?

KhoMha:  The most important moment of my career without a doubt would have to be when I was discovered by Markus Schulz.  Markus has been my biggest mentor and was the reason I left Colombia and moved to Miami. He supported my music since the very beginning, believed in me, and thanks to this I’m able to do what I love every day of my life.  I will be forever grateful with him.

 

TBA: If you were to arrange a party, what would be your dream line up?

KhoMha: Hehehe.  This one is kind of out there but these are my favorite artists so here we go.

– Daft Punk

– Kanye West

– Kendrick Lamar

– Swedish House Mafia

– Chemical Brothers

– Massive Attack

– Coldplay

 

TBA: Name 3 fellow djs you just love touring with and why…

KhoMha:  I love touring with Andrew Rayel, Orjan Nilsen and Armin Van Buuren.  Andrew and Orjan are my closest friends here in the scene and touring with them is always a great time.  Touring with Armin is also amazing he’s an amazing mentor and a great professional, every time I tour with him is an excellent opportunity to learn new things.

 

TBA: 5 tunes you can’t live without (regardless the genre)

KhoMha:  Oxia – Domino

Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams

Daft Punk – Something About Us

Daft Punk – Voyager

Reflekt – Need To Feel Loved (Adam K & Soha Remix)

 

 

TBA: Thanks a lot for taking the time and hope to see you soon somewhere.

KhoMha: Thank you guys for having me 🙂

 

 

 

 

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC, NEWS

ORJAN NILSEN TALKS ABOUT ‘PRISM’, THE CREATIVE PROCESS BEHIND IT, AND A TRIP TO…THE JUNGLE !!

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After 3 years in the making, the Norwegian Trance Viking Orjan Nilsen is ready to publish his third artist album called “Prism”. Divided into 2 parts, Orjan will take you on a wonderful new journey!

We’ve been lucky enough to sit down with him for a chat about ‘PRISM’ ,  the creative process and much more….

Orjan about his new album: “I have always been a very brave kind of producer. I’ve experimented, have tried different styles, genres, techniques. No matter how much I love DJ-ing I will always be a producer first and I will never stop going over the barriers in music production. This is what Prism is all about, its about exploring different points of view, different perceptions. Prisms have the unique ability to reflect light and disperse darkness into color. And this is exactly what I do through music – I express my feelings and my thoughts with it. I disperse the darkness, turn negatives into colors and reflect the light. Or at least I really try. “Prism” is a combination of the many stories I have and want to share with you. Singles do not create a storyline, so it was only natural to compile those in an album, which I will be releasing in 2 parts.”

TBA: Hi Orjan, goods to catch up with you again ☺
First of all congrats on ‘Million Miles Away’ , such a perfect tune for the upcoming summer, I’ve heard Ibiza inspired you to create this gem right?

O.N.: Definitely. I was at the island and I got this guitar melody stuck in my head and when I got back home it was just something I needed to finish.

TBA: Talking about Ibiza, will you be back on the white Island this summer?

O.N: I am not too sure if I will be back this summer, because I haven’t seen anything yet, but usually im always there since 2011, so it might happen!

TBA: Prism is finally seeing the light , after 3 years of work, can you tell us a bit about the creative process?

O.N.: PRISM was actually 2 years in the making. The creative process was so much fun because I have created so many different things. Especially with the fact that I’ve been working with far more vocalists this time around, which means that the creativeness doesn’t come from me personally, but also comes from the people around it. So working together with all these vocalists and lyrics writers its just been really inspiring for me. It was really good!

TBA: Being a great fan of yours, I know how eclectic you are and how much you like to mix different styles , but at the same time you manage to keep your signature sound, how is that possible?

O.N.: I think it’s because when I started learning how to produce music I had none other than myself to do the trail and error process, which means that I didn’t have anyone teaching me to do music. I taught myself! So no matter what kind of style or genre I do, I will always have a thin red line, because this is how I learnd to make music. So when you don’t have inputs from other people but just like yourself, you end up creating your own stuff. I think that has helped me a lot, even though it was a lot harder to learn that way, it was still something that made me into me.

TBA: What do you do when you are stuck at a certain point during the building of a track?

O.N.: Usually if I’m stuck I actually start on something new. I go away from that project, keeping a distance from it and start on a new track. Sometimes whilst making the new track I would figure out how to finish the other one.

TBA: Can you tell us the release date of the album?

O.N: The release date of the Part 1 of PRISM will be May 18th!

PRE ORDER YOUR COPY HERE

Tracklist “Prism Part 1”:
01. Orjan Nilsen – Swoosh (Intro Mix)
02. Orjan Nilsen – That One Night
03. Orjan Nilsen feat. Mike James – Hi There Radio (Been Too Long)
04. Orjan Nilsen – Iconic
05. Orjan Nilsen feat. Rykka – In A Thousand Ways
06. Orjan Nilsen – Million Miles Away
07. Orjan Nilsen – Navigator
08. Orjan Nilsen – Craziness
09. Orjan Nilsen feat. Matluck – The Last Goodbye
10. Orjan Nilsen – I See Spots
11. Orjan Nilsen – Simulator
12. Orjan Nilsen feat. IDA – Drowning
13. Orjan Nilsen – Nothing Here But Love

TBA: What was the hardest or let’s say what was the most challenging moment for you while creating the album, or a specific tune …(musical wise) and why?

O.N.: Well the hardest thing when making the album is the fact that I am always travelling. Staying in the studio enough to finish it was the hardest thing. Hence why it took so long as well. For me the one specific tune that was a bit hard was actually “Drowning” feat. IDA. Because I love the vocal so much and I loved the way she sang it, so I had no idea what direction to take it. In the end I ended up going with the more trancier approach and the more euphoric/festival approach. So “Drowning” was definitely the hardest track, as I had too many ideas and it was all because of the fantastic vocals.

TBA: Any funny things happened while the making of the album?

O.N: To be honest not too many, but I did have a couple of things that were pretty cool. Basically when you’re on the studio and you do stuff you’re not supposed to do or planning to do, some good thigns can happen. Technically doing an error on the track with Rykka called “In a Thousand Ways” I got Mike James, who is the songwritter for that, to do the error I did but to do it professionally. So basically that was just a strange moment which changed the whole track. A small little thing that changed the whole ambience of it.

TBA: Any new toy in your studio or in your wishlist?

O.N.: Oh I always have new toys on my wishlist. I actually didnt buy too much stuff, but I bought a few plugins, but I am definitely looking into getting a Moog Voyager, as it would be awesome to have in my studio. I rally want to buy that one but its just too expensive.

TBA: The funniest thing happened to you while touring?

O.N.: Ahh there are so many things. Lets see if I can remember something really cool and funny. I can take one from recently when I was playing ASOT in Sydney. Me and my friend Eirik and Will Atkinson were actually going to the Zoo and when you go into the Zoo they ask you to take pictures. Now when you take pictures, they do it in front of a green screen. Funny part is Will was wearing a green shirt, so he turned out to be a part of the jungle! It was hilarious when we looked at the pictures. So next time we decided that we are going to wear green tracksuits so we can all blend into one! 😀

TBA: The most inspirational person in your life ?

O.N.: The most inspirational person in my life is always going to be my daughter Angelica.

TBA: What’s next after the release of PRISM? Shall we expect a tour maybe?

O.N.: There is definitely going to be a tour and I am going to premiere a lot of tracks during these shows. But also, a little funny thing, PRISM has 2 parts, one coming out on May 18th and part 2 is TBA later on this year ☺ So there’s gonna be 2 parts of the album and definitely an album tour!

TBA: In this case…will you be visiting Italy?

O.N. : I really hope I can visit Italy. It would be so cool to play there. I played in Milan once and I just loved it so hopefully I can visit again this year!

TBA: Thanks for your time and hope to see you very soon somewhere ☺

O.N.: Thank you so much for asking me these questions, I loved it!

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC, NEWS

ORJAN NILSEN – NAVIGATOR

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We cannot wait for ‘Prism’ , the upcoming and long awaited new album by our favorite viking , so versatile as only a few artists can be, Orjan is releasing today this massive tune called ‘Navigator’ .

This anthemic track starts off very rhythmic in the synth supported percussive intro and flows over into a melodic If you love  Orjan Nilsen as much as we do here, let’s keep a cloes eye on  ASOT Instagram today!!

 

 

Laden with heaps of energy, a pulsating bassline and an anthemic melody that guides fans every step of the way, ‘Navigator’ is wild and tempestuous like stormy seas. Taken from Ørjan Nilsen’s third artist album called ‘Prism’, this monster tune leads clubbers to the only treasure that matters: supercharged music made for night-long fist-pumping.

Listen to ‘Navigator’ here 

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC, NEWS, OUT NOW

OUT NOW: SIMON LEE & ALVIN W/ KIMBERLY HALE ‘NEVER SURRENDER’

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Download/Listen to ‘Never Surrender’ here 

After a lot of teasing from the biggest acts in the scene, today, the new jewel by Simon Lee & Alvin with Kimberly Hale is finally seeing the light.

This stunner is called ‘Never Surrender’ and you might probably have listened to it at the gigs of some of the big names.

Bobina recently played it during his Russian’s gig and Andrew Rayel already supported it on his FYH100 episode.

We’ ve been lucky enough to sit down with the amazing Kimberly Hale, to get some insights about this collaboration, so please find a few words from the artist here for you:

” Simon Lee & Alvin wrote to me from Malaysia and said they would like to do an inspirational tune with a similar feeling like my track with Denis Kenzo, “Find the Light.”  They already had the idea for “Never Surrender” but said I could do something different if I liked.

  Their idea really registered with me and I chose to run with it.  They have a very nice classical, very musical feeling in their tunes, so I found myself drawn to a more classical-style voice and my falsetto, like in “Find the Light.”  

I have been writing over tracks more these days than in former years.  Previously I had been writing on piano and always felt like it was more of a construction process.
 
Writing over great tracks like I have been doing this last couple of years, has enabled me to feel really free with my writing and I feel like I am not even the one writing it anymore.  It’s like I have become a receiver and everything just comes to me out of the air when I have such a wonderful track for inspiration.
  So not sure if I can even take the credit anymore! hahaha  But this time the rhythm of the vocal came first which was unusual for me, as I would say I tend to hear the words first in most cases.  I hope you will enjoy it! ” (Kimberly Hale)

A few weeks after their very well received Madagascar remix Simon Lee & Alvin return to Magik Muzik with Never Surrender. You can expect an entrancing uplifting piece of music, strengthened even more by Kimberly Hale’s absolutely dazzling vocal work. Must-have! Subscribe to Black Hole Recordings TV: ‪https://blackhole.choons.at/youtube

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC, NEWS, OUT NOW

ALESSANDRA RONCONE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW + ‘SERENITY’ IS OUT NOW!!

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Who said Monday is a bad day?? We got something very special for you today!

A stunning new tune that will transform your Monday blues into an explosion of euphoria, ‘Serenity’ by our super talented trance head Alessandra Roncone is out now on FSOE.

This incredibly busy artist even found a moment to sit with us for a chat so let’s check what has been said 🙂

 

Serenity is one of the most stunning feel-good tracks you’ll hear all year. A soaring lead line complements a beautiful solo piano, while a strong driving bass gives everything needed for a dancefloor smasher.

 

 

LET’S GRAB IT HERE

 

 

 

 

TBA: Hi Alessandra, nice to finally being able to talk to you :), first of all, how are you?

AR: Hi Jessica its my pleasure, Ive been sick lately but Im getting well again and stronger than ever 🙂

TBA:  You are the woman flag bearer of trance music in Italy, we are really proud of you, but how hard was it to reach this position among all these men?

AR: As I said in another interview,to be a woman in this purely male industry doesn’t help at all..
It’s not easy to gain respect for what we achieve with hard daily work.. I can say I encountered bitterness, envy, bullshits and other not nice thinghs that go with a growth in this music industry, but I’ll take this in my stride and I use it as stronger motivation to show that women are not less than men.

TBA:  Serenity is your 5th tune on FSOE label, how did this cooperation start?

AR: I love the melodies, and the banging uplifting, so FSOE has always been my favorite label, I started to send tracks to them since 2013 and I’ve always been rejected..
But Fadi always told me to keep going and send my tracks to them to see my improvement so I took this as a big motivation to do better and better.. And finally in 2017 when I sent to them ‘Sogno my dream came  true.

TBA:  What has inspired you to make this tune?

AR: When I produce I always follow my feelings, letting  the music and melody guide me.. I think that melodies are the most important element on trance, when I produce I just go with the flow as I  get inspired by the sounds that I add step by step. I never planned how to make a track… I just descover it doing it as it slowly comes to life.  And most of the time it reflects my mood. I made ‘Serenity’ on March 2017 and it was a very peaceful and happy time for me.

TBA:  How do you see the the trance scene going in Italy?

AR: Unfortunately the trance scene in Italy is not as good  as it used to be.. There are trance lovers but clubs stopped to support this kind of music lately, while in the 90’s we’ve lived the  golden age of trance here.. But now its difficult to fill stages.. The new generation doesn’t know much about new trance because the media stopped to support it and the old generation is still very bond to the old school sound so they attend mainly  remember events… so it’s not easy.. But I know promoters that never give up on offering new trance,  bringing not only the big names but also the new rising artists and I noticed that even if these events are not happening so often, every time I meet new people. So I can totally tell this is a good sign.There is still hope for the scene.

TBA:  What is your studio set up like ?

AR: Awww I love my studio!! I spend here basically all my day and many nights till late.
I’ve my cdjs and mixer that I use to record my Forza Live show and about production I’ve 2 big monitors, 2 Krk Rokit 6, my keyboard  midi is a Carbon 49 and as sound card I’ve a Focusrite Scarlet 2i;  its very relaxing to me because of so many coloured leds lights. Its not a big studio but I’ve everything I need 🙂

TBA:  Can you tell us a bit of your production flow ?

AR: As I said before I never plan.. I usually start from kick and basses.. then I search some sounds I like and i try to create some melodies.. so the track just comes along adding and adding parts and layers..
I like to play the keybord also, so I’ve a folder full of midi that I record when I just play and from where I can choose the perfect sound to pick for the tune in the making.

TBA: You are also the  mom of an amazing little boy, how do you manage to be an international dj and keep a family life as well?

AR: I’m a very lucky mum because my son is a big trance lover since when he was very young  and my n.1 fan.. When he is at school in the morning I’ve all the time to stay in my studio.. When he comes back I do normal mum’s stuff.. I cook,  help him with his homework  when he needs me, I take him to play basket or I just go with him to his various activities . But he also enjoys  playing piano and he is very attracted to play with cdjs or to produce music already; so many times he asks me to learn something. Working at home allows me to wake up with him, so he sees me every day when I’m not touring, so when I need to go away for some days he always gives me a big hug and kiss telling me: “Enjoy mum”,and this is very good so I leave with a happy and light heart.
He also can’t wait to be able to attend a trance party with me (it has happened in Italy on the beach) but he knows he is not allowed in real clubs for now.

TBA: What are your future plans musical wise?

AR: The only plan I have is to continue making a lot of music, that people love, and hopefully to have many many booking.

TBA:  Your dream collaboration?

AR: In 2017 I’ve collaborated with 3 great Artists.. Allen Watts, Talla 2xlc and Darren Porter which has been my precious mentor all over the last 2 years, so I can say Im already very happy about this.

There are many artists that I love and that would love to collaborate with.. But if I’ve to think big and tell you a  few names for a dream collaboration I would say Ferry Corsten, Armin Van Buuren, Paul Van Dyk and the Italian Legend Mauro Picotto because I’ve grown up with their music and I loved trance a lot because of them, so they are legends to me.

TBA: Where are we going to see you play next?

AR: I’ll play this saturday in Zurich in Swiss, then I’ll have some dates in Italy and other big dates that I can’t reveal now but you are going to discover those soon 🙂

TBA: Thanks a lot for your time and see you soon on the dancefloor.

AR: Thanks to you for this interview, see you soon somewhere

I send you a big hug..
Ale

 

ABOUT ALESSANDRA RONCONE:

Alessandra Roncone is a female DJ/Producer from Bologna, Italy.
Since her journey into music in the 90’s began she pursed a career in an industry that is in her blood.
Alessandra started to play in good local Clubs and at the biggest Italians Trance events like Art Of Trance (BO) and Trance Gate (MI).
She began to produce music on 2012 with mentoring from producers such as Mark Lillini and trance heavy weight Darren Porter.
Over the years she began to hone her skills and began a rapid rise in the music she loved.
Her production skills and Djing energy caught the eye of many in the industry and people began to take notice. With regular support from the likes of Aly & Fila, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Sean Tyas, Darren Porter, Manuel Le Saux and many more, she has released frequent tracks on the imprint from the Italian trance “Extrema Global Music” – hitting number 1 on Track It Down Trance Charts.
His greatest success came with the release of “Sogno” on FSOE recordings deploying the 3th place on the Beatport Trance Chart, 86th on Main Top 100 Tracks, staying on the chart for more than a month.
She gained also momentum with reworks of classics such as Sunbeam – Outside world, Lange – Drifting away and Tiesto – Elements Of Life.
Coupled with new management, logo and her radio show aptly named “Forza” – there is nothing stopping Italian fastest rising Trance Queen Alessandra Roncone. With an immense summer in 2016 including a European season tour in Ibiza, frequent gigs in the Netherlands, Germany, Zurich, Italy, Spain, France and Asia alongside some of the biggest names in the industry such as Aly & Fila, Sean Tyas, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Darren Porter, Ferry Tayle, Standerwick, The Thrillseekers, Ram and many more… She also exploded on to Asia stage Playing for titans in the industry such as Transmission and FSOE, her profile is showing no signs of slowing down.There is so much more to come from this outstanding and energetic DJ.
She released music over the years on many high profile labels, more recently with the likes of Future Sound Of Egypt and Armada.
With bookings, releases, collabs, remixes and tours to announce, 2017 is proving to the year Alessandra Roncone arrived in trance music and she is here to stay.
stay connected!

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC, NEWS, OUT NOW

DAVID GRAVELL TALKS ABOUT ‘THE FUTURE’ OF HIS MUSIC

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“I think I just released my biggest Trance track to date”….

This is how David Gravell announced his new tune to the world on his social media accounts last Friday.

If you attended one of his gigs recently you might have witnessed this energy explosion already, like we did during ASOT850 where he premiered it!

 

https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/982227011270688774

 

Taken from Armin van Buuren’s ‘A State Of Trance 2018’ album, this brand-new offering from David Gravell bears that tempestuous signature sounds of his we’ve come to cherish. Blazing the trail for the next generations of Trance artists to come, ‘The Future’ will leave a lasting impression each time it wrecks a mainstage.

TRACKS

  1. The Future (02:30)
  2. The Future (Extended Mix) (06:18)

 

Let’s grab it here:

Spotify

Apple Music

iTunes

Deezer

Beatport

Google Play

Amazon MP3

Tidal

Napster

 

We also set down with David to learn a bit about the creative process of his tunes, here’s what he told us…

 

TBA: Have you ever been educated into music or do you think it is necessary?

DG: I’ve learnt everything myself, reading books,searching on internet and YouTube, everything on my own; so I think receiving an education it’s not that necessary as everything is on line nowadays and you can find it on your own ,it takes time but you can do it.

TBA: How was your first studio set up when you started making music?

DG: Hmm..very small speakers, very small keyboard, and a very slow computer,without any knowledge of cubase, actually the first time I had that software I gave it away after 6 months and stopped making music for a year and afterwards I found out I had to learn it if I wanted to do this job seriously. So now when I have an idea I can just put it in Cubase and I know everything, it became easier.

TBA : Is there any new studio gear on your shopping list?

DG: To be honest  I think I have almost everything I need in my studio now, you know I was saving money to get all I needed and know I am fine with all my things.

Well sometimes when I se something new on internet I just buy it,and sometimes I also get some new stuff from instruments companies for me to test them so it’s cool.

TBA: Some months ago you told me you prefer the analog sound to the digital synths. Which are the pro and cons?

DG: Well if you are not familiar with analogue just know  you have to record it instead of… for instance the instruments that are in Cubase,  like a midi base, with analog you have to record it back into the computer. I am using UAD so it has the option to get back into the sound card. I am using the Virus , but not using the USB option in it but i am working with the two cables that go into the soundcard, because when you are recording sometimes it’s not working with USB.

TBA: You were showing us a bit how you make tracks, and we are wondering what do you do if you get stuck at some point

DG: A good advice when you make music is to take breaks every 20 minutes  otherwise you will lose your movement in making music. So every 20 minutes I have an alarm, I am living in Amsterdam next to a big park so every 20 minutes i go doing something else, I go wok with my computer, with my phone, then i go back,and after for sessions of 20 minutes i do like an hour of break, I go to the city, I come back… cause I have to keep my mind fresh and inspired.

The most important thing is to keep the flowing , if you are in the moment when you create music you can finish a track so quickly, but also ,like i told you you have to own the knowledge of software etc.

TBA: You were also producing music for movies right?

DG: Yes, I’ve been doing it when I first started making music , when you make that kind of music, it’s more like building energy,  if you know Hans Zimmer for example ,every track that he makes has a lot of energy and a lot of movement in it.Sometimes it’s  nice to do it, to just work on the sound, and the cool thing about movie music is that it can go on for like 20 minutes or more like a soundtrack, you can just go with it.

TBA: You are producing a lot of new music, is your artist album on sight?

DG: I dont’ know if these tracks I am gonna premiere tonight will be in the album, I am working on it but , I think when I’ll do it  I need the time to completely dedicate myself to it, to focus on the album, and work in the studio somewere like in Los Angeles, without doing anything else.

TBA : Is it gonna be a new concept?

DG: Well my sound is evolving, but I want to make clear I wanna make it the best as possible, I will lock myself up in the studio, I will work with other producers, singers,and will do everything to make an album that will really stands out from the rest.

TBA: We can’t wait for that! But meanwhile good luck with your new release and see you soon.

DG: Thanks for the interview and see you soon!

 

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC, NEWS

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RADION6 @ASOT850

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RADION6 has been one of the most exciting acts of the glorious night of ASOT850 and such a down to earth artist, or in the words of the trance master, Armin van Buuren:

“One of the hottest producers of the moment” 

and we’ve been honored to meet him right after his smashing set for a cool chat about his career and more…

 

TBA: Hi Ruud, congrats for rocking the stage here at ASOT850 for the second time after last year, how does it feel to be part of it?
RADION6: I’m so thankful, it’s unbelievable, even Armin showed up on stage during my set, I’m speechless actually, it’s amazing!
TBA: Armin is really supporting you a lot, this is something really special right?
RADION6 : Absolutely, yes, I don’t really know what to say, I am so thankful, it’s really amazing.
TBA: You started playing at a very young age, who did inspire you?
RADION6: My mom, she played the piano, and she learned me the first notes to play and the funny thing is now my little daughter, who is almost 2 y.o. likes music already too, she always wanders around playing everything , this morning she woke me up playing my video of yesterday, ahaha it was really cool.

TBA: How did it go from piano lessons to electronic music?
RADION6: Well music has always been part of my life, I always needed to make sound with everything; when I was 15 y.o. I started to dj electronic music, this happened when I gave the demo of my mixtape to a club and I started to play there a few days later.
About the producing, it started in 2009, so a bit later.

TBA: Production wise, what can we expect in the near future?

RADION6: A lot!! I just played a few ID’s and also the intro with the bootleg of Lethal Industry , I played it cause I was curious to see how people would react.

TBA:Is an artist album in the picture yet?
RADION6: Well not right now, I signed an exclusive deal with Armada and the A&R said it would be better to make first some singles at the moment, but maybe in the future things can change.
TBA: How does your studio set up looks like?
RADION6: Actually very simple, a desktop or a laptop, I have a home studio but I also have a more professional studio, nowadays you don’t need much hardware anymore, a keyboard and a laptop do the trick, you know a lot of plugins are used these days, so you don’t really need that much .
TBA: Any fave plugins or synth at the moment?
RADION6: yes I like to work with Spire and Sylenth1 to name a few , here I found some good settings that fits my own sound 

TBA: How did you get that signature sound in your music?
RADION6: I achieved it with a lot of work actually, I think it was around 2015/16 that I found that perfect sound that fits me , it was with the track Warpdrive.
TBA: Yes, it really stands out,
RADION6: Yeah, it’s radiating, that was the idea behind it. Like RADION. I was really focused to get a unique sound, then we sent it to Armin , it should have been in Sied’s album Rielism but Armin listened to it and  wanted it on Armind.
TBA: Wow that’s cool
RADION6: Yes this is really what I was looking for, I remember I came to ASOT in 2016 as a visitor and on Wednesday I sent Livin the Dream to Armin and it was not signed yet, but he was playing it on ASOT750, it was awesome, the A&Rs were hyped and I got a text from Armin saying “did you see the people going off?” and it started..it was just amazing. So I’ve asked Ruben what do I need to do to be here next year? And he said make good tracks and  keep on doing what you do and you may be here.
A year later I was standing here! Then I was at the opening of the new ASOT studio in Amsterdam and Ruben remembered this moment at ASOT750 that was really funny!
TBA: Wow it really looks like you have a bright future ahead, our best wishes and hope to catch up with you again soon.
RADION6: Thanks for having me, hope to see you soon!

 

 

 

 

About Radion6:

Radion6 (Ruud Kretzers) born in the Netherlands has had interest in music since his early childhood and music has always been part of his life.

In 2008 he felt like testing his production skills and in 2009 he got his first release under the name Radion6. This record was released on Spinnin’ Records/oxygen. From that day on his tracks have been picked up by many big names like Armin van Buuren, Tiësto, Markus Schulz, Judge Jules, Sander van Doorn, Bobina and many more. Whether his productions are played live, on stage or in radio shows, they have always left a great impact on the listeners.

Armin van Buuren called Radion6: “one of the hottest producers of the moment” during his Radio show : A State of Trance. This was a huge recognition towards the producing skills of Radion6 coming from one of the elite DJs in the world.

Radion6’s productions are synonymous with quality, with tracks like: “Radiator” and “Another Heater” (together with Sied van Riel), his “Sunrise” Remix for 4Strings and the remix of Ørjan Nilsen’s track “Anywhere But Here”. He also produced many successful tracks of his own: “Lightning” and “Mind Sensation” that have been played in the biggest clubs and Festivals all around the globe.
After first working carefully on his producing skills and after the growing requests of his fans he started his DJ-act in Spring 2011. In November 2011 his was invited to be part of Sander Van Doorn’s tour : “Eleve11” in Bucharest Romania.

Radion6 already has also got guest appearences on Digitally Imported, Afterhours.FM, TranceBase.Fm, and Bobina’s – Russia Goes Clubbing. In October 2011, Radion6 launched his Radio Show “Mind Sensation” on Digitally Imported and is aired every 2nd Friday of the month.

He is one of the fastest growing producer/DJ of the moment. Keep your eye on this rising star as he is looking to be the new face of the EDM scene!

CONTACTS:

https://www.radion6.nl

RADION6 ON TWITTER

RADION6 ON INSTAGRAM

RADION6 ON FACEBOOK

RADION6 ON SOUNDCLOUD

RADION6 ON YOUTUBE

RADION6 ON SPOTIFY

 

LISTEN AND BUY RADION6 TUNES HERE

 

 

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC

TBA x MUZIKXPRESS presents: The story behind “Out Of The Blue” by Ferry Corsten a.k.a. System F

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Happy Trance Thursday everyone!!

Let’s kick it off in the best possible way with an interview by my friend Twan with the legendary Ferry Corsten!

In this episode Ferry Corsten talks about “Out Of The Blue”, a track which he produced back in 1998 under his “System F” alias. “Out Of The Blue” is considered as one of the most famous trance classics of all time and it was a milestone in Ferry’s carreer. In this exclusive interview Ferry tells the story about the mysterious white labels that were send out to promote the track, the bidding war between labels to sign the track, he explains which equipment he used for the track, his future plans and more!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did, and don’t forget to subscribe to this amazing channel for loads of music and news:  https://www.youtube.com/muzikxpress

 

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC, NEWS, OUT NOW

OUT NOW: Ruben de Ronde & Cari – When I Fall + INTERVIEW

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When Statement!’s label boss Ruben de Ronde decides to spoil us, there is nothing we can do but prepare ourselves to some nice ear candies, as in this case, he’s presenting us his latest jewel called ‘When I Fall’, featuring the blissful voice of Cari, we’re pretty sure you hear this stunner already at one of his gigs, and finally we see it being released on our beloved Statement! Recordings.

 

 

Hooking listeners with its mysterious atmosphere and gradual build, Ruben de Ronde & Cari’s ‘When I Fall’ has all the hallmarks of Trance fan’s top favorite. Laced with angelic vocals, stellar chord progressions and club-ready bass, this record marks yet another phenomenal Statement! release.

Let’s grab it here

We’ve asked the label boss to chat with us about this new tune and more 🙂

TBA: ‘When I Fall’ is your latest collaboration with Cari, how did your cooperation start?

RdR: The music side started while working on music on my twitch channel. ( twitch.tv/rubenderonde ) and after working on it for a while, I wanted to get a vocal on this tune.
I started seeing more and more music from Cari popping up lately, and I simply wanted to work with her! 
A lot of people know her as a singer, but she produces as well! Keep an eye on this girl! 
I am actually working on another track with her!

TBA: What is the idea behind ‘When I Fall’?

RdR: That is a question you should ask Cari! She wrote these amazing lyrics with a good meaning. Musical wise I wanted to create something for some bigger stages. I managed to finish it just a few days before Dreamstate Festival in California. So that will always be the spot where I played it first!

TBA: Rumours say you are working on a follow up of your album ‘My Story’, anything you can say already?

RdR: There is so much new music! The viewers of my streams and vlogs have already heard a bunch of it tho! But some of them I am keeping on the low, to surprise you!
I hope to release it before the summer.

TBA: TSOH is our favourite podcast here at TBA, can you tell us how is it going and how do you manage  to always keeping it so fresh?

RdR: Haha, thank you! I always try to find records that no-one knows. I think that most of the radio shows are a bit to similar, so I’ll try to keep it going the way it is.

TBA: You are also a professional streamer now!! We can watch the making of TSOH on line with you on your Twitch channel, and when you make new music you share it with your audience directly while in the making… is this something that helps your creative process?

RdR: This is 100% helping my creativity! I spend most of my days making music, and opening the doors to my studio, giving an insight really helps. I am really happy with the support I get from the community, and it really keeps me motivated. The music industry can be a hard and demotivating place, so I am super happy that I decided to starting to stream. All my subscribers on Twitch get exclusive material in return, because I think it always should go two ways!

TBA: You have a lot of young producers asking for suggestions on how to make a nice tune… what is the advice you give them more often?

RdR: Be original. It is easy to copy! And always make music with your heart. Dont stick around to a certain sound because you are expected to do so. 
And if you are running into problems, dont be afraid to call in help. I have friends like Rodg that can get me over dead points in tracks. 

TBA: Can you tell us your favourite 5 tunes of the moment?

RdR: Rodg – U Got U [Statement!]
Axwell /\ Ingrosso feat. Trevor Guthrie – Dreams (Alpha9 Remix) [Universal]
Virtual Self – Ghost Voices (Alpha 9 Remix) [Virtual Self]
Ruben de Ronde & Cari – When I Fall [Statement!]
and a new tune I am making right now! That one doesnt have a title yet, but the vibe stays in my head haha!

TBA: One artist to keep an eye on right now?

RdR: There are a bunch of great artists. 2017 has been great for my buddies Rodg and Estiva. Both of them are working on their albums at the moment. I am really excited about Elevven, a new team up from Los Angeles. They are going to do great this year.

TBA: Any upcoming gigs you are really excited about?

RdR: Yes! But I cannot tell too much about all of them. I am returning to Australia for Istoria and ASOT and I am going to tour more with Vini Vici! That is exciting!

 

TBA: Thanks a lot and see you soon  Ruben!!

 

 

 

Can’t get enough of Ruben yet? Let’s check the latest episode of his very own The Sound Of Holland right here:

 

 

INTERVIEWS, MUSIC

LET’S MEET RYAN FARISH, THE MAN BEHIND ‘ PRIMARY COLORS’

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Dear All,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Thanks a lot for all the love and support during the past and we hope to be able to keep entertaining you with our music news and interviews for this brand new 2018!

As we wanted to start with something very special…..come with us and meet Ryan Farish!!

A while ago, we introduced you to ‘Primary Colors’ a massive album by Ryan Farish, for us it has been love at first listening and so we were thrilled to ask him a few questions about it and his contagious love for the music.

If you haven’t checked his album yet, we really don’t know what you are waiting for, you can find download links and info in our previous piece, right here:

http://thebackstageaccess.com/index.php/2017/11/09/ryan-farish-primary-colors/

 

 

 

And now, let’s enjoy our chat 🙂

 

TBA: Hi Ryan, thanks for talking to The Backstage Access.First of all, huge congrats on your new smashing album, ‘Primary Colors’… it has something magical in it!!

RF: Thank you so much, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the album!

TBA: You produced 16 albums so far, how did it all begin and could you please tell us about the evolution of your music during this 16 albums path?

RF: I first began recording music at home in the early 2000’s. Publishing Mp3s was starting to become popular, so I would publish my songs as I created them online on a website called mp3.com. After a short time, my music began to chart on this website and that helped introduce my music to a lot of people. Just as one grows as a person over their life and through the experiences we share, an artists’ musical growth is also reflected in the Artist’s work. My music has evolved over the years, and really to me feels like it’s been a reflection of who I am, and also the music and sounds and styles that I connect with during each year. What I’m grateful for right now, is that I feel very inspired with the direction I’m taking my music right now, and for me this album almost feels like the beginning of a new chapter for me with my music.

TBA: You did a lot of sound research in this massive work of art, could you try to explain us the complexity of such a huge work?

RF: Thank you, yes I spent a lot of time in the studio making this album. I am equally drawn to song writing as I am to studio production and mixing. My time or day in the studio is usually divided into 3 phases, sound design, writing and production, and mixing. Of course, in many cases all three of these phases happen simultaniously, but I do set specific times aside when working on a new song to treat these three phases separately. This allows me to really focus in as a sound designer, a song writer and as a producer and mixing engineer.

TBA: Your tunes ‘We Are the Colors’, Time Lapse’, ‘Golden Sky’ and ‘Release” are enriched with a massive use of analogue synthesizers, (on a personal note, I always like when an artist uses them because to my ears and my soul it all sounds …better, real, don’t know how to explain it but , does it feel the same for you?

RF: Yes, I would agree with you that there is something magical to me about analog synths. They are at times finicky, querky, and require more work and time to use… but there’s nothing like the payoff that comes after spending a lot of time dialing in a sound that someone can’t just download and load up into their DAW or Sampler. I’m also a fan of VST synths as well, but there really is a special, satisfying sound and “thing” that comes from your own analog synth, and because of the analog nature of these instruments there is an ebon flow to the sounds, almost like a stringed instrument, or the human voice.  The tone and color varies across each note, and in fact even as the instrument warms up. I really enjoy working with analog instruments.

TBA: What are your favorite synths?

RF: My favorite analog synths are my MOOG voyager, my KORG minilogue, and my MOOG 37. My favorite VST synths are Serum, DIVA, Sylenth1, Monark, Massive and LUSH.

TBA: We loved the collaboration you did with Christian Burns on 2 songs of Primary Colors, I am one of his long time fans and I fell head over heels for these gems, ‘Safe In This Place’ and ‘Find You’, would you mind telling me how the idea to cooperate was born and how it developed?

RF: I was first introduced to Christian through my agent Bram Van der Hoeven. Christian and I quickly became friends, we both love a lot of the same music and sounds. We began writing songs together both for me and for him. Christian and I, along with Arny Bink (Black Hole Recordings) all decided that “Find You” and “Safe in This Place” would be perfect for ‘Primary Colors’.

TBA: So, from the already mentioned tunes, to tunes like ‘Endless Summer’ that sounds like a tropical house track, you showed a different vibe, feels like you can produce top-notch music regardless the genre, but we would like to know what musical genre stole your heart?

RF: Thank you. Well, that’s really hard for me to say, because I love so many genres, I’d say I’m just a fan of music in general. Music that gives me the goose bumps no matter what genre or style, is my favorite kind of music.

TBA: What is the main message you are trying to spread with your album?

RF: Well, I haven’t given that so much thought, but I think that what I’ve come to realize since the release of this album is that if you make music that you really love, and your pour your heart into the songs and work really hard to get the details right, people can feel that dedication. This album really doesn’t follow any trends, or what’s popular at the moment, so I think the positive reaction to this release has really encouraged me to stay on this path of purely making the music I love and want to hear, in the moment I’m at, and to never follow genres or be too concerned with that.

TBA: What was the funniest part of producing this album?

RF: This is a great question, and here’s what immediately comes to my mind… one of the most popular tracks from the album is “Endless Summer”. And, if you can believe this, I almost didn’t include this song on the album!

TBA: Which tune required more work to get done?

RF: I would say “Time Lapse” because of the time involved in the sound design and mix.

TBA: Thanks a lot for your time and hope to catch up soon!

RF: Thank you so much, really enjoyed your questions and it was a pleasure! Thank you!