Your Name:
Erika K
Your location(country,city)
United States, San Francisco
Dimitri: Can you mention your 3 biggest achievements in your music career in 2016?
Erika K: A lot happened this year that I didn't expect. My first would be signing my first EP, "Tension/Avolate" with Tangled Audio. That was very exciting to have happen and see a lot of big name artists such as (Sean Tyas, Indecent Noise and Giuseppe Ottaviani) support the EP. Also my second EP release with Tangled Audio, "Sahara/Ghana." I was really proud of that EP and especially with my track Sahara. It got way more attention than I could ever imagine; I'm really grateful for that. Second would be me headlining my first event. It was down in Fresno, California and I had a great experience. And finally, three of my tracks being chosen for Tangled Audio: Best of 2016.
Dimitri: Overall 2016 was a positive, neutral or maybe negative year for you and why?
Erika K: 2016 has been a great year when it comes to music. I've learned a lot and achieved some of my personal goals. I'm really excited for what 2017 has in store for me.
1) Best Track:
Erika K: Freigeist - 7FT (Extended Mix)
2) Best Artist (Dj & producer):
Erika K: Andrew Bayer
3) Best Remix:
Erika K: Orkidea - Nana (Jerome Isma-Ae Remix)
4) Best Remixer:
Erika K: Local Heroes
5) Best New Talent (Dj or producer):
Erika K: Daun Giventi
6) Best Electronic Music Album:
Erika K: Gareth Emery - 100 Reasons to Live
7) Best Electronic Music Compilation:
Erika K: Future Sound of Egypt 450
8) Best artwork/cover of an Album or Compilation:
Erika K: Tales From The Mental Asylum: Chapter IV
9) Best Lyrics in an Electronic Music track
Erika K: Jase Thirlwall, Victoria Shersick - I'll Still Have You (Extended Mix)
10) Best Vocalist/Singer featured on Electronic Music track:
Erika K: Bo Bruce
11) Best Electronic Music Label:
Erika K: Tangled Audio
12) Best Electronic Music Video:
Erika K: CVNTS - CVNTS
13) Best Online Social media for communication with your fans:
Erika K: Instagram and Facebook
14) Best Twitter or Facebook message or Instagram message you received from a fan or friend or you have read on someone else’s account:
Erika K: A Tweet from Indecent Noise: "LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A TRUE QUEEN OF UPLIFTING TRANCE! GO ERIKA!"
This was when he played my track "Sahara" on MARadio082. It still blows my mind when I read that tweet!
15) Best music composition software:
Erika K: Ableton
16) Best Club Event or Open Air Festival:
Erika K: Dreamstate
17) Best personal Dj Gig:
Erika K: Headlining an event in Fresno, CA back in August 2016.
18) Best Dj set of the year from other fellow Dj:
Erika K: Fleming & Lawrence at Dreamstate San Francisco in January 2016.
19) Best country that you have visited to perform with the most up for it crowd:
Erika K: United States
20) Best Radio show:
Erika K: Group Therapy with Above & Beyond
21) Best Radio station:
Erika K: Discover Trance Radio
22) Best Online Record shop that you purchase your music:
Erika K: Beatport and Track It Down
23) Best music related website that you visit frequently:
Erika K: Beatport
24) Best Smart phone or smart phone application:
Erika K: Instagram
25) Best Dj equipment (software or hardware):
Erika K: Pioneer CDJ Nexus 2000
26) Best new sound or sample that has been used in Electronic Music this year perhaps introduced first by you?
Erika K: I feel like a lot of new sounds and samples came out this year. Too hard to choose just one!
27) Best tip that you learnt this year for your Djing techniques or music composition:
Erika K: I learned a lot this year from friends and watching YouTube videos. I don't remember one specific thing.
28) Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career in 2016:
Erika K: Don't give up.
29) Best hobby or activity that you spent a lot of time in 2016:
Erika K: Spending time with my Golden Retriever :)
30) Best holiday destination for 2016 that you manage to visit this year either to relax or to perform in a club or festival:
Erika K: Tahoe, California
31) Best Electronic Music magazines in printed form not online:
Erika K: Future Music
32) Best Movie of the year that may inspire you to compose a track:
Erika K: I'd have to say "The Ivory Game." Although that's a documentary, not a movie. I don't watch movies very often.
33) Best online/PC/video game of the year that you have played this year?
Erika K: Battlefield 4
34) Best soundtrack for video game of the year:
Erika K: Skyrim
35) Best joke you heard this year related to electronic music:
Erika K: CVNT5 - CVNT5 (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO!!!!!)
Dimitri: Finally, 2017 is ahead of us would you like to tell your plans with your future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, Dj gigs.
Erika K: I have some original tracks I'm working on, remixes, and collaborations with Duncan Newell, Oleg Korolkov (MatricK), and Jack Aiman Høye (Dark Matter).
Thanks so much Duncan Newell at Alter Ego Records/Tangled Audio for arranging this interview
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