Dimitri: Are you going to remember 2010 as a good and positive year for the progress of electronic dance music or as one of the worst? For instance, have you found many good tracks, new ideas, new talented producers and newborn labels that have excited you and made you feel more addicted to your favourite music?
Robert: I think 2010 was a great year for the electronic dance music internationally.
I think the best big thing that happened this year for this genre it's the big comeback of the melodic trance, and a lot of artists no matter new or old had returned to make this great music. I am also glad that in channels like MTV and on many Internet and FM radio stations you can listen to vocal electronic dance music. For instance Armin van Buuren's album- Mirage, it’s absolutely amazing and I loved to listen to any of the tracks on this album, also great combination I loved it's the one of Tiesto and Nelly Furtado - Who Wants to Be Alone. And really there are a lot others great vocal trance music came out this year of Above and Beyond, Gareth Emery and many many others. I can absolutely say that this music makes me feel good and I truly addicted to it.
Dimitri: Is it possible to list for us, your personal accomplishments music wise, which you achieved during 2010, and maybe you might consider this year as one of your best, helping you to go a step forward in your career?
Robert: My seeing of personal accomplishments as an artist it's when I am releasing a track of mine and dj's and radio stations play it on all of the big parties and events or on the great radio shows, when this happens I know I succeeded as an artist. I'm not considering this year or any other year as my best because I always wish to step forward and rise above myself with my music. It's hard for me to list my best tracks, I released several this year and I love them all equally, so it's hard for me to choose a specific one.
Dimitri: THE A to Z of the Best of the Year 2010. Please list for us your best of 2010, along with a small comment to explain the reason why you chose that particular answer.
a) Best Full Release of the year (that means that you think that the original and the remix package was the most appropriate for it)
Robert: Wow that's really difficult for me to point over only one release, there are too many great singles and remixes that released this year and made it one of the best years for this genre.
b) Your personal Full release of the year ( if you had any releases of course, and give us the kind of feedback you got for it)
Robert: didn’t have one.
c) Best Single track of the year (only original versions)
Robert:Armin's Full Focus, I really like the break on this track, it's really a dance floor killer.
d) Your personal Best Single track of the year (if you had any releases of course, and give us the kind of feedback you got for it)
Robert: My track Rockless got the full support of many of the top dj's of the world and made me really proud of it.
e) Best Remix of the year
Robert: Cosmic Gate – Back To Earth (Jochen Miller Remix). I really loved the original track and that great remix that have been created here.
f) Best Remix of a personal production that you released this year
Robert: Rockless (Eddie Sender Remix). Don’t have much to say about it, it's just a great remix.
g) Best Producer of the year in your style that you play or any other that you may like
Robert: Jochen Miller, Nick Chagall, Gareth Emery. All 3 of them released great tunes this year that I really enjoyed playing and listening to, and you can listen to them on one or more of my weekly radio shows played internationally this year.
h) Best New Talent/Big hope for the year
Robert: D-Mad
i) Best Remixer of the year of personal or others peoples tracks
Robert: I couldn't find only one here.
j) Best Established Label of the year
Robert: High Contrast, many of the greatest dj's and producers of the world are signed on this label, and I'm there also of course .
k) Best Newborn on 2010 label of the year
Robert: I didn’t hear of any new labels established this year.
l) Best promotional tool of the year (ie labelworx/fatdrop/releasecenter or others that you may use)
Robert: I'm using Facebook, DJMag, Twitter and Myspace to promote my new releases and my weekly radio show that is also uploaded to everyone who demand it to listen online, additionally to the broadcasting on the radio stations.
m) Best dance album and mixed compilation of the year in the style of music that you work with・
Robert: As I said I loved Armin's album Mirage, and also Gareth Emery's Northern Lights.
Mixed compilations I don’t really listen to because I get most of my music on singles releases.
n) Best social network of the year that has been amazing for the promotion of your work
Robert: Facebook and Myspace mostly.
o) Best new software or hardware that you introduced in this year, and you recommended to others.
Robert: Pioneer cdj and djm 2000, new and amazing hardware to work with, check it out if you haven't already.
p) Best and worst DJ experience that happened to you in 2010
Robert: To see all of the crowd's hands in the air when my one of my tracks is playing is probably my best dj experience and I guess the best experience that any dj can wish for, and as for the worst, well I don’t have any.
q) Best country that you performed in this year
Robert: I absolutely enjoy playing to my home crowd of Israel, there is no place like home and the people here bring great vibes to the dance floor. I also enjoyed playing on Cyprus this year.
r) Best club or open air festival that you attended or performed at this year
Robert: Mystery Land
s) Best hobby or other activity for 2010 (game/movie/book/going to gym to keep fit or any other hobby )
Robert: Watching whole of great movies that came out this year, watching movies is one of my best hobbies, also hittin the gym, but the best hobby for me is to go out and have fun with my kids and my wife.
t) Best radio show of the year and Best radio station that you always check out (fm or online) preferably that plays your kind of music
Robert: My radio show of course that is played over 20 countries worldwide - Clubin with Robert Gitelman is one of my favourite. Best radio station for me is www.1mix.co.uk
u) Best online or ordinary record shop that you use to get your music of the year
Robert:Beatport.com
v) Best electronic dance music video of the year
Robert: I'm not really watching too much music channels, so I don’t have a best electronic dance music video to choose here.
w) Best CD player or any other equipment that you use for DJ'ing
Robert: As I said cdj 2000 is an amazing revolutionary cd player to me, and together with djm 2000 you get for my opinion the best sound any dj wishes for.
x) Best vocalist on a dance track of the year
Robert: OceanLab on "On A Good Day" (Above & Beyond & Gareth Emery), great vocalists and great track generally.
y) Best magazine or web site that you always check out for music related stuff (releases and technical equipment)
Robert: DJMag
z) Best fan of your music of the year or best crowd at your performance (perhaps you dont know the name but you can describe when you met, or why you consider this person as your best fan of the year)
Robert: I think every single person who love this genre could be the best crowd ever, so for me every one of my fans and generally a fan of this music - you are the best!
4-Can you please let us know your plans for 2011 that your fans should look out for from you?
Robert: I'm planning to release at least 4-5 tracks or more on 2011, and I can promise you that any one of them will be better than the other, I hope all of you my fans will love and enjoy to listen to them like I know I will, so check out my websites soon to hear more about these tracks that coming up this year.
5-On the other side, are the worst things of the year. Is it possible to tell us the track or album that you believe is the worst of the year and why?
Robert: As I mentioned earlier, I cant tell you about a worst album or track, maybe this is one of my characters, I always see the good quality on everything in life.
6-Please give us your wishes for 2011, and your small piece of advice for anyone that reads this interview and wants to get into music production or DJ'ing.
Robert: I want to wish to everyone on this planet a good year, year of love and happiness, year of world peace and of course year of creation a bunch of new and good music. I can advice anyone who wants to get into music production and industry this year, to listen to himself when creating a tune, and releasing it only when you are 100% complete with what you made and not releasing it on a rush just so you could say that you released a track, and that’s because the first track of an any artist or producer will probably be the track that he will always be remembered and familiar with, for good or bad, and that track is your face, so be 100% sure before you are releasing anything, that's my best advice I can give.
And for all of my fans please check out and update with my new releasing and radio shows every week on :
http://www.myspace.com/robertgitelman
http://www.facebook.com/djrobertgitelman
http://www.highcontrastrecords.com/artist.php?a_id=96
http://www.beyourselfmusic.com/artist.php?a_id=96
http://thedjlist.com/djs/ROBERT_GITELMAN
Thanks, have a great year and don’t forget to party a lot.
Love, Robert Gitelman