It is definitely the most important dance festival in Europe at the moment, being more successful each year, and becoming known all over the world. With journalists from all over the world covering the event, and reporting back with extremely positive words, Tomorrowland manages to become the event that all clubbers aspire to attend, if they are lucky enough of course to be one of the first, and book their tickets early to avoid disappointment. From today, and for the following weeks, throughout the moody days of autumn, we will be glad to bring you some colourful images of a festival that for 3 days, managed to become the centre of the Electronic Dance Music culture for visitors from 50 countries, and covering a wide age span.
For 3 days Paul Aldridge and I, were walking around the whole of De Shorre recreational park, where Tomorrowland took place, in order to catch up with some great artists who performed there, and we really wanted to have an interview with some of them. It was a great opportunity to meet some artists in person, who you only know via their music and videos. For some artists we didn’t even know them how they looked, because we know them only as names on tracks, without a mental image associated with them. Personally, I love interviews, because for me its a great source of information, not only for the actual information in an interview, but also for body language matters. They are the secret codes that need deeper decoding and analysis, like the way that the interviewee is standing when he replies, or if he is really sincere with his answers, or not. Some of the names that you will see soon on the video interviews are; Ferry Corsten, Sander van Doorn, tyDi, Orjan Nielsen, Arnej, Aly & Fila, Sied van Riel, Mason, John 00 Fleming, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Giuseppe Ottaviani, M.I.K.E, Daniel Kandi, Super8 & Tab and more.
First interview for you to watch is with the amazing duo Gabriel & Dresden, who are officially back together, and they are ready to continue their history in the book of Electronic Dance Music Culture. For electronic dance music fanatics, the year 2011 marks a new musical promise. After three years of work apart, the critically acclaimed, and multiple award winning duo, Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden, are back together with new energy and spirit.
In 2001, Josh and Dave joined forces under the now legendary Gabriel & Dresden moniker. Within 6 years of their collaboration,Gabriel & Dresden scored 19 number 1 Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play remixes and tracks, made three DJ-mixed compilation albums, an artist album, and won seven International Dance Music Awards. Their tracks ‘Arcadia’, ‘Dangerous Power’, ‘Let Go’, ‘Tracking Treasure Down’ Andain “Beautiful Things”, and numerous other masterpieces have turned into some of EDM’s biggest classics. With ‘As The Rush Comes’, by their Motorcycle alias with Jes Brieden, they won the IDMA award for ‘Best Progressive Trance Track’ as well as peaking at #11 on the official UK Top 40 charts. The G&D treatment, through remixes and interpretations, was given to tracks by The Killers, Annie Lenox, Sarah McLachlan, Dido, Tiësto, Paul Oakenfold and Way Out West, making their sound cross borders from trance and progressive with Pop, Indie and Soul sensibilities.
In 2008 After 6+ years of hits and and awards, both guys felt it was time for something new and took a break from Gabriel & Dresden to focus on their individual careers. Inspiration came flowing with the new tide. After the split, Josh Gabriel set up his own label, ‘Different Pieces’ and focused on his Winter Kills and Andain projects. On his album ‘Eight’, Josh intertwined techno and house into pieces of pure electronic bliss. In the meantime, Dave Dresden took charge of the dancefloor with his Dresden & Johnston project and spawned a US radio hit in the song ‘Keep Faith’ and “That Day” (with Nadia Ali on lead vocals), as well as remixes for the likes of Owl City, Nadia Ali, BT and The Crystal Method. But you simply can’t stop musical synergy.
As 2010 came to an end, Gabriel and Dresden decided to go back to their roots and reunite at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles for New Year’s Eve 2011. Their return behind the decks showed that after two and a half years apart, nothing really changed. Gabriel & Dresden’s comeback marks one of the most notable moments in EDM this year, finally answering the call of millions of dance lovers. What is also really exciting that they just released a wonderful double CD mixed compilation that is already a big buzz all over the EDM community! Don’t ask about the secret of its success cause its of course solely Mixed For The Feet
Enjoy this great interview.
Interview was conducted and edited by Dimitri Kechagias
Camera & Sound Engineering: Paul Aldridge at www.1mix.co.uk
Many thanks to Debby Wilmsen & ID&T & Getinpr for giving us press accreditation to attend this fantastic once in a lifetime experience.
Special thanks to Dan Gafry at Armada offices for organizing this interview
Gabriel & Dresden compilation Mixed For Feet is out now on Armada Music www.armadamusic.com
