Name: Activator
Location: Italy
Location: Italy
DJ Activator aka Manuel Tessarollo was born in Bassano del Grappa (VI),Italy. His career as a DJ began in the summer of 1995. In December 2002, the artist name DJ Activator was born when Manuel sent 2 banging tracks to one of the Italy’s hottest labels called “Activa Records”(Edinet Publishing Group). At that time he needed an appropriate artist pseudonym for that label and the inspiration was immediate, what could be better than Activator?He was one of the originators from Italy who contributed making hardstyle famous in the world, due to his massive productions and powerfull DJ sets played in several big clubs around the globe such as Matrixx (NL), Metropolis(F), Mad (CH),Bionic (UK),ZAK (D), Excalibur (A), Number One (I), Monday bar (S) etc. and big hardstyle events like: Defqon1, Q-Base, Xqlusive, Inqontrol, Hardbass, Decibel, Ground Zero, Black, Dance Valley, Westfest and so many more.
Nowadays, DJ Activator is really satisfied with his job, but is still working hard everyday to make himself better and better to keep his sound underground and original as possible but mainstream at the same time. Overall his main purpose is to be loved by fans for his own music and spread it all around the world!
Nowadays, DJ Activator is really satisfied with his job, but is still working hard everyday to make himself better and better to keep his sound underground and original as possible but mainstream at the same time. Overall his main purpose is to be loved by fans for his own music and spread it all around the world!
Interview is written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias Radio & Club Dj/Music Journalist
Dimitri: Do you consider 2011 as a positive, negative or neutral year for the progress of the Electronic Dance Music scene?
DJ Activator: I consider 2011 an extremely positive year because finally Hardstyle has been recognized as main genre in EDM scene and also because Subground was born!
Dimitri:Do you believe that 2011 was a good , indifferent or bad year for the development of your personal career?
DJ Activator: I think 2011 was a good year because I have played in many new countries around the globe from South Korea to Chile, beside that, I had the chance to play Subground at some big parties like Defqon1 and Mysteryland and all this helped to spread the words about the new sound I made.
Dimitri: THE A to Z of the Best of the Year 2011.
a) Best Full Release of the year(original & remixes)
DJ Activator: Organ Donors – Throw a diva. Great original hard dance mix and cool Hardstyle remix
DJ Activator: Organ Donors – Throw a diva. Great original hard dance mix and cool Hardstyle remix
b) Your personal Full release of the
DJ Activator: Jajox – Feel thiz muzik. Great melody and energy on each version.
c) Best Single track of the year (only original versions)
DJ Activator: Frontliner – Discorecord. This track worked on every dancefloor I played this year!
DJ Activator: Frontliner – Discorecord. This track worked on every dancefloor I played this year!
d) Your personal Best Single track of the year
DJ Activator: Activator ft. Reinweiss – Rombee. Just a wonderful combination of techno and electro-house for a massive hard dance result. In one word: Subground!
e) Best Remix of the year
DJ Activator: Digital Punk – Bringing the funk (Zatox Remix). I think this remix beats the orginal big time.
DJ Activator: Digital Punk – Bringing the funk (Zatox Remix). I think this remix beats the orginal big time.
f) Best Remix on personal production that you released in 2011
DJ Activator: Lee Mac – Animated (Activator remix). It's actually the only remix I made this year.
g) Best Producer of the year in your style that you play or any other that you may like.
DJ Activator: Zatox (Hardstyle) – Organ Donors (Hard dance)
h) Best New Talent/Big hope for the coming years
DJ Activator: A very young guy from Turin called Simone Perna aka Black Force. He's only 17!!There will be a successful future for him.
i) Best Remixer of the year on personal or others peoples tracks
DJ Activator: Skrillex for his innovation.
DJ Activator: Skrillex for his innovation.
j) Best Established Label of the year(not started in 2011)
DJ Activator: Activa records
DJ Activator: Activa records
k) Best Newborn in 2011 label of the year
DJ Activator: Subground record
l) Best dance album and mixed compilation of the year in the style of music that you work with…
DJ Activator: Qlimax compilation is a mix of pure hardstyle madness!
n) Best social network of the year that has been amazing for the promotion of your work
DJ Activator: Facebook, 'cause everything happens there nowadays!
DJ Activator: Facebook, 'cause everything happens there nowadays!
o) Best new software or hardware that was introduced in this year and you recommended it to others.
DJ Activator: Turnado by Sugar Byte, it's a really intuitive plug-in which makes crazy effects on your music!
DJ Activator: Turnado by Sugar Byte, it's a really intuitive plug-in which makes crazy effects on your music!
p) Best and worst djing or production experience that happened in 2011
DJ Activator: The nice things are too many but I remember one bad thing happened when I was in the studio producing a Subground track called “Thanaz”.That afternoon there were men at work just outside my studio and they had to force a blackout 4 times in 2 hours. I was so angry and I was cursing like hell 'cause I couldn't go on with my track as I was using a Mac not connected on the ups implant yet. At the end of the day I think I restarted the project 2 or 3 times at least due to this inconvenience. What can I say...click “Save” as much as you can in the studio!
q) Best country that you performed this year
DJ Activator: I went back to Australia for a mini-tour in July and every gig was amazing!
r) Best club or open air festival that you attended or you even performed this year
DJ Activator: Space, Sydney-AUS (Club) – Defqon1, Holland (Open air festival). Both of them for the great atmosphere.
s) Best hobby or other activity for 2011(game/movie/book/going to gym to keep fit or any other hobby )
DJ Activator: Fitness first guys! You will never see me out of shape!
DJ Activator: Fitness first guys! You will never see me out of shape!
t) Best radio show of the year and Best radio station that you always check out(fm or online)preferably that plays the kind of your music
DJ Activator: I often check out Kutski radio show on BBC radio one but for the rest I prefer listening to some podcast
DJ Activator: I often check out Kutski radio show on BBC radio one but for the rest I prefer listening to some podcast
u) Best online or ordinary record shop that you used to get your music of the year
DJ Activator: I normally buy Hardstyle on hardstyle.com and the techy stuff on trackitdown.net so both of them
v) Best CD player or any other equipment that you use for djing (this can include software for digital mixing)
DJ Activator: Piooner Cdj 2000 'cause I never tried another one! lol
w) Best vocalist in a dance track of the year
DJ Activator: Well, Usher on “Without you” always gives me goose bumps.
DJ Activator: Well, Usher on “Without you” always gives me goose bumps.
x) Best magazine or web site that you always check out for music related stuff
(to read reviews/interviews/ and learn about technical equipment)
DJ Activator: Music Tech, CM and Future Music as an App on my Iphone! So easy.
(to read reviews/interviews/ and learn about technical equipment)
DJ Activator: Music Tech, CM and Future Music as an App on my Iphone! So easy.
y) Best fan of your music of the year or best crowd in your performance(perhaps you don’t know the name but you can describe when you met or why you consider this person as your best fan of the year)
DJ Activator: This year in Sweden I met the best crowd ever, everybody was screaming all the time and some girls were kissing each other and showing me their boobs in front of the dj booth! Just crazy!
DJ Activator: This year in Sweden I met the best crowd ever, everybody was screaming all the time and some girls were kissing each other and showing me their boobs in front of the dj booth! Just crazy!
z)Best thing you have done this year in order to support any social movement, charities, or other people that may need your help.
DJ Activator: I made a donation for a big disaster happened in Genova (Italy)
DJ Activator: I made a donation for a big disaster happened in Genova (Italy)
Dimitri: Can you please let us know your plans for 2012 for your djing, productions or label?
DJ Activator: I will be focusing on my Subground 'cause that music is giving me some great inspirations actually. Beside that I'll keep up the good hardstyle work ofc.
DJ Activator: I will be focusing on my Subground 'cause that music is giving me some great inspirations actually. Beside that I'll keep up the good hardstyle work ofc.
Dimitri: On the other side is it possible to tell us the track, album, artist/dj that you believe were the worst of the year and why?
DJ Activator: Ehm...I can't remember 'cause if I hear something bad I always stop listening to that...
Dimitri: Please give us your wishes for 2012 and your small piece of advice for anyone that reads this interview and aspires to get into music production, djing, or music production in general.
DJ Activator: Frankly guys, there's a lot of mafia in the music business but if you are a real outstanding, you will get noticed and you will make it.
DJ Activator: Frankly guys, there's a lot of mafia in the music business but if you are a real outstanding, you will get noticed and you will make it.
Many thanks to DJ Activator for replying in this interview
Many thanks to 2-dutch dj agency for helping me out to organise this interview: www.2-dutch.nl
Additional info:
Facebook: DJACTIVATOR
Twitter: Activatordj
Toutube: ActivatorTube
