Darren Tate - the producer behind some of the world's biggest dance acts including: Angelic, Jurgen Vries, DT8 Project, Orion, Citizen Caned & 8 Ball, and producer of club classics such as 'Let The Light Shine In', 'Destination', 'Hold Me Till The End', 'Winter', 'Echoes' and 'When The Morning Comes' presents his latest and greatest album 'Horizons 03'.
Featuring fourteen feature-packed singles that take you on an eighty minute musical journey through cutting-edge progressive house, to hands in the air club classics. The album features stunning vocal performances by Nicolai Prowse, David Patrick Carter, Fregoli's Daughter, Ally Hammond and Pippa Fulton.
It was such a great opportunity to request an interview with Darren Tate about this album, and also do a quick flashback over his great, long and flourish career. I’m pleased he accepted the challenge and replied to my questions.
Ladies and gentlemen enjoy Darren Tate answers!
Interview was written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias, Music Journalist, Radio/DJ
Dimitri: Is it possible to go back in time and tell us when and why you took the decision to get involved with the electronic Dance Music scene, and particularly with trance and not another genre?
Darren Tate: I originally was writing all kinds of dance music back when I was at Uni (we’re talking 91-94 here). I was particularly drawn to trance because I enjoyed the fact it was about writing euphoric music – an extension of my classical writing which I’d been doing since I was a kid.
Dimitri: Can you remember the actual setup in the studio where you produced the first ever track that you managed to sign to a label and release it?
Darren Tate: I had a studio at my home; PC at the time running Cubase Score 3.0 and a fair amount of primarily digital synths (Novation Nova, Nord Lead, Roland JV1080 etc).
Dimitri: Was it hard back then to find a record label to release your music on in contrast with what happens today? Is there a special person that you will always remember as being helpful who believed in your potential and he or she has supported your productions?
Darren Tate: It was hard; I used to send out demo tapes – would get the odd sniff but nothing firm. I had to pay to get my final mixdowns done at pro studios – and the results weren’t always better. There was this one guy who’s name I shan’t mention that often passed on my stuff; one time another manager heard the tracks he passed on – and then contacted me immediately afterwards saying he wanted me signed up for life. He called himself Sherlock and he definitely saw the potential unlike others before. Plus I had family and friends that were always very supportive.
Dimitri: You have so many unforgettable club classics under your belt, is possible to choose your TOP 3 all-time Darren Tate favourites, and give us a short comment about each?
Darren Tate:
Angelic – It’s My Turn; this has to be on the list as it was my first hit. I would be shocked when turning up at festivals and I would see hundreds of thousands of people singing it. Or simply turning the radio on and hearing it. Experiences you never forget.
DT8 – Destination; had every major label clambering to sign this one and it was a massive bidding war. I loved everything about this track; unfortunately it got screwed on radio due to petty politics.
Darren Tate vs Jono Grant – Let The Light Shine In; probably the biggest underground club trance record I did was this collab with Jono Grant from Above & Beyond. This is a record that would get an incredible reaction no matter where I played it – even if I were to play it today.
Dimitri: You release music under different aliases to release whatever style you like. The latest is 8 Ball on which you mainly release house productions. Why do you release music under different aliases, and is it easy or difficult to switch between them? Do you have to switch different personalities as well because house or trance music fans think differently, and expect to hear different things?
Darren Tate: Sometimes different pseudonyms represent different styles of music (so 8 Ball is firmly a house project). Sometimes however you sign an act exclusively to a label so that prohibits you using the act name for a different project. As for personality; I like the different challenges each situation presents. It’s what makes my job interesting!
Dimitri: Your brand new album continues with the same title ‘Horizons’. Why did you decide to keep the Horizon title, and I cant help wondering if it signifies something special for you.
Darren Tate: The old adage “what’s next on the horizon” says it all; these albums are about what now or what’s next. Plus of course there’s the image of the horizon itself; one often thinks of where the sun rises and the sun sets; two images that often convey euphoric clubbing music.
Dimitri: Did you produce this album full time with a fixed deadline on your head, or did you take your time to finish it whenever you wanted to and when you had enough inspiration?
Darren Tate: I would say the later; otherwise I probably would have pushed to release it earlier. I have no label deadline, as it’s released on my own label.
Dimitri: Which track was the one that you finished quicker and the one that took you longer and there were more difficulties to overcome?
Darren Tate: Strangely enough the record that probably took the longest was probably ‘Sweet Sin’ as there had been several versions before that which had been scrapped. Followed by The Eternal, as I did two different mixes of that.
Dimitri: Did you work with all the singers the old fashion way in the actual studio, or did you have to send files back and forth via internet?
Darren Tate: All the newly written vocals were recorded at our studios in London.
Dimitri: From Horizon 1 to Horizon 3 is it possible to pinpoint what are the main differences that someone that follows your music would notice and maybe surprise your dedicated fans?
Darren Tate: The album is more of a journey through genres; as it starts off in the progressive house (128 BPM) domain before ending up in trance (unlike the first which was an out and out trance outing).
Dimitri: Can you reveal for the technology freaks the actual setup in your studio where you produced Horizons 3? Do you have a favourite piece of software and hardware?
Darren Tate: Primarily everything I do now days is ITB (aside from my Virus TI and Moog Little Phatty). But I use a hell of a lot of plug-ins (Native Instruments, UHE, Arturia, Lennar Digital, REFX – all the usual culprits). To say I have one favourite is nigh impossible, although for sample playback Kontakt is used predominantly. As for the outside chain; vocal recording (Brauner VM1 -> A-Designs Pacifica -> Purple Audio MC77C -> Apogee Symphony -> Mac Pro). Mix summing from the computer is via a Toft ATB, and I have an Oram HI-DEF 35 EQ on the 2-ch master inserts of the desk most of the time.
Dimitri: Do you have any special person that you trust their opinion so much that you give it to them first for a listen so they can tell you their honest opinion? If yes, have you changed anything because of those comments?
Darren Tate: I work with a team of people; from the Mondo staff (Dale & Andrew) who’s opinion I listen to; to Kenneth Lampl (more on the filming scoring side); to friends like Richard Kayvan (Dogzilla) and Jono Grant (Above & Beyond); and to management (Steve B / Chris Sills) Big Fish Little Fish Music.
Dimitri: Many artists say that when one album finishes and is released to the jungle, they already have another album in mind. Do you actually plan to continue with Horizons 4, and maybe there are tracks that didn’t feature in 3 and wait to be released on the next album?
Darren Tate: I think my next album is more likely to be a follow up to DT8 Project – Perfect World; it’s long overdue...
Dimitri: We all know that you take a lot of time to produce film scores, and I have noticed that many EDM producers are asked to take care of films and video game scores. Why do you think film companies employ EDM producers to compose their soundtracks, and why did you decide to get involved with film scoring?
Darren Tate: First and foremost I’m a classically trained instrumentalist, composer and orchestrator. I was writing music years before EDM was ever invented and always had an interest in traditional composing. I had been studying advanced orchestrating again back in 2007 with a fantastic classical composer called Phillip Venables, when I was approached by a US film composer called Ken Lampl, who had seen an article I did on computer music. Although at first he was mainly interested in me just doing some remixes for a film, we ended up forming a film scoring composition team, where our respective talents complimented each other. We’re now doing some pretty major films, so the teaming up strategy has paid off dividends.
Dimitri: Your record label Mondo continues to release amazing music from mainly young talent. Are you actually involved in the day to day running of the label, and are you doing A & R for it?
Darren Tate: No record is signed without my say so. The team sources the records and work with the artists. I usually provide feedback to every record that has some potential (the key point), and get the artists to fix them until they’re ready to be signed. I’m also involved in the final mastering stage of every record.
Dimitri: Also the label has its own famous radio show Mondo Sessions. Do you take part in the radio show, and any there any plans to change or improve its strong format?
Darren Tate: I started the Mondo Sessions on Ministry of Sound Radio about seven years ago. At first it was with Simon Patterson, then Mike Koglin, and now Dale Corderoy. The format seems to work for listeners, though we have discussed doing some updates.
Dimitri: Let’s talk about Facebook, Twitter and the other social media. When you started your carrier the whole idea of those networks didn’t exist at all. Do you believe is a good or bad thing for the whole progress of the EDM scene?
Darren Tate: It’s good for up and coming artist as it gives everyone a voice and a chance to be heard. But by the same standard, you have to invest to really capitalise on them, and labels and wealthy DJ’s will often have more resources to do that than Joe Public. It’s also a double edged sword, as it means there’s so much going on its sometimes hard to focus on what is good and what isn’t.
Dimitri: Last question should be about the British Prime Minister and his speech on how beneficial the music industry is for the UK economy. He asked what the government can do to help the music industry sector. What is your answer to his question as an insider in the industry for many years?
Darren Tate: The biggest issue facing the music business in the world today (and other online forms of media) is piracy. It has a terrible detrimental effect on producers with low income stifling their ability to earn a living and make more music. There needs to be more public awareness that stealing music is like stealing anything else, and you can face a prison sentence. By the same standard, websites (that often are making money through advertising and subscription fees) which are offering up content where they do not have a license to distribute should be held more accountable.
Many thanks to Darren who managed to find time to reply to my questions
Many thanks to Andrew Griffiths at Mondo Records offices for his support in organising this interview.
Many thanks to Paul at 1mix radio for proofing and publishing this interview
Please click here and check the interview on 1mix radio web site as well
Horizons 3 is out now..
The tracklist
1. Prologue: “The Engagement” (Music From The Motion Picture Film “Snapshot”)
2. The Wave
3. Sympathy
4. The Eternal (Big Piano Mix)
5. Electrified (as Tate & Diamond)
6. Sweet Sin (Dub Mix)
7. Twisted Robot
8. Rise Above The Anarchy (as Tate & Credland)
9. Be You Be Me (feat. Jodie Elms)
10. All I Am (feat. Jodie Elms)
11. Daylight Blinds Me (feat. Jodie Elms)
12. Field Of Dreams (Vocal Mix)
13. Tears
14. Midnight
Buy at Beatport click here
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