Will Atkinson; the 23 year old responsible for over 80 Radio 1 airplays since 2008, the man who engineered over 90 records between 2011 and 2013, the teenager who began producing at 14 and the boy who began mixing records at the age of 7...
Championing Judge Jules as one of the main reasons he got into Dance music after striking up a relationship following one of his gigs in 2008, Jules gave Will his first ever radio airplay, playing his track ‘Perpetual Sunrise’ back in 2008. This relationship continued with Will joining Judge Jules to play at Digital, Newcastle with the event recorded live as part of BBC Radio 1’s In New Music We Trust.
Will has since racked up over 80 BBC Radio 1 airplays from likes of Judge Jules, Pete Tong, Kutski & Simon Patterson. His track ‘Cloud Surfing’ was played 6 times over 6 consecutive weeks. His work has claimed numerous Number 1 spots on Beatport in the Trance,
Psy-Trance & Breaks charts his productions have been signed to some of the biggest record labels with releases on Armada, FSOE, Subculture, Perfecto Fluoro, Spinnin Records, Vandit and Monster Records. Official remixes for Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Aly & Fila, John O’Callaghan, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Simon Patterson & Alex Morph top off Will’s very impressive discography to date.
With so many successful release’s & remixes to his name, Will has developed a string of A-list supporters. Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, Eddie Halliwell, Paul Oakenfold, Simon Patterson, Judge Jules, John O’Callaghan, Paul van Dyk, Sander van Doorn have all shown support to his music.
Not content with what he has already achieved in the industry he created the alias ‘Darkboy’. Darkboy was created to focus on the darker, psychedelic elements of Trance. The first release under this new alias was signed to Perfecto Fluoro, “Darker Shades of Black” hit number 1 on the Beatport Psy-Trance chart.
2011 & 2012 he Engineered & co-wrote over 60 tracks & performed in USA, South Korea, Mexico, BAT festival Argentina, Luminosity, Poland, Iceland, Godskitchen, The Arches, Coloursfest & Goodgreef with 2013 saw his debut Spain, Hungary, Ibiza & 3 Beatport Top 10 releases.
2014 set to be his biggest year yet to date with tours in Australia, USA, festivals in Holland, Poland & Argentina.
His natural talent and un-rivalled passion for music with hard work is set to make him future star in the scene so keep your eyes peeled & expect a lot more from Will Atkinson very soon.
Name: Will Atkinson
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Dimitri: Can you mention your biggest achievements in your music career in 2014 and your personal life if it is something that you wish to share with our readers?
Will Atkinson: Performing a 7 Hour set alongside my good friend Nick Callaghan in Buenos Aires, Argentina earlier in the year was mental. We’ve talked about doing this since sliced bread so to actually go out and rock Magic @ Niceto totally blew our expectations to pieces. I’ll always remember that night. And being asked by John O’Callaghan to mix one of the Discs from the new Subculture Compilation was another goal that has always been on my list. Quite an easy
choice actually.
Dimitri: 2014 was packed with releases from so many different styles, which Electronic Music style you believe is the absolute Electronic Music Style Of 2014 in the mainstream indifferent if you like it or not. Why you believe this style became so successful in 2014?
Will Atkinson: It’s clear to see Deep House is the new thing. Not necessarily a bad thing because I actually enjoy it, I would consider it “Music”. I’m glad all that EDM pish has died off, I’ll never understand how that became so big but I’m glad its almost over. Viva La House! I think Trance will be on in a couple of years.
1) Best Track:
Will Atkinson: Caribou - Cant Do Without You
2) Best Artist (Dj & producer):
Will Atkinson: Eric Prydz
3) Best Remix:
Will Atkinson: SRTW - We Were Young (Maya Jane Coles Remix)
[Not possible to find official video or soundcloud of Maya Jane Coles remix]
4) Best Remixer:
Will Atkinson: Maya Jane Coles
5) Best New Talent (Dj or producer):
Will Atkinson: Under This
6) Best Electronic Music Album:
Will Atkinson: Caribou - Our Love
7) Best Electronic Music Compilation:
Will Atkinson: Subculture - The Residents ;)
8) Best artwork/cover of an Album or Compilation:
Will Atkinson: Will Atkinson - Harvester
9) Best Lyrics in an Electronic Music track:
Will Atkinson: Simon Patterson - Dissolve
10) Best Vocalist/Singer featured on Electronic Music track:
Will Atkinson: Seth Vogt
11) Best Electronic Music Label:
Will Atkinson: Mouseville
12) Best Electronic Music Video:
Will Atkinson: Will Atkinson - Harvester ;)
13) Best online Funny video related to Dance Music:
Will Atkinson: Seth Vox probably!
14) Best Twitter or Facebook message you received from a fan or friend or you have read on someone else’s account:
Will Atkinson: Too Many. A clubber asked me to sign a flyer for her 7 year old daughter who is apparently a huge fan, that really got me. Reminded me of myself when I used to write to Radio 1 looking for a Judge Jules signature ha.
15) Best personal selfie of the year, where, when and under which circumstances you took it?
Will Atkinson: Don’t take many selfies to be honest. Me wearing my new retro Newcastle United kit.
16) Best music composition software:
Will Atkinson: Ableton
17) Best Event or Open Air Festival:
Will Atkinson: FSOE350
18) Best personal Dj Gig:
Will Atkinson: BAT X - Buenos Aires
19) Best Dj set of the year from other fellow Dj:
Will Atkinson: Eric Prydz @ Creamfields
20) Best country that you have visited to perform with the most up for it
crowd:
Will Atkinson: Argentina
21) Best Radio show:
Will Atkinson: Simon Patterson pres. Open Up
22) Best Radio station:
Will Atkinson: BBC Radio 1
23) Best Online Record shop that you purchase your music:
Will Atkinson: Discogs
24) Best Website that you visit frequently:
Will Atkinson: Wunderground
25) Best Dj equipment (software or hardware):
Will Atkinson: Rekordbox
26) Best new sound or sample that has been used in Electronic Music
this year perhaps introduced first by you?
Will Atkinson: Bringing back the hard elements and wumpy basslines… everyone is at it now ha time to jump ship again! ;)
27) Best tip that you learnt this year for your Djing techniques or music
composition:
Will Atkinson: Do your own thing, stop adhering to the present!
28) Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career in 2014:
Will Atkinson: Work with the right people.
29) Best hobby or activity that you spent a lot of time in 2014:
Will Atkinson: Training!
30) Best holiday destination for 2014 that you manage to visit this year either to relax or to perform in a club or festival:
Will Atkinson: Relaxing with my girlfriend in a lodge up in the Loch Lomand area for her birthday. Close to home but total disconnection from everything. Loved it.
31) Best Book of the year preferably related to Electronic Music:
Will Atkinson: The Hacienda - How Not To Run A Club
32) Best Movie of the year preferably related to Electronic Music that may inspire you to compose a track:
Will Atkinson: Interstellar - not musically related but mind-blowing and a great soundtrack.
33) Best online/PC/video game of the year that you have played this year?
Will Atkinson: Fifa everytime
34) Best soundtrack for video game of the year:
Will Atkinson: Dont play them and Fifa soundtrack is always horrendously bland.
35) Best piece of News you learnt this year related to Electronic Music
Culture:
Will Atkinson: Wunderground hands down is the best News out there. Just delivered with incredible wit! Superb.
Dimitri: Finally, 2015 is ahead of us would you like to tell your plans with your future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, Dj gigs.
Will Atkinson: More work with Subculture and Future Sound of Egypt. Also branching out into House/Techno and bringing back my Mainline Radioshow.
Thanks very much to Will Atkinson for his fantastic answers.
Thanks to Lana for organising the interview.
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