Termed as a 'Rising Star' by the almighty Mixmag, Militant Artist Rich Smith, is fast growing into a prolific and globally recognized trance producer with his trailblazing trance anthems, which are designed and engineered for peak time dance floor euphoria. This puts Rich in the same category as global superstars Sean Tyas, John O’Callaghan and Tom Colontonio.
Trance lovers across the globe are time after time stimulated by Rich’s energetic music, which include chart topping releases on the globally renowned labels, Discover Records / Kill The Lights (Recoverworld Label Group), Couture Spinnin’, Trance All-Star Records, Komplex Sounds, NuCommunicate Recordings, NuCommunicate Digital, Only Trance Records and Neo Red Recordings. Huge support has already been seen from the world’s leading trance artists including Markus Schulz, Talla 2XLC, Claudia Cazacu, Stoneface & Terminal, Ferry Tale, Orla Feeney and many more.
As a DJ, Rich’s career path is one of experience and desire for reaching the top. In the UK alone, Rich has held a number of high profile residencies at Clubs such as ‘Kinetc’, ‘Junction 21’ & ‘Xero’ as well as rocked the dance floors of clubs and radio stations throughout Europe and as far afield as Canada.
Rich has also played alongside some of the world’s biggest DJ’s, including Paul Van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, Sean Tyas, The Thrillsekers, John Askew, Will Atkinson, Marcel Woods, John 00 Flemming, Jon O’Bir, Mark Sixma, Genix, John Kelly and many more.
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?
Rich Smith: My biggest achievement in my music career on 2014, was releasing my double compilation album titled ‘Kill The Lights - Mixed by Rich Smith’ on the legendary ‘Kill the Lights’ label, which as you will know is a label was pioneered by the legendary Matt Hardwick, and also my album compilation ‘Militant Artists Presents Rich Smith’ released on ‘Discover Records’ on 8th December 2014. In addition, getting signed to Militant Artists alongside artists that I have looked up to for many years such as Thomas Datt and Manuel Le Saux, was also a big achievement form me.
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?
Rich Smith: Has to be banging, uplifting trance music!!
1) Best Track:
Rich Smith: Gary Maguire – Clear Purpose. Absolutely banging!
2) Best Artist (Dj & producer):
Rich Smith: Best DJ I have seen recently is Manuel Le Saux at the Secret Warehouse Part in Nottingham and best producer has to be Thomas Datt or Gary Maguire
3) Best Remix:
Rich Smith: Inertia – The Chamber (Liam Wilson Remix)
4) Best Remixer:
Rich Smith: Mike Van Fabio is really hitting the spot at the moment
5) Best New Talent (Dj or producer):
Rich Smith: I’m really liking tracks produced by a young chap called Dan Dobson.
6) Best Electronic Music Album:
Rich Smith: Gary Maguire – iNside and Thomas Datt – Picking Up The Pieces & Inside the Glacier
7) Best Electronic Music Compilation:
Rich Smith: “Kill The Lights Mixed by Rich Smith” and ‘Militant Artists Presents Rich Smith’ of course ;-)
8) Best artwork/cover of an Album or Compilation:
Rich Smith: Gary Maguire – iNside
9) Best Lyrics in an Electronic Music track:
Rich Smith: Tenisha & Ana Criado – Ever True
10) Best Vocalist/Singer featured on Electronic Music track:
Rich Smith: Ana Criado and Kimberley Hale
11) Best Electronic Music Label:
Rich Smith: ‘Discover Records’ and ‘Kill The Lights’ of course ;-)
12) Best Electronic Music Video:
Rich Smith: Lostly – No Direction Home
13) Best Online Social media network:
Rich Smith: Facebook and Twitter.
14) Best Twitter or Facebook message you received from a fan or friend or you have read on someone else’s account:
Rich Smith: Not looking to single any messages out, but receiving messages via email or Facebook from people out of the blue saying that they love the music that I produce makes all the effort worthwhile.
15) Best personal selfie of the year, where, when and under which circumstances you took it?
Rich Smith: Has to be with my wife and two Pugs (Doug & Fergus) chilling at home.
16) Best music composition software:
Rich Smith: Cubase 7.5 and now supposedly Cubase Pro 8!
17) Best Event or Open Air Festival:
Rich Smith: Xstatic Summer Festival.
18) Best personal Dj Gig:
Rich Smith: Playing at Paul Van Dyk’s World Evolution Album Tour at PaSSion in Coalville, Leicester in October 2012.
19) Best Dj set of the year from other fellow Dj:
Rich Smith: Manuel Le Saux live at ‘Discover Live’ in South Africa.
20) Best country that you have visited to perform with the most up for it crowd:
Rich Smith: Amsterdam, Netherlands.
21) Best Radio show:
Rich Smith: Sunset Dance Radio (Mix 93.8FM), Sunset to Sunrise (Diesel FM) and Recoverworld Radio Show.
22) Best Radio station:
Rich Smith: AH.FM
23) Best Online Record shop that you purchase your music:
Rich Smith: Beatport, iTunes and the Recoverworld.com store!
24) Best Website that you visit frequently:
Rich Smith: www.militantartists.com ;-)
25) Best Smart phone/Mobile phone device:
Rich Smith: iphone 5s
26) Best Dj equipment (software or hardware):
Rich Smith: Pioneer CDJ Nexus series and Allen & Heath and Pioneer DJM mixers.
27) Best tip that you learnt this year for your Djing techniques or music composition:
Rich Smith: For music composition, it has to be the use on parallel compression on vocals.
28) Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career in 2014:
Rich Smith: From Chris Hampshire head honcho at Recoverworld / Discover Records – “Rich every track you have released with us has been spot on and continuity is the key to success”.
29) Best hobby or activity that you spent a lot of time in 2014:
Rich Smith: I run 4-5 miles every day as it keeps me focused and my mind healthy!
30) Best holiday destination for 2014 that you manage to visit this year either to relax or to perform in a club or festival:
Rich Smith: Majorca!
31) Best online/PC/video game of the year that you have played this year?
Rich Smith: Sorry I am not a gamer.
32) Best track used on video game or TV/online advert in 2014:
Rich Smith: Track on the First Choice holidays advert, as allegedly the bloke in the advert is a spitting image of myself. I’ll let you decide through ;-)
33) Best piece of News you learnt this year related to Electronic Music Culture:
Rich Smith: That Recoverworld will be hosting trance events through their ‘Discover Dance Academy’.
Dimitri: Finally, 2015 is ahead of us would you like to tell your plans with your future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, Dj gigs.
Rich Smith: With a monthly guest mix on Sunset Dance Radio in South Africa, a special guest mix at the end of January on Diesel FM in Miami, and a number of gigs in the pipeline for both the UK and further afield, next year is already looking to be a record year! I am is busy in the studio as we speak, writing and recording tracks, including an upcoming EP release, which is due out on Discover early 2015 and enlists the help of a well-known and extremely talented vocalist! In addition, I have an uplifting vocal trance single called ‘Rich Smith feat. TJ Vincent – If I Was Human’ scheduled for release on Komplex Sounds Critical Uprising label on 9th January 15.
Dimitri: Thanks very much for your collaboration to reply in this interview
Thanks to Hannah Garber for her support to organise this interview
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