Your Name:
Duncan Newell
Your location(country,city)
England
Dimitri: Can you mention your 3 biggest achievements in your music career in 2016?
Duncan: Well, what a year. Personal mile stone for me was buying in to Alter Ego Records and taking over Tangled Audio which is the top of the list. 2nd would be multiple support from Paul Oakenfold amongst other top support and 3rd would be mixing my first digital compilation album for Tangled Audio.
Overall 2016 was a positive, neutral or maybe negative year for you and why?
Duncan: Pretty positive I'd say and this follows on from your first question..
1) Best Track:
Duncan: It Ain't Over by James Dymond, for sure.
2) Best Artist (Dj & producer):
Duncan: Has to be either James Dymond or Anden State
3) Best Remix:
Duncan: Definitely Sean Tyas feat Cindy Zarotta - Start Over (Andres Sanchez Remix)
4) Best Remixer:
Duncan: Kinda goes hand in hand with the last question. Had to be Andres Sanchez for his Sean Tyas remix
5) Best New Talent (Dj or producer):
Duncan: Anden State for sure. Every tune is wicked.
6) Best Electronic Music Album:
Duncan: Opus by Eric Prydz without a doubt. Genius!!
7) Best Electronic Music Compilation:
Duncan: Best of Tangled Audio 2016, hahaha ;)
8) Best artwork/cover of an Album or Compilation:
Duncan: The Opus cover is as awesome as the album
9) Best Lyrics in an Electronic Music track
Duncan: Don't really listen to enough vocal trance to be able to pick a specific lyric out.
10) Best Vocalist/Singer featured on Electronic Music track:
Duncan: AMR feat Stefanie Perrera - Hear Them Sing. Such a tune man and probably the only vocal track that really stands out for me other than Sanchez's remix for Sean Tyas.
11) Best Electronic Music Label:
Duncan: Can't really say I've spent much time listening to other labels due to spending some much time running my own and making my own tracks.
12) Best Electronic Music Video:
Duncan: Lol I don't really watch music videos to be honest.
13) Best Online Social media for communication with your fans:
Duncan: Has to be Facebook
14) Best Twitter or Facebook message or Instagram message you received from a fan or friend or you have read on someone else’s account:
Duncan: There's a guy from the UK that said one of my tracks was probably his tune of the year and that really made it worth while for all the effort over the years.
15) Best music composition software:
Duncan: I use FL Studios. Doesn't mean it's the best but that's one I've used since 2003 so that's the one I know the best and love to use.
16) Best Club Event or Open Air Festival:
Duncan: This is easy. It's the Trance Sanctuary in London. Best event full stop.
17) Best personal Dj Gig:
Duncan: A two hour set at the Trance Sanctuary 5th Birthday. What a night man.
18) Best Dj set of the year from other fellow Dj:
Duncan: By a long way it was Friction at a dnb night called Hospitality in my town.
19) Best country that you have visited to perform with the most up for it crowd:
Duncan: No shows abroad for me this year sadly.
20) Best Radio show:
Duncan: Transmission festival weekly radio show
21) Best Radio station:
Duncan: DI.FM
22) Best Online Record shop that you purchase your music:
Duncan: I get everything from TrackItDown or Beatport
23) Best music related website that you visit frequently:
Duncan: Probably Trancepodium
24) Best Smart phone or smart phone application:
Duncan: I'd be lost without my iPhone
25) Best Dj equipment (software or hardware):
Duncan: For me it's 'Pioneer CDJ2000s'.
26) Best new sound or sample that has been used in Electronic Music this year perhaps introduced first by you?
Duncan: I love what Tempo Giusto is doing at the moment as far as his sound goes.
27) Best tip that you learnt this year for your Djing techniques or music composition:
Duncan: Erm, probably, don't drink too much vodka when you're making tunes 😜
28) Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career in 2016:
Duncan: Work hard, expect nothing and enjoy every moment
29) Best hobby or activity that you spent a lot of time in 2016:
Duncan: Sleeping and eating are my favourite activities and I love a bit of boxing with my coach too. Also watching a lot of football and UFC
30) Best holiday destination for 2016 that you manage to visit this year either to relax or to perform in a club or festival:
Duncan: I went to Cyprus and Morocco this year and absolutely loved them both. Just to chill and not music
31) Best Electronic Music magazines in printed form not online:
Duncan: Do they still make those...?
32) Best Movie of the year that may inspire you to compose a track:
Duncan: I haven't watched anything from after 2014 which was Interstellar and it was the best film I've ever seen. Mind. Blown.
33) Best online/PC/video game of the year that you have played this year?
Duncan: The new COD. I love that series and always get the new ones for some online shooting and Fallout 4
34) Best soundtrack for video game of the year:
Duncan: Fallout 4
35) Best joke you heard this year related to electronic music:
Duncan: Not heard any to be honest
Dimitri: Finally, 2017 is ahead of us would you like to tell your plans with your future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, Dj gigs.
Duncan: Well I have a few big remixes coming out and then concentrating on the label work and some originals. Check out my fan page to keep up to date!
Additional info:
At the moment www.alteregorecords.com but there's a new website coming from me in 2017