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Best of 2022 Interview with C-Systems


C-Systems is a dance music duo consisting of Matt Allen (London, UK) and Akki Hisham (Oslo, Norway).

They produce and DJ Uplifting and Progressive Trance with a vocalist-centred approach.

Writing together for several years now, the C-Systems duo have certainly brought their fair share of melodic dance music to the scene. Matt is a composer who loves nothing more than to start a melody-driven dance track at the piano. Akki is a producer who released his first track back in 2005 which was a major success on Norwegian radio, claiming the number 1 spot on the charts for some time.

C-Systems is a well known name for melody-forward productions, with even their most energetic tracks still focussing on the theme. Their work has been well received and released across a number of high profile labels, including Armada, A State of Trance, Pure Trance, Enhanced Music and Raz Nitzan.

They have attracted support from major names and partners in the dance music world, such as A State of Trance, Transmission Festival and Trance Sanctuary. Their productions have gone from strength to strength, with regular plays from many of the top DJ’s on the circuit.

C-Systems is a name synonymous with vocal trance and the duo have worked with some of the best vocalists in the industry. The guys write and produce vocals, as well as working alongside other amazing songwriters.

DJing in the UK and Europe, they love nothing more than showcasing their new productions. Live edits of their tracks are common in live streams and club sets alike, as well as some unique remixes and bootlegs.

Now with their sights set firmly on the future, C-Systems is building a global brand where the music always comes first....



Dimitris: Your Top 3 biggest music career achievements in 2022:

C-Systems: 1) Releasing our album "Unplugged" which was an awesome project to work on.

2) Releasing 2 highly successful tracks with Armada (ASOT).

3) Performing live on A State of Trance in Amsterdam!

Best of 2022


1) Best track(s) and short comment for each track from other fellow artists of 2022

C-Systems: This is basically impossible to choose, but one of our favourites has been Factor B's "Back to the Future remix of "Home" by Chakra. This absolute classic is a really special track and Factor B did a super creative job on it.


2) Best of 2022 personal productions with short comment about them:

C-Systems: Our number 1 has to be "Every Star"! This track is one of our all-time favourites and turned a lot of heads. It really highlights how melodic trance can be and will forever be an important 
track for us.

 

Also, our album "Unplugged" was unreal to work on. Taking dance music outside of the genre and making it orchestral was fun and truly inspiring. Working outside of Trance also gave us some space to think about what came next. 


3) Best Artist of 2022(DJ & producer) with short comment:

C-Systems: Another tricky one, but Dan Cooper is doing amazing stuff. Another British artist making waves in Trance and delivering excellent productions.


4) Best Remix(es) from other fellow artists of 2022 with short comment :

C-Systems: It's not one in the "C-Systems" style actually - The Ruben de Ronde & Elevven remix of "Can't Sleep" is a real work of art, showcasing how an all-time classic can be totally sonically transformed, whilst being sensitive with the original vocal. A truly excellent piece of music.

 

5) YOUR Best Remix which you have produced of 2022 with short comment?

C-Systems: It's probably going to be "Rain Onto Me" by DJ T.H and Deidre McLaughlin (C-Systems Remix). The vocal was amazing to work with and was a very popular remix. It also meant we started working with Deidre, who is an amazing vocalist. More to come in 2023 on that! 


6) Best electronic dance music album of 2022 with short comment:

C-Systems: It has to be "A State of Trance 2022"! To see our track "Every Star" featured here by Armin van Buuren was incredible. The whole album is a great selection of tracks.


7) Best vocalist/singer on electronic dance music track of 2022 with short comment:

C-Systems: Of course Hanna Finsen who we have worked with for years! In addition Alina Renae is doing incredible things on dance tracks right now and we love her vocals on "Wanna Fly".


8) Best electronic dance music label of 2022 with short comment:

C-Systems: I'm sure you can guess this, but of course A State of Trance! To be a part of the label working closely with the team is unreal and we love releasing music with them.

9) Best online social media of 2022 with short comment:

C-Systems: Probably Instagram as it always works well and is easy to use. Artists need social platforms that make sense and don't take time away from writing music.

10) Best social media response you may have received about your music or your DJ performance of 2022:

C-Systems: There's too many to pick from here! We love all the positive responses from our fans and thank them all for their love and support!

11) Best music composition software of 2022 with short comment:

C-Systems: Cubase...ALWAYS! We are long-standing users of the DAW and wouldn't change platforms. Every platform has it's issues, but Cubase works great for us as musicians.

12)Best club event /festival/music conference of 2022 with short comment:

C-Systems: The best night to attend is certainly Ministry of Sound watching Ferry Corsten play! It's always a great vibe.

13) Your Best personal DJ Gig & DJ performance of 2022 with short comment:

C-Systems: Playing at the ASOT studio was a big highlight of our career so far. To be asked to come and do an episode was something we never thought possible and we really do thank Armin and Ruben for asking us to come over to Amsterdam and play.

14) Best radio show/podcast/twitch stream or Vlog(video blog) of 2022 with short comment. It can be yours or from other artists you respect:

C-Systems: A State of Trance! Not just because we love seeing the support, but because you get to hear a lot of sub genres within Trance which is a great thing.

15) Best production or DJ equipment (a)software & (b) hardware) of 2022 with short comment:

C-Systems: As previously said, Cubase is our thing! But also a great additional piece of software is Sonobus which lets artists listen in real time to their audio output on an additional computer. We use this all the time to work together simultaneously in the UK and Norway.

16) Best technical tips that you learnt of 2022 in relation to your DJing or music productions:

C-Systems: The best "technical tip" is absolutely to set up a MIDI bridge between you and your co-writer if you write collaboratively. Each DAW does this differently and you may need an additional programme, but it is absolutely game-changing.

17) Best piece of personal or music business' advice you got in relation to your career of 2022 and has helped you to progress even further:

C-Systems: As musicians and A+R for a record label, we are seeing less musicality in tracks. This means artists are not keeping their melodies fresh and are quite frequently relying on production. Production is only a part of the writing process and to really make a track come alive, it requires at least a basic understanding of melody construction - not just blocking out chord structures. Our best work always has the strongest melodies!

18)Best hobby or non music related activity of 2022.

C-Systems: Cooking. Always cooking, for both of us!

19) Best ever electronic dance music track(s) of all times with short comment?

C-Systems: Impossible! But "Strange World" by PUSH is one of the best written dance tracks of all time and a personal fave!


Dimitris: In which TV series, film or advert would you like to experience your track being used? Which track was the best placed on films/TV series/advert/official aftermovie of a festival from another artist?

C-Systems: We think "Crusader" has the right energy of a club scene in a film! How cool would that be!

Dimitris: During 2022 we experienced many tracks that were hybrids of music styles & genres. Do believe that music genres or styles are still relevant today?

C-Systems: All music styles are relevant, regardless of the genre. Music is an expression of creativity and we do have a natural tendency to label styles...but sometimes these labels are helpful to signpost listeners to things they like.

Dimitris: Do you have any concrete plans for 2023 regarding future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, DJ gigs? Please provide us the juicy details.

C-Systems: Absolutely loads! Sorry, we can't reveal a lot of them but we can tell you this - some of the biggest tracks of our career will be released in 2023!!!

Dimitris: Your message & wishes for 2023.

C-Systems: We wish all our fans, listeners and the hard working members of the music industry a wonderful 2023 and hope to meet lots of you!

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