XiJaro & Pitch, the trance music duo comprising Xander van Dommelen and Anthony Reyers, has garnered acclaim for their uplifting productions and emotionally resonant soundscapes. Since their inception in 2014, they have collaborated with esteemed labels such as FSOE, Black Hole Recordings, Who’s Armada, and Anjunabeats, garnering support from renowned artists like Armin van Buuren and Aly & Fila. Beyond their studio endeavors, their “Chasing Dreams” brand encompasses a weekly podcast, livestreams, and a record label, cultivating a global community of trance aficionados. XiJaro & Pitch have electrified audiences at iconic festivals like Tomorrowland, Dreamstate, and Transmission, inspiring countless individuals through their music and unwavering passion. Their latest release The Oath with Lumenwright is out now on FSOE.
We are delighted that XiJaro & Pitch, the esteemed trance duo, have graciously accepted the challenge to provide an interview regarding their latest release. In this interview, they proudly showcase their accomplishments, including their performances at prominent festivals and the establishment of their own label. They express their profound admiration for Armin van Buuren, Above & Beyond, and Giuseppe Ottaviani as their primary inspirations.
XiJaro & Pitch delve into their creative process, their label Chasing Dreams Music, and their weekly radio show. They express their appreciation for both vocal and instrumental tracks and their inclination towards utilizing digital software. They also share their experiences with bootlegs and remixes, including their successful remix of “Such Is Life” by Rank 1.
For your perusal, we have provided their insightful answers.
Stream/download: fsoe.lnk.to/theoath
1-Dimitris: It would be beneficial if you could share with us your three most significant accomplishments or objectives that you are particularly proud of in your career thus far..
XiJaro & Pitch: Performing at Major Festivals: One of our most proud achievements has been playing at some of the most renowned festivals in the world, including Dreamstate, Transmission, A State Of Trance, and Tomorrowland. Sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in the industry and travelling around the world to connect with thousands of fans has been an unforgettable experience.
Launching 'Chasing Dreams Music': Creating our own label has been a major milestone. It gives us the freedom to release not only our music but also to support the many talented artists who inspire us, helping grow the trance community we love.
Our Remix of 'Somna & Jennifer Rene - Stars Collide': Our remix of Stars Collide became a standout moment in our career. For us at the time it was definitely an inspiring song to remix but we could not have predicted the response it ended up getting. The love it received from both fans and peers in the industry showed us how much impact our sound can have, cementing it as a pivotal moment in our journey.
2-Dimitris: Could you elaborate on the reasons behind your decision to embark on the journey of DJing or producing electronic dance music?
Anthony : Discovering trance music felt like finding a home. For me, Anthony, it all started when I was about 10 years old. Hearing the sounds of Tiësto and Armin van Buuren on the radio, I knew my life had changed forever. Not long after, I started my own trance radio show as DJ Pitch, as a way to share the music I loved.
Xander: I had a similar spark of inspiration. I was drawn in by the energy and emotion of trance music, with A State of Trance and Armin’s Year Mixes having a massive influence on me. Those early experiences inspired me to start creating mash-ups, megamixes, and eventually my own music.
Our paths crossed in 2007 through our radio shows, and we instantly clicked over our shared love for the genre. We started collaborating on mixes and mash-ups, and by 2014, we decided to make it official and become XiJaro & Pitch.
It was the unique emotional power of trance that made this journey inevitable. The decision wasn’t a moment; it was a calling to share the music that had shaped our lives with the world.
3-Dimitris: Could you please identify the top three producers who have significantly influenced your decision to enter the electronic dance music industry and whom you hold in high regard and respect?
XiJaro & Pitch:
1. Armin van Buuren: Armin's influence on both of us is undeniable. His A State of Trance radio show was a key catalyst in our early love for trance. He’s been a leader in shaping the genre and continues to push boundaries with his music and performances. We respect how he’s stayed passionate and grounded throughout his career while still being one of the most respected figures in the EDM scene.
2. Above & Beyond: Above & Beyond has had a profound influence on us, not just in terms of their music but also the culture they’ve cultivated. They’ve mastered the art of creating deeply emotional tracks that connect with people on a personal level, and their ability to build such a strong connection with their audience is something we strive to emulate.
3. Giuseppe Ottaviani: Giuseppe’s influence has been huge for us, especially in terms of his powerful, uplifting style of trance. Already since the Nu NRG days, his productions have an energy and emotional depth that resonate with us on a deep level, and his live shows are always a source of inspiration. His skill in weaving uplifting melodies with driving, high-energy rhythms is something we truly admire and aim to capture in our own music, creating a balance between emotion and power.
4-Dimitris: Could you please provide us with the top three tracks from your past that have had the most significant influence on your sound, along with the reasons behind your selection?
XiJaro & Pitch: Sean Tyas & Darren Porter – Relentless: Both these guys have had a huge impact on our sound. Relentless is a perfect example of how to fuse hard-hitting energy and melodic euphoria. It inspired us to explore that powerful, energetic side of trance that still connects emotionally with the listener.
OceanLab – Satellite : Satellite is one of those tracks that truly defines the emotional side of trance for us. The soaring vocals and beautiful melodies create such a sense of escapism, and it showed us how powerful a simple, emotive track could be. It’s a perfect example of how to create a connection with the listener through pure melody and emotion, something we always want to replicate in our own music.
William Orbit – Barber's Adagio For Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix): This remix has been a defining influence on our sound, particularly when it comes to blending classical elements with trance. The way Ferry Corsten took this iconic piece and turned it into a trance anthem, while maintaining the integrity and beauty of the original, was revolutionary. It taught us how to take something classical and elevate it to new heights, creating a unique fusion of emotion, intensity, and elegance.
5-Dimitris: It would be a pleasure to discuss your latest release, The Oath, with Lumenwright on FSOE. Could you please share the inspiration behind this track and the creative process involved?.
XiJaro & Pitch: Our latest release is The Oath on Future Sound Of Egypt. Xander made this track together with his girlfriend Rose (Lumenwright). We really tried to think outside the box a bit with this one, using a ¾ time signature and trying some different sounds and arrangement than our usual. The track and title is inspired by the Wizard’s Oath from the ‘Young Wizards’ book series by Diane Duane, who gave us permission to include a few spoken word excerpts from her text.
6-Dimitris: Could you please provide an overview of the production process, outlining the key steps involved? Additionally, could you share the duration it took to complete the production?
XiJaro & Pitch: The first seeds of an idea were already there for Rose several years ago but the track didn’t start to really take shape until they began working on it together with Xander in April 2023.
Rose was responsible for pretty much all the composition while Xander focussed on the engineering and sound design.
7-Dimitris: Could you elaborate on any specific technical challenges or obstacles you encountered during the production of that particular track?
XiJaro & Pitch: Something that can happen when you work on a track for a long time is that you start to second guess decisions that you made earlier. Like: “Should we make this section shorter?” “Should we make the time signature change at a later point?” “Should we have a different chord progression or melody in the breakdown?” I think we made at least 4 or 5 different versions of the breakdown, being unsure of what would be best. In the end we reverted back to a version that we made early on, feeling that since that worked for us for a long time already, maybe we shouldn’t overthink it.
8-Dimitris: If you had the opportunity to alter your current track and potentially create a new remix, which aspects would you be dissatisfied with and what changes would you implement? Is there any particular artist whose remix you believe would be exceptional and why?
XiJaro & Pitch: We are quite happy with the track as it is but it would be interesting to explore adding even more atmosphere and cinematic feel to the track. One of our main inspirations during production was ‘Rings Of Saturn’ by The Noble Six. If someone was to do a remix, we think Andrew could be a great pick.
9- Dimitris: Which music composition software or hardware you prefer and why? What is your opinion of the latest movement to produce music with more analogue equipment and with less or without any digital software?
XiJaro & Pitch: We have worked with both Cubase and Ableton Live. We made ‘The Oath’ in Ableton Live, mainly because that’s the DAW that Lumenwright uses. But this made us actually reconsider Ableton after mostly using Cubase in recent years. Both have pros and cons but what matters most is that the software allows us to create our music the way we want without getting in the way. We would love to see more work done to make music software more accessible for blind and visually impaired producers. It is great to see some progress in that field now with Ableton Live.
Analog or digital: We feel that any producer should use what works best for them. We ourselves have always been in-the-box, relying on VST instruments and effects to create our sounds. There’s no shortage of great, creative and inspiring software out there.
10-Dimitris: Could you please specify whether you prefer vocal or instrumental tracks? If the track we are discussing contains vocals, please provide information about the singer you collaborate with.?
XiJaro & Pitch: We love both really. Vocals can definitely elevate the human connection to a piece of music but sometimes all you need tell a moving story is a great sound and melody. For our DJ sets we usually try to keep a good balance between both vocal and instrumental tracks.
11-Dimitris:I would like to inquire about your record label. If you have one, please provide me with the following information:
* The establishment date of your label
* The reasons behind your decision to establish it
* Your top three releases on the label to date
* Two or three releases that you recommend we consider from your label
XiJaro & Pitch: Last year we launched our label Chasing Dreams Music. When we did our Chasing Dreams mix compilation together with Black Hole Recordings, we signed several exclusive tracks on it, which we felt also deserved their own solo release. And this is how the label was born.
It is very difficult to pick any favorites as we have had already many great tracks on the label.
Here are some in no particular order:
1. Fredd Moz – Dark Becomes Light
Definitely one of the most talented artists we’ve had the pleasure of working with. Our collab ‘Falling Leaves’ [Subculture, 2019] is still a set favorite and we absolutely love this record we got from him for Chasing Dreams.
2. Conor Holohan & Sean Truby - Dreamscape
Really solid collaboration from these two guys with an awesome arpeggio melody and great to see this played by Armin van Buuren and Ruben de Ronde on A State Of Trance. Sean has a new one lined-up on the label for early next year!
3. N-sKing - Suiren
Beautiful tune from this very skilled Japanese producer and a favorite in our recent sets!
Plenty more exciting music to keep an eye out for on Chasing Dreams Music, including some of our favorite producers, such as Wavetraxx, Allan Berndtz and Fros7nova.
12-Dimitris: Do you host your own radio show, podcast, Twitch stream, or Vlog? If so, please provide us with information about it. Specifically, we would like to know how long it takes you to prepare for each production and whether you are always enthusiastic about creating it.
XiJaro & Pitch: We have our weekly show, Chasing Dreams, which is available with video on our YouTube page and in audio form on Soundcloud and our podcast feed. In that 1 hour we play our favorite new music every week, as well as new releases from our record label and ourselves. It’s not always easy to push ourselves to record the new episode, especially when we feel more inspired to work on a track instead, but we feel it’s worth it to build a stronger connection with our listeners and to help support all the great new trance music that’s out there. We are currently working on a new anthem for the show, as a follow-up to title track that has now been the intro for the show for nearly 2 years already. More on that soon!
13-Dimitris: Are there any club classics that you would like to remix or rework in 2024? Do you frequently attempt to create your own bootleg versions of classics?
XiJaro & Pitch: We certainly like making bootlegs and mashups to put a new spin on classics. And sometimes these bootlegs can even turn into something more. Our remix for ‘Rank 1 – Such Is Life’ started as a bootleg that we just made out of our love for the original classic, expecting nothing more from it. But when we sent it to High Contrast and Rank 1, the guys loved it and, much to our delight, they wanted to make it an official release!
Perhaps the most fun with bootlegs is to take something that isn’t originally a club track and turn it into one. For example like what we did with our bootleg remixes of Coldplay, Lady Gaga and Queen. We’re always on the lookout for the next inspiring idea. Most don’t come to fruition but when the idea is great, we try to make it happen as these can really add something extra to our DJ sets.
At Dreamstate SoCal this year we played a new trance bootleg remix of ‘Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For’. This remix is by JKult, a very talented blind trance producer from the UK, who also worked with us on a bootleg of ‘Coldplay – Fix You’. Definitely keep an ear out for him!
Dimitris: Your message & wishes for Flux Bpm Online readers.
XiJaro & Pitch: We hope you enjoyed our interview and we look forward to seeing you on the dancefloor somewhere around the world! Keep on chasing dreams!
Thanks so much to Xander & Anthony for their awesome answers in this interview and we wish them all their best in their future endeveaurs.
Thanks so much to Stuart at FSOE for arranging this nice interview.
Stream/download: fsoe.lnk.to/theoath
Additional info: