Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts
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15:13:00
DJ Mikas is one of Canada's fastest rising stars in the dance music scene. He is the founder of Progressive Grooves Records, host of TranceClass TV & Radio and resident of Gorg-O-Mish nightclub. As of December 2011 he is ranked #275 world wide on Social 100 DJs.

As label head of Progressive Grooves Records he pushed for- and discovered such artists as Enton Mushi, Manuel De La Mare, Kings Of Addiction, Yan Lhert, Shato, Paul Rockseek, Jake Shanahan, Martin Roth, DJ Sage and Haley Parsons among others. The label enjoys continuous support from DJs such as Markus Schulz, Paul Van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Tiesto, Gareth Emery, Cosmic Gate, Richard Durand, Andy Moor, tyDi and too much more to mention.

2009 anthem Mikas - 'Temperamental' got the remix treatment from Manuel De La Mare after which it became a Beatport Techno number #1 for four consecutive weeks and selling a stunning 10.000 copies. Besides being a major hit on Beatport, the track became a DJ Download and Juno number #1 overall.

In 2010 Mikas released the Forward EP, including remixes by some of the hottest artists from the scene. Beatport best selling artist of 2009, Martin Roth; Spanish duo Riktam and Bansi - famous for their Track 'Green Space' which ranked no2 as best selling track of 2009 overall on Beatport; And last but not least Manuel De La Mare. 4 mixes of the EP made it in the Beatport Progressive House Top 20 and got support across the board, including Ferry Corsten, Dash Berlin, Gareth Emery and Andy Moor.


2011 saw debut releases on other taste making record labels. 'Shaken Not Stirred' by DJ Mikas and production partner DJ Sage got picked up by Richard Durand's Terminal-4 Record label. The melodic anthem got instant radio-play by the likes of Stoneface & Terminal and Roger Shah.

'Eternal' another gem by the duo got signed by Black Hole for release in 2012.

Yet, Mikas is more than a passionate DJ and producer: He is a Media Maniac! DJ Mikas is the first trance DJ to host a TV & Radio show every week accessible to millions.

TranceClass TV airs from its base in Vancouver and informs on the nightlife scene and pop culture with reports of the biggest events. DJ Mikas takes the viewers backstage and interviews the World's most in-demand DJs and celebs.

In 2011 he sat down with DJs from all over the World to talk about their mutual passion. 28 shows have been broadcast with guests such as Arty, Laidback Luke, Hardwell, Sander Van Doorn, Markus Schulz, Sean Tyas, Kyau & Albert and many more.

TranceClass TV is available as a podcast on iTunes, On-Demand TV and several online distribution channels. Moreover, TranceClass makes its debut on Clubbing TV from France in 2012. This expands the show to cable networks in France. Belgium,
Portugal, Moldavia, Poland, Mauritius Island, USA, Austria and Africa.

Interview is written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias, Radio/Club Dj & Music Journalist




Dimitri: Do you consider 2011 as a positive, negative or neutral year for the progress of the Electronic Dance Music scene?
DJ Mikas: I Believe the scene is growing very fast at the moment, 2011 has been a huge year for dance music in North America. More and more artists are touring here and more clubs and venues are embracing the international and local DJs Instead of hip hop or rock shows! Also, of course now derivatives of dance music are making their way into pop music on radio and it helps people open their mind.
Dimitri: Do you believe that 2011 was a good , indifferent or bad year for the development of your personal career?
DJ Mikas: It was my best year so far. As a producer I'm looking to push the boundaries of the tools I use and this year has been a prolific year production wise with many tracks and remixes I am really proud of. On the DJ-ing side I had the chance to play regularly in Vancouver and had a series of gigs in Montreal that were very satisfying. Overall 2011 was a big leap forward for me!
           
THE A to Z of the Best of the Year 2011.
a) Best Full Release of the year(original & remixes)
DJ Mikas: Cosmic Gate - Wake your Mind
I liked Cosmic Gate before, now I love them! This is an incredible album! I feel lucky I had the chance to interview them for my TranceClass TV show and we really connected.


                                
       
b) Your personal Full release of the year
DJ Mikas: My mix album TranceClass 002. It was hard work but we finally got it out. I'm pretty happy we got the chance to use tracks from Cosmic Gate, Lange, Arty and more on the album.   
                        
                                            
c) Best Single track of the year (only original versions)
DJ Mikas: Andy Duguid Ft Fenja - Strings.
Not the biggest dancefloor track but the vocals and overall arrangement of this song are impeccable.

                                    
                                     
d) Your personal Best Single track of the year
DJ Mikas: My single TranceClass - The Anthem! I had a blast producing this big sound but still wanted to keep it original. We also produced a music video for this one that is absolutely mental! I have to thank my manager Wilf for his work on this one!

f) Best Remix on personal production that you released  in 2011
DJ Mikas: I did a remix for Hayley Parsons "Changing Lanes" which I really like. It took me over a month to complete which is unusual for me. It's a great blend between trance and progressive and the Lyrics are very meaningful. This one really takes me to places when i listen to it!
 
g) Best Producer of the year in your style that you play or any other that you may like 
DJ Mikas: I think Above And Beyond are my favorites this year. They are doing great vocal anthems I never get tired of playing or listing to. To some it may sound cheesy but their music has a simplicity that just works, and it bridges the gap between trance and pop music very well.

h) Best New Talent/Big hope for the coming years 
DJ Mikas:I love all of the Orjan Nilsen productions and remixes, mostly lately, very creative and full of energy.

i) Best Remixer  of the year  on personal or others peoples tracks
DJ Mikas:Dennis Shepperd rocked several great remixes this year, big sound, very danceable but still with great melodies!  
j) Best Established  Label of the year(not started in 2011) 
DJ Mikas: Black Hole Recordings! I play tons of their releases, the overall quality is always excellent, and I am very proud of being a Black Hole artist too now.
k) Best Newborn in 2011 label of the year 
DJ Mikas: No new label really got my attention this year.
l) Best dance album and mixed compilation of the year in the style of music that you work with…
DJ Mikas: Cosmic Gate - Wake your mind for best dance album. DJ Sage released his debut album Evolution on my label Progressive Grooves for which he selected his best tracks for one continuous mix. Felt great to be able to give him that opportunity.
 
m)Best Music Video of the year(this can be personal/you are involved with or from other artists)


DJ Mikas: My own music Video for TranceClass The Anthem! It is so intense; it will almost give you a seizure. It's a compilation of all the best moments and club footage from over 20 episodes of TranceClass TV, it took over 30 Hours of editing to put this together!!!


                         
DJ Mikas - TranceClass {The Anthem}V 2.0 [MUSIC VIDEO] from TranceClass TV on Vimeo.

                            
o) Best new software or hardware that was introduced in this year and you recommended it to others.
DJ Mikas: I am Very impressed with the new plugin BT put out called Stutter! It's very intense and creative and you can also use it live and as send effect. Very innovative!

p) Best and worst djing  or production  experience that happened in 2011
DJ Mikas: Best thing in the studio this year: I switched my notebook and main computer to Mac! an the other best is switching from cubase to logic, Worst would be that I have to export all of my previous projects as stems to edit them in Logic!

q) Best country that you performed this year 
DJ Mikas: Canada!!!

r) Best club or open air festival that you attended or you even performed this year
DJ Mikas: I performed in Montreal at the Red Lite! It was very intense; I played from 4am to 7 am. The best thing for me was that there were a lot more people at the end of my set then there were when I began!  

s) Best hobby or other activity for 2011(game/movie/book/going to gym to keep fit  or any other hobby )
DJ Mikas: Doing my TV show has been a blast. It's a lot more complex than doing just music, there are a lot more assets implicated and it was a challenge for me.

t) Best radio show of the year and Best radio station that you always check out(fm or online)preferably that plays the kind of your music. 
DJ Mikas: Of course I'm quite busy with doing my own show TranceClass Radio, but when I have some spare time I like to listen to Solaris international. Solarstone always comes up with cool tunes. Also, Matt Darey's Nocturnal is a great show.


u) Best online or ordinary record shop that you used to get your music of the year
DJ Mikas: I use Beatport a lot. The new site is very quick and I can go trough 500 tracks in 2 hours with the advanced use shortcuts. I love it.

v) Best CD player or any other equipment that you use for djing (this can include software for digital mixing)
DJ Mikas: I use Traktor for 4 years now, I would not go back. I also use a Allen and heath Xone 4D Contoler + Mixer for my live Performance and radio shows; this mixer's sound quality is definitively the best for me.
 

w) Best vocalist in a dance track of the year 
DJ Mikas: Emma Hewitt for Cosmic Gate - Be Your Sound. Timeless piece!

x) Best magazine or web site that you always check out for music related stuff (to read reviews/interviews/  and learn about technical equipment)
DJ Mikas: I guess I could say my Facebook news feed. News is going fast and it's easy to get it. 

 
y) Best fan of your music of the year or best crowd in your performance
DJ Mikas: Gorgomish in Vancouver at 5am on a Saturday morning! Priceless vibe!

z) Best thing you have done this year in order to support any social movement, charities, or other people that may need your help.
DJ Mikas: I like to raise awareness about proper nutrition and how it affects you: I am a bit of a preacher of healthy living. 
Dimitri: Can you please let us know your plans for 2012 for your djing, productions or label? 
DJ Mikas: We are working to set up a tour for the US in the new year. I have Two EP's that will be out early in the year: 'High and Dry' on my label Progressive Grooves and one more on Black Hole Recordings called 'Eternal.' Both of these were made together with my production partner DJ Sage. I also have a couple more EP's to be released on Progressive Grooves Including more material from Dj Sage And Kings Of Addiction.
Dimitri: On the other side is it possible to tell us the track, album, artist/dj that you believe were the worst of the year and why?
DJ Mikas:Sorry, I do not pay attention to the music or artists I don't like.
 
Dimitri: Please give us your wishes for 2012 and your small piece of advice for anyone that reads this interview and aspires to get into music production, djing, or music production in general.
DJ Mikas: I wish all the best for everyone in 2012, always stay positive and proud of what you do, make music for yourself, do not try to sound like someone successful because you think it will work for you, be creative and give yourself to the music.
Many thanks to always smiling and warmhearted  Dj Mikas for finding the time to reply to this interview
Many thanks to Wilf Libgott  from Hammarica Management for his support to organise this interview

Additional info:
http://www.djmikas.com
http://www.tranceclass.com
http://www.progressivegrooves.com
http://www.facebook.com/mikastop10
http://www.twitter.com/dj_mikas
www.tranceclass.com
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14:40:00
Name: Dirkie Coetzee
Location: South Africa

Dirkie Coetzee started his career in the EDM scene as a bedroom DJ way back at the tender age of 16. After spending numerous years perfecting his mixing skills he quickly started to feature in night clubs, events and radio stations around Southern Africa. It was in this time that Dirkie started to gain interest in the art of music production.

“I used to be a DJ, but thanks to the wonderful world of music production I can now create the music I want to play.”

Without any formal training in music theory, rhythms, chord progressions, sound synthesis or music production in general, Dirkie set out to learn this fine art by scouring any available articles and tutorials available on the internet. With many years of trial and error Dirkie slowly refined his skills as a music producer to create the sounds you hear in his music today.

“It’s hard to stay motivated when you feel like you are not achieving anything with your music, but passion for music always dies a slow death and quitting is never an option for me.”

It’s this passion for music and trance music production in particular that has helped Dirkie to get his music signed to some of the best labels in the business.

2011 is the year Dirkie Coetzee focused all his energy and time on producing Vocal Trance. His debut Vocal Trance production “Never Looking Back” with world renowned singer and songwriter Emma Lock has given Dirkie a solid platform to showcase his ability to craft this powerful genre of music. American artist Marcia Juell is another one of the world’s leading Trance Vocalists that has worked on collaborations with the rapidly rising producer from South Africa.


Dimitri: Do you consider 2011 as a positive, negative or neutral year for the progress of the Electronic Dance Music scene?

Dirkie Coetzee: Speaking from in experience particularly pertaining to my country I would have to say it’s been a very positive year especially for the trance scene. Many big events like ASOT500 graced our shore as well as a lot of the big names in the business like Gareth Emery, Dash Berlin, David Guetta, deadmau5 but to name a few. This tells me the scene is only growing in our country.

Dimitri: Do you believe that 2011 was a good , indifferent or bad year for the development of your personal career?

Dirkie Coetzee: Thanks to the great record labels I have the privilege of working with my career took off with big success in 2011. This helped me to get a lot of good exposure in the market which now helps grow my brand. It has been an awesome year to say the least!

THE A to Z of the Best of the Year 2011.

a) Best Full Release of the year(original & remixes)
Dirkie Coetzee: Aly & Fila Feat. Jwaydan – We Control The Sunlight which was released on FSOE. The release included the Original Mix and the Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix. This is a really big uplifting trancer and one that will go down in history. Great release!
                                                  
                                       
                                                   
b) Your personal Full release of the year
Dirkie Coetzee: My personal best release for the year was; Dirkie Coetzee ft. Emma Lock – Never Looking Back which was released by Subtraxx Recordings. It gained a lot of support throughout the industry. Big remixes is what made this release so successful.
                      




Dirkie Coetzee ft Emma Lock - Never Looking Back (Original Mix) [Subtraxx Recordings] by Dirkie Coetzee Music



c) Best Single track of the year (only original versions)
Dirkie Coetzee:Orjan Nilsen – Between The Rays which was released on Armind. Really great vibe to the track and I simply love the melody.

 d) Your personal Best Single track of the year
Dirkie Coetzee: My best single release was; Dirkie Coetzee – Dreaming of Ibiza which was released by Nukleuz Records. This track reached the no.1 spot on the October TOP10 Chart for Nukleuz Records.

                               Dirkie Coetzee - Dreaming of Ibiza (Original Mix) [Nukleuz Records] by Dirkie Coetzee Music

e) Best Remix of the year
Dirkie Coetzee: Tripple A – Winter Stayed (Armin van Buuren Remix) – This is one of the best trance tracks I have ever heard. The production and overall sound simple but so powerful!

                      

f) Best Remix on personal production that you released in 2011
Dirkie Coetzee: My best remix release was; Vincent de Jager ft. Emma Lock – Dive which was released by Nukleuz Records. This track received wide support from many DJ’s around the globe.
                                      Vincent de Jager ft Emma Lock - Dive (Dirkie Coetzee Remix) [Nukleuz Records] by Dirkie Coetzee Music

g) Best Producer of the year in your style that you play or any other that you may like
Dirkie Coetzee: My favorite would be South African producer Protoculture. He makes unbelievably good music and I simply love everything he is doing. He is one of the South Africans that has really made it big in the international trance scene with releases on all of the major labels.

h) Best New Talent/Big hope for the coming years
Dirkie Coetzee: Best “Hope for the Future” I would have to say South African producer Jason van Wyk – He is not really a “new talent” because he has been around for some time but only being 21 he definitely is the best hope for the future in my opinion.


i) Best Remixer of the year on personal or others peoples tracks
Dirkie Coetzee: Best remixers of the year for me would be Neo Kekkonen and Tommy Baynen who has both remixed some of my music. They both are great producers with a really clear and solid sounsd in their productions. Love their work very much!


j) Best Established Label of the year(not started in 2011)
Dirkie Coetzee: Best established label for me is my home label Subtraxx Recordings. This label really puts out great releases from really amazing artists. Definitely one to watch out for in the future.


k) Best Newborn in 2011 label of the year
Dirkie Coetzee: Best newborn label for me is I Hate You records. Think they have been around for a bit longer to be called newborn  really but they definitely are one of the newer labels I found that releases great music!


l) Best dance album and mixed compilation of the year in the style of music that you work with…
Dirkie Coetzee: Best mixed compilation this year for me would be Truth Trance Room mixed by South African DJ Speedy and then the best Artist Album for me would be; tyDi – Shooting Stars.


m) Best Music Video of the year(this can be personal/you are involved with or from other artists)
Dirkie Coetzee: Way off from my genre of music but I simply got hooked on Eminem - Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna. Really powerful track and the visuals contribute to the emotion in this track.

                            


n) Best social network of the year that has been amazing for the promotion of your work
Dirkie Coetzee: Facebook has always been my favorite place to promote my own releases. Can’t see myself using any other platform soon.


o) Best new software or hardware that was introduced in this year and you recommended it to others.
Dirkie Coetzee: Best new hardware I found this year would definitely be Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 that works with Traktor DJ software.


p) Best and worst djing or production experience that happened in 2011


Dirkie Coetzee: Worst producer experience would be when I had a house robbery this year and they stole all my DJ and Studio gear. This happened right in the middle of my work on the track ‘Never Looking Back’ with Emma Lock. So all the original data was lost but the second version came out better anyway so not an all lost situation.


q) Best country that you performed this year
Dirkie Coetzee: I have not been fortunate enough to perform abroad. I hope to do so in the near future.


r) Best club or open air festival that you attended or you even performed this year
Dirkie Coetzee: Best open air festival in South Africa that I attended is H2O. This event brings across all the big names I mentioned earlier and is one of the best open air festivals in the world. Best club in South Africa would be TRUTH in Johannesburg because they also bring over some of the biggest names in the business.


s) Best hobby or other activity for 2011(game/movie/book/going to gym to keep fit or any other hobby )
Dirkie Coetzee: My hobby besides music is most definitely Carp Angling. It’s the one thing I almost enjoy as much as do music production, but then again some days beside the water beat many days in the studio.


t) Best radio show of the year and Best radio station that you always check out(fm or online)preferably that plays the kind of your music)
Dirkie Coetzee: Best local radio show for would be South African 93.8 Mix Fm which hosts a Saturday night dance show calledSunset Dance hosted by Al Gray. They frequently play my music and also host all the best DJs in Johannesburg.


u) Best online or ordinary record shop that you used to get your music of the year
Dirkie Coetzee: The one place I generally buy music from is Beatport and Audiojelly. Really cant see the need for searching any further than these stores.


v) Best CD player or any other equipment that you use for djing (this can include software for digital mixing)
Dirkie Coetzee: Best DJ software for me at the moment is Ableton. I use it to do all my guest mixes for radio shows and other online mixes. Haven’t yet used it as a live performance tool but I can see myself doing so in the future.
             

w) Best vocalist in a dance track of the year 
Dirkie Coetzee: Best vocalist for me would be Emma Lock because I find something mesmerizing in her voice and lyrics and I always love listening to her music. Another one of the Vocal heavyweights is Emma Hewitt – Would love to do a track with this women. The best upcoming singer for me is Litsa from South Africa – she’s got a powerful voice and unbelievable song writing capability. I can see a bright future for her in the EDM scene.


x) Best magazine or web site that you always check out for music related stuff (to read  reviews/interviews and learn about technical equipment)
Dirkie Coetzee: Best magazine for me will always be Computermusic. They have really informative articles on music production, new software and hardware coming out. Best website for me is the Electrohavoc Blog that is run by people here in South Africa. They frequently do interviews with the big names and I really enjoy reading their interviews and reviews.


y) Best fan of your music of the year or best crowd in your performance(perhaps you don’t know the name but you can describe when you met or why you consider this person as your best fan of the year)
Dirkie Coetzee: Best fan of my music would be Mark McCulloch who runs the SaTranceFamily page on Facebook. He always comments positive things about my releases and always helps promote my music.


z) Best thing you have done this year in order to support any social movement, charities, or other people that may need your help.
Dirkie Coetzee: Social movement I have been involved in is the growth of trance in South Africa. Myself and many other DJs and producers are really trying to make the trance scene bigger in our country. My contribution is not nearly as big as what other people are doing but I pride myself in trying to put out quality music as a South African trance producer.


Dimitri: Can you please let us know your plans for 2012 for your djing, productions or label? 

Dirkie Coetzee: My plans for 2012 is to get more time in the DJ booth to play my music out to the crowds. As for music production I will push my capabilities harder to perfect my sound even more.


Dimitri: On the other side is it possible to tell us the track, album, artist/dj that you believe were the worst of the year and why?

Dirkie Coetzee: it’s not in my nature to publically criticize other artists in their work so I really can’t say. I believe we all have someone out there that will think our work is bad but for me it’s better not to negatively judge other artists publically.


Dimitri: Please give us your wishes for 2012 and your small piece of advice for anyone that reads this interview and aspires to get into music production, djing, or music production in general.


Dirkie Coetzee: My wish for 2012 would be to get an opportunity to travel abroad to perform my music. I think that will be the biggest reward to all the hard work I put in at the studio. As for advice to others: Work hard at what you want to achieve and stay true to who you are. Surround yourself with people who will help you build on your dreams and remember that if you have to suck up to make it then you’re better of without the people you trying to suck up to!!

Many thanks to Dirkie for finding the time to reply in this interview

Many thanks to Ville Lope for helping me out to organise this interview


Additional info:
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15:27:00
Name: Toni Kurkimäki / SYNA
Location: Seinäjoki, Finland

Synthesizers and beats! That's basically what we're about.

We are SYNA - Toni, Mika and Timo from Finland. We've been here since 2004, more or less actively producing stuff for music lovers and DJ's.

You can also spot some of us from other music projects such as DECK JAGGER and TIMO JUUTI & HECTOR 87.

Dimitri: Do you consider 2011 as a positive, negative or neutral year for the progress of the Electronic Dance Music scene?

SYNA: Many young producers broke through in 2011 and the number of promising newcomers has risen… I would say that this was a pretty good year for EDM.

Dimitri: Do you believe that 2011 was a good , indifferent or bad year for the development of your personal career?

SYNA: The highlight of Syna’s year was the inclusion of our track “Change” on Paul Oakenfold’s brand new compilation cd “We Are Planet Perfecto vol.1”. Oakie is obviously a legend, so that kind of recognition has given us a boost to keep producing music. We’re feeling good right now about making new stuff, so 2011 was a good year for us.

3-THE A to Z of the Best of the Year 2011.

a)Best Full Release of the year(original & remixes)
SYNA: Orion & J.Shore – White Birds, the original is a great piece of chill-out perfection and the remixes by Tom Fall and Heikki L are amazing.
                               
                                         
b)Your personal Full release of the year
SYNA: Syna vs Ayleon – Change, we didn’t have any expectations about it on release… it’s not exactly a DJ-friendly track so it could have slipped under the radar. Instead, it became a big track in our career with Oakenfold’s support for our original version and lots of attention for the excellent remix by Arkia.
                             

c)Best Single track of the year (only original versions)
SYNA: Heatbeat – Roses Never Cry. These guys have their own style, and we love the fact that their tracks are always different and don’t follow a specific formula. Roses Never Cry is a special track : it kicks ass but is still beautiful.
                                        

d)Your personal Best Single track of the year
SYNA: Syna vs Ayleon – Change. I’m happy that we decided to release this as a single, although we had plans to keep this to ourselves for a possible album in the future.
e)Best Remix  of the year
SYNA: Suspect 44 – Japanese Schoolgirls (PROFF remix), he did a great job on remixing one of the best prog tunes of the year.

                                     

f)Best Remix on personal production that you released  in 2011
SYNA: Syna vs Ayleon – Change (Arkia’s Motion Picture Remix). Arkia took on a difficult task to remix a 10-minute breakstranceprog-epic and made it completely his own. No wonder it was in USTM’s Top 5 trance list on November 2011.

g)Best Producer of the year in your style that you play or any other that you may like
SYNA: Heatbeat, we have big respect for these guys.

h)Best New Talent/Big hope for the coming years
SYNA: Lenno. This young Finnish dude is gonna be big, no doubt about it. A natural talent.

i)Best Remixer  of the year  on personal or others peoples tracks
SYNA: Tom Fall. He’s making banging tracks and remixes after another all the time.

j)Best Established  Label of the year(not started in 2011)
SYNA: Anjunadeep. Getting better all the time.

k)Best Newborn in 2011 label of the year
SYNA: I can’t think of any right now.

l)Best dance album and mixed compilation of the year in the style of music that you work with…
SYNA:  Album : Orkidea – 20, a great album with a true trance sound. Also, as a Finn, I have nothing but respect for this release : the cd came with a thick booklet that summarizes “the rave history of Finland” for the past 20 years. Essential reading and a smashing bunch of tunes.

Mixed compilation : Paul Oakenfold – We Are Planet Perfecto vol.1. Not just because our tune is in there lots of  great details in the mix, great new stuff and some classic tunes in new guises. Oakie’s still got it!
                                    

m)Best Music Video of the year(this can be personal/you are involved with or from other artists)
SYNA: Michael Cassette – Ghost in the Machine. I wish there would be more music videos in the EDM scene, especially stuff like this and not just recordings of DJ performances in front of big crowds. Cassette’s GITM is a real music video that fits the track excellently.
                                     
                                                  

n)Best social network of the year that has been amazing for the promotion of your work
SYNA: I don’t know. Facebook? :D

o)Best new software or hardware that was introduced in this year and you recommended it to others.
SYNA: BT’s  and iZotope’s Stutter Edit is a great tool to fiddle around with. It’s not for everybody, but I recommend trying it out without prejudice… Such fun!

p)Best and worst djing  or production  experience that happened in 2011
SYNA: Performing in Fantasia 2011 in Vaasa, Finland last August – a spa rave with around 1000 people having fun in swimming pools with massive light and sound equipment. It doesn’t get much better than that.

q)Best country that you performed this year
SYNA: We’ve only ever done gigs in Finland – it would be great to do some gigs abroad in 2012!


r)Best club or open air festival that you attended or you even  performed this year
SYNA: Provinssirock 2011 had Pendulum, DJ Shadow and a bunch of great EDM artists alongside legends like System of a Down… had a great time there this year.

s)Best hobby or other activity for 2011(game/movie/book/going to gym to keep fit  or any other hobby )
SYNA: Game of Thrones – the excellent HBO series plus the amazing books. Recommended!

t)Best radio show of the year and Best radio station that you always check out(fm or online)preferably that plays the kind of your music)
SYNA: DJ Orion’s Friday nights @ YleX (the Finnish BBC one, sort of) – a very important and enjoyable show.

u)Best online or ordinary record shop that you used to get your music of the year
SYNA: Beatport. My first stop for new stuff – loving the new look and feel.

v)Best CD player or any other equipment that you use for djing (this can include software for digital mixing)
SYNA: Akai APC40. Makes performing feel more intense and gives more control to steer the set into the right direction according to crowd reactions. Live remixing and sample fiddling makes it more like a game to perform live… just a great piece of HW.

w)Best vocalist in a dance track of the year
SYNA: I think Susana did a great job with the new version one of my fav trance tunes : “Home” ‘s vocals sounded even better with her than when it was done by Coast 2 Coast.
                                  
x)Best magazine or web site that you always check out for music related stuff(to read reviews/interviews/  and learn about technical equipment)
SYNA: Magneticmag.com – lots of good stuff in there, always current.

y)Best fan of your music of the year or best crowd in your performance(perhaps you don’t know the name but you can describe when you met or why you consider this person as your best fan of the year)
SYNA: The best crowd was in Fantasia 2011. No doubt about it.

z) Best thing you have done this year in order to support any social movement, charities, or other people that may need your help.
SYNA: Maybe the free lake cabin party that we threw for the supporters of our own little EDM organization, Konemusiikkiyhdistys RY.

Dimitri: Can you please let us know your plans for 2012 for your djing, productions or label?
SYNA: Syna is planning a couple of new release for the first half of 2012. We’re producing another track with Ayleon, and doing one with Laura Shea. We’re open for DJ and live gigs and have a few lined up already.

Dimitri: On the other side is it possible to tell us the track, album, artist/dj that you believe were the worst of the year and why?
SYNA: Naming something “the worst of the year” is not that constructive, so I think I’ll keep this kind of thoughts to myself.

Dimitri: Please give us your wishes for 2012 and your small piece of advice for anyone that reads this interview and aspires to get into music production, djing, or music production in general.

SYNA: I hope there will be more new groundbreaking artists and great events. The scene will always benefit from co-operation more than competing with one another, so I wish there will be mutual efforts from producers and promoters to push the envelope.

For aspiring producers and DJ’s, strive for originality and your own style – don’t just follow the beaten path. What the scene is always looking for is something fresh, so make your stuff your own and don’t ever give up.

Many thanks to Toni for finding the time to reply in my interview

Many thanks to Ville Lope for organizing this interview


, ,

13:53:00
  A classically trained musician since childhood, Jonas Stenberg moved on to compose EDM in the late 90's. The first releases came in 2003, with two tracks featured on Swedish trance compilations. Following this, Jonas started to develop his sound and taking it in a new direction, participating in movie score projects and blending different styles of EDM.

Besides music Jonas is finishing a degree in biotech engineering, this took him to Melbourne in 2007 where he studied and gathered new musical inspiration. After years of shaping his sound, Jonas became a resident on Marcel Woods' acclaimed Musical Madness imprint in 2008. Three releases under his belt so far at the label have been well received by DJs and audience. With tracks like 'Inducer', 'Enhancer' and 'Memories', his support list includes most of the regulars in the scene including Tiesto, Sander van Doorn and Marco V. Tracks are featured on the Trance Energy Compilations 2008 and 2009, including the Australian edition. Recent remixes include music from Marcel Woods, Jochen Miller, Heatbeat and Austin Leeds. Dark energy, powerful synthlines and percussive drive form three essential track elements.

His recently launched monthly podcast and radioshow 'The Stenberg Selection' sees a steadily growing list of regular listeners, enjoying the 60 minutes packed with his favourite club gems. After gigs already in Australia, Sweden, Germany and Holland he is now ready to entertain more crowds with his exciting sounds, mixing different styles of EDM in his sets that contain lots of exclusive and own material. Since he always is on the lookout for new sounds and tune approaches, we have only seen the tip of Stenberg's musical iceberg...
   Interview is written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias  Radio/Club Dj & Music Journalist



Dimitri:Do you consider 2011 as a positive, negative or neutral year for the progress of the Electronic Dance Music scene? 

  Jonas Stenberg: There is still progress and evolution all over the EDM scene so I think 2011 was again a big plus for us - the crowd is growing day by day...  
 
Dimitri: Do you believe that 2011 was a good , indifferent or bad year for the development of your personal career? 

  Jonas Stenberg:  Development is always a good thing, and I am happy with the direction that I have chosen now - next year will be very interesting I believe!                

 THE A to Z of the Best of the Year 2011.

   a) Best Full Release of the year(original & remixes) 
 Jonas Stenberg: Dirty South & Thomas Gold feat. Kate Elsworth - Alive, great combo of these two producers styles and a brilliant vocal top top it off!
       

b) Your personal Full release of the year
Jonas Stenberg: Jonas Stenberg - I Will Find You, actually my only full single release this year...but 2012 will make up for that ;)
                                    
                                                                
 c) Best Single track of the year (only original versions)
Jonas Stenberg: Swedish House Mafia vs. Knife Party - Antidote: what an absolute dancefloor bomb!
                                              
 d) Your personal Best Single track of the year
 Jonas Stenberg: Jonas Stenberg & Evol Waves pres. TTK - Go, a techno banger I created with Gigi that always goes down well in the sets.   
                                         
 
  f) Best Remix on personal production that you released  in 2011
 Jonas Stenberg: Jonas Stenberg - I Will Find You (Paul Ercossa Remix) , a really nice take on my original by Paul!

  g) Best Producer of the year in your style that you play or any other that you may like  
Jonas Stenberg: I love almost everything that that Maor Levi puts out! 

 h) Best New Talent/Big hope for the coming years  
Jonas Stenberg: Madeon is a really amazing new kid on the block! Daft Punk 2.0 ;)


  i) Best Remixer  of the year  on personal or others peoples tracks 
 Jonas Stenberg: Tommy Trash always spices up the originals with his nasty touch.

   j) Best Established  Label of the year(not started in 2011)  
Jonas Stenberg: Mau5trap delivers quality every time. Five thumbs up! 

  k) Best Newborn in 2011 label of the year  
Jonas Stenberg: I cannot think of any right now, sorry...

 l) Best dance album and mixed compilation of the year in the style of music that you work with… 
Jonas Stenberg: There were several solid ones this year... My choice falls on the Wolfgang Gartner album, Weekend In America. Love it!

 
m)Best Music Video of the year(this can be personal/you are involved with or from other artists)

  Jonas Stenberg: Duck Sauce - The Big Bad Wolf. You have to watch it. That is all.
                                                 
o) Best new software or hardware that was introduced in this year and you recommended it to others. 
Jonas Stenberg: KRK Ergo! Amazing acoustic room correction device that did wonders in my studio.   


p) Best and worst djing  or production  experience that happened in 2011
Jonas Stenberg:  Opening the Monday Bar Cruise Stockholm -> Riga in June was special, rarely do I get to play for my Swedish homies ;D  

q) Best country that you performed this year   
Jonas Stenberg: Loved all my gigs this year but Sunrise Festival in Kolobrzeg, Poland was extra special. Massive event!!

r) Best club or open air festival that you attended or you even  performed this year   
Jonas Stenberg: Ministry Of Sound needs no further explanation, played twice and loved it as always! To hear the residential building plans at Elephant & Castle were called off was easily the best club news of the year.

  s) Best hobby or other activity for 2011(game/movie/book/going to gym to keep fit  or any other hobby ) 
 Jonas Stenberg: The spring/autumn fishing trips with mates to Åland, an island near Sweden. Good times!

   t) Best radio show of the year and Best radio station that you always check out(fm or online)preferably that plays the kind of your music  
Jonas Stenberg: I rarely listen to radio shows these days. Attending more live (band) gigs instead!  

 u) Best online or ordinary record shop that you used to get your music of the year 
 Jonas Stenberg: Beatport has got what I need.   

v) Best CD player or any other equipment that you use for djing (this can include software for digital mixing)
  
Jonas Stenberg: The new DJM-900 mixer at Ministry Of Sound was great, can't wait to tweak it more next time.

  w) Best vocalist in a dance track of the year  
Jonas Stenberg: Katie Elsworth. Great job with Dirty South in Alive, she has an amazing voice and I'd love to work with her in the future.  

 x) Best magazine or web site that you always check out for music related stuff (to read reviews/interviews/  and learn about technical equipment)  
Jonas Stenberg: Future Music Magazine is always a nice read! Airport gate material. 
 y) Best fan of your music of the year or best crowd in your performance
Jonas Stenberg: Best fan hmmm..Ministry of Sound always packs a great crowd so when I play there they all feel like my best fans at that time. Cannot wait to return!
 
 z) Best thing you have done this year in order to support any social movement, charities, or other people that may need your help.  
  Jonas Stenberg: Applying for a charity half marathon run in Gothenburg taking place in May 2012. 


  Dimitri: Can you please let us know your plans for 2012 for your djing, productions or label?  

Jonas Stenberg: To get around five releases out before summer, then we will see! Planning to implement more live elements into my sets (loops, fx and so on).   


 Dimitri: On the other side is it possible to tell us the track, album, artist/dj that you believe were the worst of the year and why? 

Jonas Stenberg: If there were candidates for these things I must have suppressed it, nothing comes to mind right now.


Dimitri: Please give us your wishes for 2012 and your small piece of advice for anyone that reads this interview and aspires to get into music production, djing, or music production in general.

Jonas Stenberg: I hope to see all you readers somewhere around the world next year for good music times! Remember to always follow your real passion and do not allow opinions to change your mind.  

 Many thanks to Jonas for finding the time to reply in this interview

Many thanks to 2-dutch dj agency for their help to organise it: www.2-dutch.nl



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