Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts

03:26:00

Dimitri: Can you mention your biggest achievements in your music career in 2015? 

Alex: The biggest achievement in 2015 is definitely 'Blizzard' - the collab with my friend Reiklavik, which was released in one of my favourite label - Slideways Music. Getting an amazing remix from one of the hottest guys in the industry - Solid Stone is another dream which was reached. 2015 was marked by 'Blizzard'.



Dimitri: Do you like to cook? What is the best recipe that you cooked this year? If you don’t usually cook who is cooking it for you and which is your best food for 2015?

Alex: Hah, I'm really good at cooking to be honest. I really like trying new tastes, using recipes from my girlfriend. It's like pushing your boundries every time, especially if you are a man, because we are not practising it too much! 



Best of 2015 by Alex Rusin
1) Best Track: 
So many amazing tracks this year so it's really hard to choose, but one of them really stands out for me. Tim Penner feat. Amber Long - Everything to Everyone - loved it from the first listening. The tension, the story behind it, the darkness, the voice by Amber. Everything makes it so memorable.  




2) Best Artist (Dj & producer): 
Tim Penner , Sorry again, but Tim won this year in my opinion




3) Best Remix: 
Max Graham - Airtight (Tim Penner Remix) - how to remix a classic and make it even better? Work as hard as Tim did and you can see the result. So many changes in that track, but the pace is so consistent and you feel like driving on highway at night, speeding and watching the lights.  



4) Best Remixer: 
Martin Roth - he did few remixes, but I love his works. So atmospheric and deep.



5) Best New Talent (Dj or producer): 
Thomas Vink 



6) Best Electronic Music Album: 
Hard to choose, but Kolsch - 1983 or Guy J - The Trees, the Sea & the Sun with amazing Forever & Ever piece which always takes me to the city of Lyon, where I spent the most magical time of 2015. So the choice is Guy J, sorry Kolsch! :) 





7) Best Electronic Music Compilation: 
Anjunadeep 07 - so many awesome tunes, if you haven't heard it yet, please buy it and just listen! 



8) Best artwork/cover of an Album or Compilation: 
WSTLNDR - Atmostopia 



9) Best Lyrics in an Electronic Music track 
Whilk & Misky - Clap Your Hands(Solomun Remix) / Kölsch feat. Tomas Høffding – Bloodline





10) Best Vocalist/Singer featured on Electronic Music track: 
Lucy Iris from 16 Bit Lolitas tracks. I love hear voice so much, so delicate and romantic. 



11) Best Electronic Music Label: 
Anjunadeep 



12) Best Electronic Music Video: 
WSTLNDR - NYC - so sexy! 



13) Best Online Social media for communication with your fans: 
twitter.com 

14) Best music composition software: 
Ableton Live 

15) Best Dj set of the year from other fellow Dj: 
Tim Penner or Solid Stone set from Cycles 200. Both are amazing.



16) Best Radio show: 
Cycles Radio - Max is delivering amazing episodes after changing his direction to more techy/housy and the show is always inspirational for me. But I want to tell also about Slideways Music by Tim Penner, because I found his speeches at the beginning of the shows really helpful. And followed by amazing music every episode is worth listening. 



17) Best Radio station: 
Di.fm 

18) Best Online Record shop that you purchase your music: 
beatport.com 



19) Best tip that you learnt this year for your Djing techniques or music composition:
I've learned some tips from Tim Penner and it's about knowing how to destroy the sound to make it sound even better and interesting in the track. Thank you man. 

20) Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career in 2015: 
Work hard, never give up and work on your sound to make it more professional and interesting. Stand out and remember that every artists has worse and better times. You're not alone in that. 

21) Best hobby or activity that you spent a lot of time in 2015: 
Honestly, making music. It's my hobby and passion and I love every second(believe me, there were a lot of seconds in 2015) of working on my stuff!

22) Best holiday destination for 2015 that you manage to visit this year either to relax or to perform in a club or festival:
I visited Albania this year and the time was magical. Mountains surrounded by the sea is something worth driving 2000km! 

23) Best Movie of the year that may inspire you to compose a track: 
Lost River - a direction debut by Ryan Gosling. The movie has 'that' dark vibe, haunting and mysterious feeling which led me to create a track with same groove. It's not released yet, but who knows what will happen in 2016? :) 



Dimitri: Finally, 2016 is ahead of us would you like to tell your plans with your future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, Dj gigs.

Alex: As 2015 was a huge year for me in terms of change, I'm trying to get accustomed to high load of work, running between university and office and what is the most important, find time for my woman and for the passion. I'm working on some EPs for the beginning of 2016 with amazing Guy J prog house vibe which includes track about Lyon and all my memories from there and another summery EP with the tracks inspired by my woman, Anna. Also I started working on secret project, which maybe will be unveiled in the late 2016. Another collab with Reiklavik is going to happen also, and we'll be working with Andromedha to release a little bit Prydish/Olander/Rusin/Andromedha feeling EP. I'm also trying to create a new series of events in Cracow which will be all about progressive/techno. 

I feel really motivated and want to use the beginning of the New Year to recreate my sound, change samples and make my tunes sound better. 

Be sure to follow me on social pages, because I a lot will happen in the near future!



Thanks to Alex Rusin for finding the time to reply in this interview

Thanks to Basil O’Glue for organising this interview

Additional info:
www.alexrusin.com (under works) 

23:54:00

The stunning warm progressive tracks and the more uplifting mainstage bangers have the signature of the upcoming talent Thomas  Hayes from Australia. His tracks Neon and Golden on Enhanced recordings have been in the playlists of the most important DJs  and producers and as it seems the future is bright for this very inventive artist who has ability to compose memorable melodies and infectious harmonies that mesmerise any audience in every part of the world. I'm super glad that Thomas Hayes has accepted to answer in my request for an interview and here you can read it exclusively! Thanks so much to Rory from Enhanced music for arranging it! 



Interview is written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias, Music journalist and radio host at 1mix radio.


Dimitri: Let’s start with basics. I wonder why you choose to get into producing and djing electronic music. When and under which circumstances you took this decision and does that changed your whole life?

Thomas: Back when I was in high school I developed a love for electronic music, listening to it every day on the way to school on the bus with my friends. One summer holidays I was quite bored and decided to find out how to make it! To put it simple, the love just grew from there!

Dimitri: Are you 100% self-taught producer or you have attended music engineering courses? 

Thomas: I am indeed 100% self-taught. Of course I've watched many tutorials online but have never been involved in any formal education relating to music production.

Dimitri: Do you think that you can distinguish between the tracks that are produced from self-taught producers with those ones produced by professional music engineers? If yes can you give us examples of both cases that you may be aware of?

Thomas: No I don’t think you can. Some of my favourite artists mix their own music from their own studios and it sounds amazing. In the modern age almost everything is in the box so anyone who wants to put in the hours practising can get some pretty amazing results.



Dimitri: Which track was your first ever release and on which label? How did you manage to attract the attention of the label and now that you listen this track again do you think sounds still great or it needs improvements?

Thomas: My first release was actually a remix. I contacted that label (TCD Recordings) with an original but they were too late to get back to me as the track had already been signed somewhere else. They decided to give me a remix instead. The track is certainly quite armature both mixing and production wise but I’m still happy with the melodies! 



Dimitri: Can you describe the software and hardware you use to produce your tracks?

Thomas: Ableton Live, a midi keyboard (novation impulse 49), my amazing headphones (DT 990 PROs) and all the plugins you can expect to find in the box.

Dimitri: Are you 100% producer and dj or do you have another daytime job as well? What other jobs have you practised until now?

Thomas: I'm actually a lifeguard! I work casually in a couple of different places as something on the side of all my music stuff.



Dimitri: Your previous single Neon is considered to be one of the big anthems that moves in prog house and prog trance scenes. Did you expect the big success and do you think the success is because of the melody or the vocal?

Thomas: I really didn't, in the beginning I wasn't even sure if I wanted to send the track in!! Luckily Will Holland saw the potential. We got it to Joni and the rest was history. I think both components are really important but there’s no doubting Joni’s amazing vocals really took the track to another level!



Dimitri: Can you describe to us the step that you took to produce your latest release Golden with Kyler England on vocals? How long it took you to produce it? How did you manage to hook up with Kyler and have you actually met her?

Thomas: I actually received the vocal first through my label. It took me around a month and a half all up as we went through the process of getting it ready for release; I had to take in notes from people like Kyler to Dave from Tritonal. I haven’t met her but we had a great chat over skype!



Dimitri: The lyrics both on Neon and Golden are truly different from the usual ones. Do you actually search for lyrics that are not stating the obvious? Do you have any other lyrics from other songs that you admire?

Thomas: I like to work with fantastic song writers and lyricists. In both project I actually had no influence at all on the lyrics but as soon as I heard both the vocal from Neon and Golden I instantly fell in love.



Dimitri: Can you pick up for us the best track, artist, remixer and remix of 2015?

Thomas:  

Best Track – Jason Ross & Wreschiski – Atlas 



Best Artist – Above & Beyond



Best Remixer: Alex Klingle – He’s put out some fantastic mixes this year.. maybe he’ll do one for me one day! ;)



Dimitri: You have performed in the Enhanced tour in Australia along with Estiva, Juventa, LTN. Would you like you to share your experience of this tour? Any story that we may don’t know?

Thomas: I did! It was fantastic to finally meet some of the artists of the label. We danced like idiots backstage when a DJ who played after us was playing really crazy high tempo stuff! I guess that’s a cool story? haha



Dimitri: Latest DJ appearance at the Stereosonic festival. Did you enjoy playing there and what tracks that you played stand out during your set? Did you check other fellow DJs?

Thomas: Absolutely! Stereosonic is an amazing festival and being able to play on a fantastic stage as I did alongside some many great artists is truly an amazing thing. I had a very busy day talking to lots of different people and managing my Instagram takeover for enhanced. However, I caught Andrew Bayer’s set and it was incredible.

As for my set, hearing ‘Golden’ on the big sound system for the first time was certainly the highlight for me!



Dimitri: Your latest selection was broadcasted on radio station and in your facebook have commented that this was your dream. I wonder if it is still hard for electronic music to get plays in big radio stations in Australia and why you may think that this happens.

Thomas: It absolutely is very different, my music has been really well received in the US and Europe which I think is due to the DJs who support it. Australia isn't quite as accepting just yet but who knows what will happen if the future.. 



Dimitri: Also on your facebook you have a very nice blog entry about the difficulty to make a leaving as producer. Overall do you feel optimistic or pessimistic for your music career and are you determined to go against all odds to make it?

Thomas: I try not to think about it any more. I think that when you start putting all this pressure on yourself the music suffers. I want to focus on my music, do everything I can to be a great artist and whatever happens will happen! If it’s not about the love for music, it’s not worth doing.

Dimitri: You are very active in your social networks. How many hours do you spend on them and do you see this engagement to pay off and be worthwhile? Do you have some kind of proof for that?

Thomas: It’s tough to say really, as a producer who wants to get his music out there; you don’t really have a choice. Promotion (unfortunately) is a huge part of being successful so you've got to do it. I certainly get a lot of messages from fans who really appreciate my music, hearing this is definitely helpful for keeping me inspired and knowing I'm doing the right things with my music. Hours wise I'm really not sure, probably more than I should be!!



Dimitri: 2016 is coming very soon. Would you like to tell us about your future tracks and future plans? Are we going to see you performing soon in Europe?

Thomas: I can’t say anything yet about new music aside from that there may be a collaboration I'm really excited about in the work. I have been working hard and I think it will be a very exciting year! Touring wise, no plans as of yet but should the opportunity arise I’ll be sure to jump on it with open arms!!

Dimitri: Many thanks for your time, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2016

Thomas: You’re welcome, thank you for the questions. You as well!



Additional info:
https://www.facebook.com/thomashayesmusic
https://twitter.com/thomashayesdj
https://soundcloud.com/thomashayesmusic
▼ Connect with Enhanced:
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13:54:00

Dimitri: Can you mention your biggest achievements in your music career in 2015?

Fisherman & Hawkins: That would be the big support on our collab United with Gal Abutbul and our gig in Ibiza alongside other Coldharbour artists.



Dimitri: Do you like to cook? What is the best recipe that you cooked this year? If you don’t usually cook who is cooking it for you and which is your best food for 2015?

Isaac: Definitely my home made Spanish pasta. With pennes, tomato frito, minced beef, Spanish pepper powder and lots of garlic.

Rob: Moms spicy food, as long as it burns.



                                                             Best of 2015 by Fisherman & Hawkins
1) Best Track:
Sorry, too hard to choose haha, so we give you two:

Eric Prydz – Generate



Markus Schulz feat. Delacy - Destiny



2) Best Artist (Dj & producer):
Markus Schulz has had an insane good year. So many big tracks he has released. The guy has been a machine. Lots of respect!



We also don’t want to forget to mention Eric Prydz again as we love everything he did this year too. He’s on fire!



3) Best Remix:
Markus Schulz – The New World (Fisherman & Hawkins Remix) ;)



4) Best Remixer:
Ilan Bluestone, Fehrplay





5) Best New Talent (Dj or producer):
Not really new, but Nifra has had some nice moments of shine this year. If you hear her play you will agree as she can mix like a pro.



6) Best Electronic Music Album:
Not really an album but we enjoyed Pryda I, II and III a lot



7) Best Electronic Music Compilation:
A State Of Trance 2015, Mixed by Armin van Buuren



8) Best Lyrics in an Electronic Music track:
All of the love we generate 
The only thing that carries me on 
There's nothing we need that it can't create

9) Best Vocalist/Singer featured on Electronic Music track:
Delacey in Destiny with Markus Schulz



10) Best Electronic Music Label:
Coldharbour Recordings



11) Best Online Social media for communication with your fans:
Twitter

12) Best Twitter or Facebook message or Instagram message you received from a fan or friend or you have read on someone else’s account:
Too many to choose from. We get sooo many cool and nice messages weekly!

13) Best music composition software:
Revealed’s plugin Spire really inspired us this year.

14) Best Club Event or Open Air Festival:
ASOT, Transmission and Tomorrowland







15) Best personal Dj Gig:
Playing after Markus Schulz at Privilege Ibiza was stunning last summer.

16) Best Dj set of the year from other fellow Dj:
Markus Schulz at Electronic Family

17) Best country that you have visited to perform with the most up for it crowd:
Montreal, Canada. That crowd didn’t want us to end at all!

18) Best Radio show:
Global DJ Broadcast and ASOT





19) Best Radio station:
3FM



20) Best Online Record shop that you purchase your music:
Beatport

21) Best music related website that you visit frequently:
wundergroundmusic.com

22) Best Smart phone/Mobile phone device:
Nexus6 by Motorola



23) Best Dj equipment (software or hardware):
Everything by Pioneer

24) Best new sound or sample that has been used in Electronic Music this year perhaps introduced first by you?
That soulful Prydz sound!

25) Best tip that you learnt this year for your Djing techniques or music composition:
How to play the right music right before a big headliner ;)



26) Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career in 2015:
That we have to stay true to our sound.

27) Best hobby or activity that you spent a lot of time in 2015:
Watching a lot of series and play football

28) Best holiday destination for 2015 that you manage to visit this year either to relax or to perform in a club or festival:
Ibiza again please! That island is lovely!

29) Best Electronic Music magazines in printed form not online:
DJ Mag

30) Best Movie of the year that may inspire you to compose a track:
Mad Max

31) Best online/PC/video game of the year that you have played this year:
FIFA15

32) Best joke you heard this year related to electronic music:
People saying trance is dead ;)



Dimitri: Finally, 2016 is ahead of us would you like to tell your plans with your future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, Dj gigs.

Fisherman & Hawkins: We are working on a few collabs right now with cool people, and our very first vocal track is close to be finished as well. Besides that we have a few new instrumentals coming up that will surely set your dancefloor on fire. On behalf of DJ gigs we have a few nice gigs lined-up which we will announce pretty soon ;) 

Many thanks to Fisherman & Hawkins for finding the time to reply to this interview.

Many thanks to Tim at Coldharbour recordings for organising this interview.

Additional info:

20:45:00

Dimitri: Can you mention your biggest achievements in your music career in 2015? 

Holbrook & SkyKeeper: Well, first of all we are proud that this year we had a lot of requests from promoters and a bunch of performances so we got more experience on the stage. Regarding to production we kept working on both of our styles (bigroom trance and progressive trance), unfortunately not using anything supernatural, but introducing new sounds and tricks. As a result of working on our stuff we can assure that this year our sound became more solid, juicier and stronger! 

Dimitri: Do you like to cook? What is the best recipe that you cooked this year? If you don’t usually cook who is cooking it for you and which is your best food for 2015?

H: As for me the burgers are the food of the year. Especially BBQ burgers!

S: For me that was BBQ rib eye steak which I cooked with my girlfriend!



                                        Best of 2015 by Holbrook & SkyKeeper

1) Best Track: 
H: Kolsch Feat. Tomas Høffding - Bloodline, Sundrowner - Titans, Markus Schulz Feat. Delacey - Destiny







S: Guy J - Nirvana, Jamie XX - SeeSaw, Basil O'Glue - Will To Believe 





2) Best Artist (Dj & producer): 
H: Solid Stone, Philthy Chit





S: Guy J, Jamie XX 





3) Best Remix: 
H: Tim Penner Feat. Amber Long - Forgive Me (Solid Stone Remix), Navar - Clean Sights (Gvozdini Remix), Platunoff - Again, I Pass You (Holbrook & SkyKeeper Remix)







S: Solid Stone - Morphine (Michael A Remix), Dusky - Skin Deep (Global Communication Remix), Yahel & Eyal Barkan - Voyage (Eelke Kleijn Remix) 







4) Best Remixer: 
Solid Stone 



5) Best New Talent (Dj or producer):
H: Sundrowner 



6) Best Electronic Music Album: 
H: Madonna - Rebel Heart, SmokeFishe - All Things About You, Saycet - Mirage





S: Guy J - The Trees, the Sea & the Sun, Jamie XX - In Clour, Rudimental - We the Generation 





7) Best Electronic Music Compilation: 
Ministry Of Sound: Trance Nation (Mixed By Markus Schulz) 



8) Best artwork/cover of an Album or Compilation: 
H: Kölsch - 1983



S: Lane8 - Rise



9) Best Lyrics in an Electronic Music track:
H: Kolsch Feat. Tomas Høffding - Bloodline



S: Beat Service & Ana Criado - An Autumn Tale



10) Best Vocalist/Singer featured on Electronic Music track: 
H: Tomas Høffding

S: Ana Criado



11) Best Electronic Music Label: 
H: Perfecto Black



S: Lost & Found 

12) Best Electronic Music Video: 
H: Carly Rae Jepsen - I Really Like You 



13) Best Online Social media for communication with your fans: 
Facebook, Vkontakte 

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: 
Probably this lovely one: "Two of the best in trance, I love you guys!

15) Best music composition software: 
Ableton Live 9, FL Studio 12, Reveal Sound Spire, Serum, NI Massive 

16) Best Club Event or Open Air Festival: 
Burning Man (USA, Black Rock Desert) 



17) Best personal Dj Gig: 
Open Space" with Ben Nicky in "Forsage Club" in Kiev, Ukraine 

18) Best DJ set of the year from other fellow DJ: 
Lee Burridge - Essential Mix (2015-09-05), Maceo Plex - Essential Mix (205-11-07) 




19) Best Radio show: 
H: Pete Tong - The Essential Selection

S: Dirty Owl, Vusevich - Logika Ritma 

20) Best Radio station: 
H: BBC Radio 1

S: Frisky Radio

21) Best Online Record shop that you purchase your music: 
Beatport 

22) Best Smart phone/Mobile phone device: 
iPhone 6 and Instagram 



23) Best DJ equipment (software or hardware): 
Pioneer CDJ-2000NXS, Pioneer DJM-900NXS, Ableton Live 9, Serato, NI Traktor Pro 2 

24) Best hobby or activity that you spent a lot of time in 2015: 
H: Workout, skiing

S: Running and swimming 

25) Best holiday destination for 2015 that you manage to visit this year either to relax or to perform in a club or festival:
H: Mountains in the western part of Ukraine and Central Europe

S: Are you guys’ crazy? There is an economic crisis in Russia: D 



Dimitri: Finally, 2016 is ahead of us would you like to tell your plans with your future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, DJ gigs.

Holbrook & SkyKeeper: Well, a lot of stuff is coming in winter including original tracks and remixes, we are also going to make a collab with an artist we really like right now. We also hope to get new labels next year to see ourselves in other styles of EDM! 

Many thanks to Holbrook and Skykeeper for replying to this interview.

Many thanks to Basil O'Glue at Saturate Audio for organising this interview.


Additional info:

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