Genesis" also means the first release of Michel Westerhoff on Above All Records and they are very happy to present you this stunning uplifting Trancer!
We catch up with Michel to talk about Genesis and his career in trance and you can read here his answers.
Dimitri: When did you start your involvement with electronic dance music and which music style you are more affiliated with and why?
Michel: I started with making music when I was 16 years old. (1996) Back then with Fasttracker II. After a couple of years I quieted and it was 2013 when I started to pick up my music hobby again. I Always liked Trance music because its emotion. It must be uplifting! Its that euphoric feeling.
Dimitri: Did you had the opportunity to attend any kind of music production course or are u completely self taught? Do you consider that is essential for any artist to complete any production course?
Michel: Both, I followed production lessons at DJ school in Utrecht and of course YouTube but also online at Sonicacademy and other online courses.
Dimitri: In which label was your first ever release and how did you manage to attract the attention of the label?
Michel: I released a lot of tracks at Se7enth Fury Grammaton Records , they found me at Soundcloud and offered me to release my first track For You. My latest track Genesis is released at Above All Records.
Dimitri: Can you pick for us your Top 5 tracks that you have produced and you consider them as being highly important for the progress of your career indifferent if they were commercially successful.
Michel:
1: Genesis
2: Invictus
3: Digital Drop
4: Blue Lagoon
5: For You (my first released track)
Dimitri: Let's focus on your latest release called Genesis. Please tell us from where did you got the inspiration for the track?
Michel: Well... I always start with the melody. The melody must reach your hearth. When the track is almost done I'm trying to find a name for it. In this case the feeling it gave me reminded me of Genesis (Bible) when God created everything.
Dimitri: How long it took you to produce Genesis and was an easy or difficult process?If you have faced any difficulties please tell us about them and how did you resolved them?
Michel: Sometimes I just remove half the track because it's going no where :-) When creating Genesis I did that too. Removing stuff completely will overcome a writers block in some cases. producing music is a non-stopping learning curve. Every production must be better then the last one.
Dimitri: Which was the biggest challenge that you faced during the production of this superb track?
Michel: My slow macbook hahaha. When creating a track I reach about 110 regions in my DAW (Logic pro X) and my Macbook is not a fast one. Its a real struggle.
Dimitri: Can you describe to us the steps that you went through the production of this track and of any other track?
Michel: First I create the melody and break. After that I arrange the track from beginning to end. Then I create a kick and bassline and drums/percussion, ambients. At the end I Introduce the FX like downlifters/uplifters. FX are only intended to make the track bigger, that's why I introduce them in the end.
Dimitri: When the track finished did the label accepted it as it was produced or did the label recommend you to do some changes or fix certain things?
Michel: The label was enthusiastic about it, I only had to deliver a separate radio edit.
Dimitri: Is Genesis an original composition or is it based on a template from another track produced from you or another producer?
Michel: It's an original composition, I didn't use a template. I do like the trance tracks from Allen Watts a lot so his tracks are a big inspiration to my own productions.
Dimitri: Is the quality of Genesis higher than your previous one? If yes in what ways this track sounds better than your previous one?
Michel: Yes I think so. my previous release Blue Lagoon is nice but the main melody (leads) are not so strong in my opinion. Genesis has both good leads and a good drive.
Dimitri: Do you have any friends or relatives that you send them the track before sending it to a label? If yes did you have to do any alterations as a result of the crowd reaction?
Michel: No really, I try to do everything myself. I do receive valuable feedback from the masterer. I Always adjust my track after his feedback.
Dimitri: Please describe to us the studio that you have produced Genesis? What is your favourite hardware and software set up? Do you have in mind any new gear that you wish to get in order to raise the quality of your production?
Michel: I produce all tracks with headphones, I do have a studio at the attic but I only mix down my tracks there when they are almost done.
I use Logic Pro X as DAW and plugins I use a lot are Spire/Kontakt/Zebra2/MAAG4/ WAVES plugins/Volumeshaper etc.. My studio at the attic has a pair of Yamaha HS8's.
Dimitri: Do you master the track yourself or the mastering is task for the record label? Do you understand mastering as being essential?
Michel: Mastering is done by AMPM Audio (Andy Mac Dougall) Mastering is something else... A real profession on its own. A masterer hears my production for the first time, this is one of the most important advantages. After I'm done with the mix I have heard it for around 150 times... after a while your ears cant hear these things anymore.
Dimitri: There is a growing trend of vinyl coming back for good. Would you like to see this track released on vinyl or any other of your future tracks? Do you prefer digital files or vinyl?
Michel: Well... I don't DJ, I only produce at the moment. So I dont care :-)
Dimitri: Do you have any future releases planned and when will be released?
Michel: Currently I'm really busy with a new track. Almost done!
Dimitri: Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career so far and best tip you learnt recently to make your tracks better.
Michel: Always finish your tracks, try to figure out which elements you want to improve on, make your new track better. Keep learning.
Dimitri: Please give us here your tips or more elaborated advice for any new artists who may read this interview and wish to get involved with the electronic music industry.
Fresh sounds from the studio of Zerotonine! His crossover style led to this Progressive Trance track "Polaris" where his crisp sounds and driving vibe will make you melt!
Supported by Cosmic Gate & Roger Shah, out now on Above Allternative / Above All
We are super happy that Zerotonine has accepted the challenge to answer to our interview and definitely his answers are must read for fans of electronic music and aspiring music artists as well.
Dimitri: When did you start your involvement with electronic dance music and which music style you are more affiliated with and why?
Zerotonine: After a few of my friends and family started to give me more and more positive feedback on the music I made back in the day I decided to take the next step and follow my passion. Since 2011 I started to really work on my skills in FLStudio, which I already fooled around with since Fruityloops version 3 which was in 2001. From 2011 onwards, after being inspired at festivals like Tomorrowland, Hardwell's - I Am Hardwell, and DVLM's Bring Home The Madness 1, 2 & 3 shows in Antwerp I was infected by that genre and picked up the pace. Back then I was mainly producing Bigroom / EDM.
Dimitri: Did you had the opportunity to attend any kind of music production course or are u completely self taught? Do you consider that is essential for any artist to complete any production course?
Zerotonine: Completely self taught, I'm the type of guy that cannot sleep until I get devices or techniques or applications to run the way I want them to run or behave. If it is my motorbike that needs some tuning my PC that needs a tweak or my DAW and VST's that I need to learn by heart to get the sound I want, it doesn't matter, I will dig deep into how things work. Side-chaining to get a groove right, compression to get the loudness and richness it needs, eq'ing and mixing to make it release worthy. In the end it's all about a bit of talent and technique, and techniques can be learned. These days Youtube tutorials really speed up the learning process which in my case was helping me out a lot. Zen World, KSHMR and even Jordy Dazz his streams were all sponged by me which eventually led to tracks worthy to release. A production course can help of course but these days all the knowledge you need to produce is for grasps online, if you search for it right and dig deeper. The music production industry is a perfect eco system for meeting friend producers and sharing knowledge, I always refer to it like riding my motorbike, bikers wave to each other when you pass them by on the highway, in the music industry the same behaviour applies.
Dimitri: In which label was your first ever release and how did you manage to attract the attention of the label?
Zerotonine: Blackout, which was my actual first release back in 2016, was published via RouteNote, which does not distribute to Beatport so to get there I started to connect to more and more producers via some facebook EDM Bedroom producer groups / pages to actually learn and understand how to properly release a track in this industry.
My first actual Beatport (label) release BackSlash was signed by Stell Recordings, a label that I found via a good producer friend of mine that told me about labelbase.net and the way he got off the ground. Labelbase.net is a good place to start when you have zero connections and need the email addresses of A&R's willing to listen and connect with you. How I managed to attract the attention? Well I tried to make the best Mastered version possible back then of my track BackSlash, and together with a Presskit with my story and some pictures in PDF format I sent it to the Stell Recordings A&R's email address and things started to roll. They contacted me and actually offered me my first contract.
Dimitri: Please pick for us your Top 5 tracks that you have produced and you consider them as being highly important for the progress of your career indifferent if they were commercially successful.
Zerotonine: I made hundreds of tracks to begin with before my top 5 releases. But my first track, Blackout, was the one that gave me that kind of euphoric feeling after it was finished, it was something special and still is, to me for sure.
You take a listen again and again and put it aside. And if after some weeks the track still sounds interesting and when it still gets you off your feet that is ' the sign' your 'cue' to get it out into the world, at least with me that was the case. For me that is the moment to start sharing your track with other producers, friends and family and see how they react. If it's good it's good, if the feedback is not good, thank them for being frank with you and listen to that advice. Use that feedback to keep pushing yourself to do better, to nail that proper release in the future. Every producer I know has had that feeling of their first and newborn tracks, that they are huge and will do good for sure.., but face it all of the tracks we make in our first years around sound good to our own ears, but are really really crap compared to the industry standards. But if you keep pushing you will eventually reach some milestones. BackSlash was my second release, same story, it gave me a good feeling and vibe to share.
My tracks Viper, Shankara and FckdUP! same story there, I eventually signed them to another label after some feedback on the projects by their A&R, raising the bar some more and learning more about the tricks in producing and releasing. No idea of what the reach would be, I just kept pushing to get my releases out there.
Dimitri: Let's focus on Polaris out on Above Allternative sub label of Above All. Please tell us from where did you got the inspiration for the track?
Zerotonine: My latest release Polaris was actually a project that I worked on, on and off. I started with making the arp bassline and the chord progression after listening to some of Paul van Dyk's Vonyc Sessions tracks, don't remember the exact ones actually, I listen to them when I am out for a walk of riding home from work. I wanted to focus more and more on trance, because of the fact that I find trance to be more like melodic and emotional. Arrangement-wise it gives you room to tell a kind of story when set up properly. Which is in some way different compared to the 'everybody fu^*king jump', hands in the air kind of production value of most bigroom setups. So yeah Paul van Dyk's Vonyc sessions really got me inspired to make this release, thanks for that Paul ;-) #legend
Dimitri: How long it took you to produce Polaris and was an easy or difficult process?If you have faced any difficulties please tell us about them and how did you resolved them?
Zerotonine: Well I just checked the actual project time (lovely functionality in FL Studio) it reads 17 hours and some minutes but over the course of 8 to 10 weeks I guess, around that amount of time. I made some side versions which I saved as a new project so it could be a few hours more actually not sure there, but lets say 8 to 10 weeks in the end of last year 2017. The basic elements of the track were there quite quickly actually, but to me it needed some proper elements and fx, proper eq'ing to get the mix right, and some arrangement detail changes to really nail it. Finally I did the mastering on it too which took a few hours as well. But with the proper mastering vst's these days, some good ears (after some good rest) and by using proper monitors + sub and a pair of headphones (Love the BeyerDynamic DT770 Pro's) it is possible to get the quality needed and necessary RMS/LUFS values. It's always a matter of personal taste and that of the A&R but after 6 years of producing a few hours spent on mastering should do the trick, don't go crazy and don't let your ears fool you.
Dimitri: Which was the biggest challenge that you faced during the production of this superb track?
Zerotonine: The 'biggest' challenge? Hmm let me see, there really was no super 'big' challenge during production, I had a lot of fun making it. Come to think of it, a challenge was maybe to find the best label for the track to eventually release it I guess. What I did know is that with this track for which I received a lot of positive feedback from my surroundings I wanted to try and take a leap from the current labels I was signed to. I needed to get out of my comfort zone because in my life I''ve learnt that nothing grows there. So with that at stake I started to share and discuss ideas for releasing Polaris with different A&R's and friends I met in the industry so far, asking them for advice, A&R's especially, they know how the business works and first and foremost they know how to find each other too, genre-wise / production value-wise. In this process I learned a lot, it's all about connections and being kind to them, helping them out and eventually they will help you out too, it's a simple question of give and take fuelled by a passion we have in common. Put in the effort to get something back. A&R George Anthony Ray (Midnight Coast / Abstract Label-group) gave me some good pointers to raise the production value of the track a bit more. George listened to it and came up with the suggestion that Above All Records has got this kind of vibe going on their roster, the kind of vibe which Polaris possesses. Finally Above All Records, run by Matthijs Duijm and Janco Krale gave me a warm welcome and offered me a contract. And as they say the rest is history.
Dimitri: Can you describe to us the steps that you went through the production of this track and of any other track?
Zerotonine: For me it is never a certain amount or certain steps that I take, for me it is about having fun just jamming and playing on my keyboard, recording midi, ditching it, reworking it. For me it's starts with setting up some vst's and proper sounds via presets and tweaking them to my likings to get things going. Sometimes it's a melody that comes first, sometimes it's a nasty bassline that kickstart's things. During this process I use my personal template (grown through the years) in which I can quickly assign the channels to my mixer and eq'ing & fx'ing them etc. When I have a certain pattern that sounds good to me I start to work on the arrangement. And after the arrangement is there is start to work on the final mixing process followed by mastering to polish it up. The mixing part being the toughest and most precise piece of the puzzle.
Dimitri: When Polaris finished did the label accepted it as it was produced or did the label recommend you to do some changes or fix certain things?
Zerotonine: In the case of Polaris, Matthijs listened to it and asked me to make an extra radio edit, because he already liked the Club / DJ version of Polaris.
Dimitri: Is Polaris an original composition or is it based on a template from another track produced from you or another producer?
Zerotonine: It is a 100% original.
Dimitri: Is the quality of Polaris higher than your previous one? If yes in what ways this track sounds better than your previous one?
Zerotonine: The mixing and mastering maybe a bit better than earlier releases I guess. The feedback I get these days is of a more professional level too for sure which helps adding more dynamics or to push the quality. But for a producer I think the hardest part is to choose the right moment to stop and release a track. In fact it is never done, you can always improve a track to try and make it better, it's that good old 80-20 rule. You can burn so much of your time in that final 20%, or you can say, the heck with it, let's release it!
Dimitri: Do you have any friends or relatives that you send them the track before sending it to a label? If yes did you have to do any alterations as a result of the feedback you get?
Zerotonine: I have a few DJ friends that test my releases for me now and then and yes they give me feedback that I then use to make changes. But for Polaris this was not the case, I let my (producer) friends and the A&R's verdicts come naturally.
Dimitri: Describe to us the studio that you have produced Polaris? What is your favourite hardware and software set up? Do you have in mind any new gear that you wish to get in order to raise the quality of your production?
Zerotonine: I have one room in our house set up as my permanent studio, which is not acoustically treated even but has no big issues, it doesn't really need bass traps etc. Over the last 6 years I kind of got to know how my home setup sounds and I started to trust my monitors and headphones and a handful of reference devices. My most important reference devices are actually my car, and my trusty iphone earbuds which are unforgiving when it comes to a nailing that final mixdown. I am using FL-Studio on a bootcamped iMac 27" together with the Focusrite Forte soundcard, a pair of KRK RP6 3G's combined with a KRK 10S sub (that I can disable and enable). Besides that i'm using the ATH MX50's and my other and favourite set of headphones the BeyerDynamics DT770's 250ohm version connected to a SMSL headphone amp (Thanks to Michael aka Unimi for giving me the advice) for my final mixdown and mastering reference gear. You actually do not need all of this to raise or up the quality of your tracks, but having them and getting to know them and especially trusting your setup is the most valuable and important part. There is no 100% monster setup i think, and there never will be I guess. It is all about what you do with it.
Dimitri: Do you master the track yourself or the mastering is task for the record label? Do you understand mastering as being essential?
Zerotonine: It is very essential, it is a craft based on techniques and techniques can be learned. I read many books on mastering, the best one is hands down written by Michel Holtgreve (DJ GreyHawk). You need good ears too, and a proper interpretation of what you hear. Your ears are like compressors, during long production sessions your ears can fool you, as long as you know that and take a good rest to prevent ear fatigue you are good. If you doubt your own mastering skills, get in contact with some local mastering engineers, they are there if you look for them, the one around the block here is DaGoose, Jeffrey de Gans, super nice guy, super knowledgeable.
Dimitri: There is a growing trend of vinyl coming back for good. Would you like to see this track released on vinyl or any other of your future tracks? Do you prefer digital files or vinyl?
Zerotonine: Digital or Analogue vinyl are both ok to me, i like the fact that the physical aspect is on its return, I guess we people just like to collect physical stuff. The good thing of vinyl coming back is the bigger space you get for the artwork to shine!
Dimitri: Do you have any future releases planned and when will be released?
Zerotonine: I have a few lined up for release later this year, next one up will be released around the summer.
Dimitri: Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career so far and best tip you learnt recently to make your tracks better.
Zerotonine: Closely listen to the feedback you get, take every bit of feedback seriously. Use your networking skills, connect to as many people in the industry as you can. Fact: not one single top 10 artist has made it solely on it's own, it's your connections that make the magic happen or at least give you a better shot.
Dimitri: Can you share here your tips or more elaborated advice for any new artists who may read this interview and wish to get involved with the electronic music industry.
Zerotonine: Do it for the fun of it based on your passion. It will take at least 6-10 years of your life to produce properly if you do the grind right. Don't think you are there, you are never there, keep innovating and producing. Don't let anyone discourage you along the way, and trust me discouragements will come, even from the ones you least expect it from, just talk about it and move on, remember it's your passion. People outside the EDM industry do not care or know anything about your passion, take that into consideration when you are having a chat with them about your passion, forgive them, they are unconscious about the subject, don't hate them for it ;-) just smile. There will be sacrifices along the way, at these moments, take a breather and go on with your plan. And connect, connect, connect. Cheers.
Thanks so much to Zerotonine for sharing his insights and valuable knowledge with us.
Thanks to Above All Records crew for organising this interview.
HamzeH is one to watch in 2018! After successful releases on Above All Records and Suanda, supported by Armin van Buuren his new tune "Phantom" is the next in line to capture the dancefloors!
Dimitri: When did you start your involvement with electronic dance music and which music style you are more affiliated with and why?
HamzeH: I've started my journey as a musician / producer at the age of 17, Anyone who knows me know how much of a fan of Trance music I am, so I'm mainly oriented to producing Trance music.
Dimitri: Did you had the opportunity to attend any kind of music production course or are u completely self taught? Do you consider that is essential for any artist to complete any production course?
HamzeH: I'd say I'm completely self taught, I'm enrolled in a couple masterclasses coming this year just to explore some tips and tricks from the world's leading artists, so yes I'd say its not a bad idea to give some time to learn from other producers, but I can't really recommend this as I've never tried it before.
Dimitri: In which label was your first ever release and how did you manage to attract the attention of the label?
HamzeH: I had my first release on a label called Massive Trance Records, I actually sent the demo to one of the scene's decent labels, I got a reply from the label owner apologising as the track does not fit for his main label, but he can help me sign it on another label that he does the A&R for, and that's how I got my first track on Massive Trance Records.
Dimitri: Can u mention to us your Top 5 tracks that you have produced and you consider them as being highly important for the progress of your career indifferent if they were commercially successful.
HamzeH: This is a tricky question, as for me every track is a chapter of my story but I'll give it a try haha!
Dimitri: Let's focus on Phantom. Please tell us from where did you got the inspiration for the track?
HamzeH: "Phantom" was actually a follow-up for a previous release I had in which has made a huge success for me as an artist, and just right after the release of "The Last Call", I had an idea to write another melody and create a follow-up for it, this is the short version of how "Phantom" was born.
Dimitri: How long it took you to produce it and was an easy or difficult process?If you have faced any difficulties please tell us about them and how did you resolved them?
HamzeH: To be honest, If you were ever in my studio or if you ask anyone who was, they'd tell you that I'm a real perfectionist. I used to be someone who just prefer to release as many tracks as I can and as soon as possible, but for the past year I started investing as much time as I can in every little detail for the sake of delivering the best possible outcome. I wouldn't say that I faced difficulties, but for sure it wasn't an easy process, it was exciting though! :)
Dimitri: Is the quality of this track higher than your previous one? If yes in what ways this track sounds better than your previous one?
HamzeH: I always try to top my previous release regardless of how good it was, even if it's a small improvement but for me it's important to keep improving myself and try different techniques.
Dimitri: Please describe to us the studio that you have produced the track? What is your favourite hardware and software set up? Do you have in mind any new gear that you wish to get in order to raise the quality of your production?
HamzeH: My favorite VST is definitely Spire, I'm a huge fan of this particular plugin especially with their latest update, they've taken it to a whole new level. for the hardware part, I'd say that my favorite hardware in which I currently own is the Apollo Twin MK II.
Dimitri: Do you have any future releases planned and when will be released?
HamzeH: 2018 is gonna be filled with releases, I already have more than 8 releases lined up for release and the year is just getting started, Just wait for it :)
Dimitri: Do you plan to start producing your own radio show soon?
HamzeH: I don't produce a radio show, but the idea is in my mind but I'm taking it slowly, I have a plan to launch it possibly in 2019 :)
Dimitri: Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career so far and best tip you learnt recently to make your tracks better.
HamzeH: Honestly, I don't really believe that there is one generic advise regarding making your tracks better, my only advice is: There is no right and wrong in music, just do what you love and trust your ears, one way or another, you'll end up finding your own sound.
Dimitri: Please give us here your tips or more elaborated advice for any new artists who may read this interview and wish to get involved with the electronic music industry.
HamzeH: This is a very important question. I've recently been asked the exact same question multiple times. My advice for any other producer is to invest in themselves, stop using cracked illegal programs and sounds. I don't really get any commission for saying this, but trust me, when you spend money that you hardly earned on something, you will automatically raise your commitment towards it. If you really don't think it's worth it to spend your money on something, then probably you don't love it enough.
O'Shea & Newell - Dionysus is an euphoric Trancer with enough feel-good energy! The summer vibes fusion of Progressive- and Uplifting Trance is a new beauty from the studio of Ian O'Shea and Duncan Newell
Dimitri Kechagias review:
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"]Beat and Rhythm[/item]
[item value="10"]Basslines and Groove[/item]
[item value="10"] Melody [/item]
[item value="10"] Synths [/item]
[item value="10"]Breakdown[/item]
[item value="10"]Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment[/item]
[item value="10"]Intensity, Drive and Energy[/item]
[item value="10"]Sound-design and Arrangement[/item]
[item value="10"]Overall Atmosphere[/item]
[item value="10"]Goosebumps / Shivers moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality and Inventiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]Dancefloor Efficiency / Festival Arenas Effectiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]You can’t get this memorable track out of your head[/item]
[item value="10"]It has potential to become an anthem or a classic[/item]
[item value="10"]O'Shea & Newell - Dionysus[/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]Above All has become one of the strongest record labels in the trance scene with quality releases from variety of trance music subgenres. Dionysus by O'Shea & Newell is pure uplifting euphoric feel good trancer at its very best and highest quality. Powerful banging kicks, pounding thumping drums and superb euphoric synthy lines with great breakdown soaked with melodic feel good soundwaves and sunkissed synthy riffs. The climax is euphoric and straight to the point without too much hassles. It's not grounbreaking but definitely is worth adding in your dj set as satisfaction of trance community is guaranteed. #PureGold Love it [/content]
Code Black! Hard hitting Club Trance from the studio of Finnish DJ/Producer Alex Kunnari. Including the remix from Maglev this is an essential release for those who want to play some banging Progressive!
Dimitri Kechagias review:
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"]Beat and Rhythm[/item]
[item value="10"]Basslines and Groove[/item]
[item value="10"] Melody [/item]
[item value="10"] Synths [/item]
[item value="10"]Breakdown[/item]
[item value="10"]Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment[/item]
[item value="10"]Intensity, Drive and Energy[/item]
[item value="10"]Sound-design and Arrangement[/item]
[item value="10"]Overall Atmosphere[/item]
[item value="10"]Goosebumps / Shivers moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality and Inventiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]Dancefloor Efficiency / Festival Arenas Effectiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]You can’t get this memorable track out of your head[/item]
[item value="10"]It has potential to become an anthem or a classic[/item]
[item value="10"] Alex Kunnari - Code Black incl Maglev remix[/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]When it comes to mainstage big room progressive trance Alex Kunnari is your man. His latest track Code Black is big room trance at its most powerful, intense, dynamic and totally unstoppable. Great uplifting themes that will stay in your head for long lead the track beautifully to the massive hands in the air climax that will please your mind, body and soul for sure. Maglev is well known for his abilities to turn anything into a huge bombastic anthem and once again he does it in true Dutch trance mainstage sound that the big players would feel impossible not to incorporate in their sets. Great sound design and dancefloor impact to the very maximum. #PureBassPower Love IT[/content]
David Thulin already surprised us with a great vocal tune as debut on Above All Records and that David is a great producer is proven by his new song with Charmaine. The progressive beat in "Sun is Rising" creates a summer vibe that is a perfect base to bring out the best of Charmaine's voice and lyrics.
With the Jay Hubbard Remix we slow down a little bit and enjoy the warm atmosphere and delicate melody Jay used to give this his own touch!
Dimitri Kechagias review:
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"]Beat and Rhythm[/item]
[item value="10"]Basslines and Groove[/item]
[item value="10"] Melody [/item]
[item value="10"] Synths [/item]
[item value="10"]Vocals and Lyrics[/item]
[item value="10"]Breakdown[/item]
[item value="10"]Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment[/item]
[item value="10"]Intensity, Drive and Energy[/item]
[item value="10"]Sound-design and Arrangement[/item]
[item value="10"]Overall Atmosphere[/item]
[item value="10"]Goosebumps / Shivers moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality and Inventiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]Dancefloor Efficiency / Festival Arenas Effectiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]You can’t get this memorable track out of your head[/item]
[item value="10"]It has potential to become an anthem or a classic[/item]
[item value="10"]David Thulin ft. Charmaine - Sun Is Rising[/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]David Thulin collaborates with Charmaine for the top notch summer anthem Sun Is Rising. Tribal rolling drums with wobbly deep basslines and airy synthy layers on top work perfectly to create magical soundscapes. Orchestral warm strings and cinematic atmosphere combined beautifully with Charmaine mesmerising voice that manage to shine and stand out. The climax is energising and full on leading to trance heaven. Jay Hubbard Remix is deeper and groovier with smooth haunting basslines, gentle sunkissed melodies, sparkling refreshing synths and dreamy moody sonicscapes that add to the final impressive result. This release worth space in your summer holiday soundtrack. #PureGold Love IT [/content]
Dimitri: Can you mention your 3 biggest achievements in your music career in 2016?
Maglev: Most productive year until now, support by major DJ's (A&B, Paul van Dyk, Cosmic Gate, etc) and made a lot of new friends in the Trance & Progressive scene.
Dimitri: Overall 2016 was a positive, neutral or maybe negative year for you and why?
Maglev: Positive year! Made a lot of progress.
1) Best Track:
Maglev: Jason Ross - Coaster
2) Best Artist (Dj & producer):
Maglev: Jason Ross
3) Best Remix:
Maglev: Hans Zimmer - S.T.A.Y. (Maor Levi Remix)
4) Best Remixer:
Maglev: Sunny Lax
5) Best New Talent (Dj or producer):
Maglev: Daun Giventi
6) Best Electronic Music Album:
Maglev: deadmau5 – W:/2016ALBUM
7) Best Electronic Music Compilation:
Maglev: Way too many
8) Best artwork/cover of an Album or Compilation:
Maglev: Anjunabeats Volume 12 Sampler
9) Best Lyrics in an Electronic Music track
Maglev: Jason Ross ft. Lauren Ray - Me Tonight
10) Best Vocalist/Singer featured on Electronic Music track:
Maglev: Justine Suissa
11) Best Electronic Music Label:
Maglev: Anjunabeats
12) Best Online Social media for communication with your fans:
Maglev: Facebook
13) Best music composition software:
Maglev: Logic Pro X
14) Best Club Event or Open Air Festival:
Maglev: Above & Beyond - Group Therapy 200
15) Best personal Dj Gig:
Maglev: Trance Academy Prague
16) Best Dj set of the year from other fellow Dj:
Maglev: Andrew Bayer & ilan Bluestone - ABGT200
17) Best country that you have visited to perform with the most up for it crowd:
Maglev: Czech Republic
18) Best Radio show:
Maglev: Group Therapy
19) Best Radio station:
Maglev: Digitally Imported
20) Best Online Record shop that you purchase your music:
Maglev: Beatport
21) Best music related website that you visit frequently:
Maglev: Flux BPM, KVR Audio
22) Best Smart phone or smart phone application:
Maglev: Instagram
23) Best Dj equipment (software or hardware):
Maglev: Pioneer CDJ/DJM Nexus
24) Best tip that you learnt this year for your Djing techniques or music composition:
Maglev: More EQ'ing :)
25) Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career in 2016:
Maglev: Work hard!
26) Best hobby or activity that you spent a lot of time in 2016:
Maglev: Gaming
27) Best Electronic Music magazines in printed form not online:
Maglev: Interface (NL)
28) Best online/PC/video game of the year that you have played this year?
Maglev: Battlefield 1
29) Best soundtrack for video game of the year:
Maglev: Battlefield 1 OST
30) Best joke you heard this year related to electronic music:
Maglev: Way too many funny ones haha
Dimitri: Finally, 2017 is ahead of us would you like to tell your plans with your future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, Dj gigs.
Maglev: A LOT of releases coming your way and some very interesting collaborations as well.
Many thanks to Duncan Newell at Alter Ego records for arranging the interview.
One of the most upcoming trance record labels from Holland is definitely Above All records. Matt who is the owner of the label and member of Spark & Shade accepted our request for a short interview during ADE. We talk mainly about the label and current and future releases plus his own trance project. Also we discuss about their successful Trance Academy events and he tell us his opinion about ADE. It is definitely an interview worth watching!
Mike Spinner & Maglev teamed up to spread their love for Trance music. "Love from Above" combined the best of both worlds: the dirty basslines with a Maglev signature and the melodic inspiration of Mike Spinner.
To complete this release we are very proud to introduce Mhammed El Alami on remix duty! His more euphoric and uplifting twist makes sure everybody will grow some love for this release!
Dimitri Kechagias review:
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"]Beat and Rhythm[/item]
[item value="10"]Basslines and Groove[/item]
[item value="10"] Melody [/item]
[item value="10"] Synths [/item]
[item value="10"]Breakdown[/item]
[item value="10"]Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment[/item]
[item value="10"]Intensity, Drive and Energy[/item]
[item value="10"]Sound-design and Arrangement[/item]
[item value="10"]Overall Atmosphere[/item]
[item value="10"]Goosebumps / Shivers moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality and Inventiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]Dancefloor Efficiency / Festival Arenas Effectiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]You can’t get this memorable track out of your head[/item]
[item value="10"]It has potential to become an anthem or a classic[/item]
[item value="10"]Mike Spinner & Maglev - Love from Above incl M. El Alami remix [/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]Mike Spinner and Maglev collaborate for the superb melodic proglifting trance beauty Love from Above. Chunky electro grooves, bouncy thumping basslines and magical smooth dreamy breakdown with mouthwatering soundscape of emotional synthy plucks, orchestral strings with certain cinematic sound and spacious warm atmosphere to please your ears. The climax is euphoric and pounding perfect for endless jumping on the trancefloor. Mhammed El Alami Remix is rising to the top with each and single release. His remix is shinning with class and quality. He takes advantage of the nice progression of the melodies and he device a very exhilarating remix that promises to bring smile in your face. The breakdown is long and teasing with breakbeat like section to feel a bit warm and tender followed by variety of synthy plucks and massive climax to please the ears ready for another take off! Above All strikes it lucky with this one. #PureGold Love It [/content]
The discography of Tim Verkruissen is impressive, and so is his list of supporting A-DJ's for his music. His quest to catch the "old" Trance vibe and use that in his new arrangements is a formula that works! Don't think that means Tim uses the same trick over and over again, "Days Like These' is the next addition in a versatile collection of pure Trance!
Dimitri Kechagias review:
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"]Beat and Rhythm[/item]
[item value="10"]Basslines and Groove[/item]
[item value="10"] Melody [/item]
[item value="10"] Synths [/item]
[item value="10"]Breakdown[/item]
[item value="10"]Climax / Drop / Crescendo / Pay off moment[/item]
[item value="10"]Intensity, Drive and Energy[/item]
[item value="10"]Sound-design and Arrangement[/item]
[item value="10"]Overall Atmosphere[/item]
[item value="10"]Goosebumps / Shivers moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional affinity and heartfelt moments[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality and Inventiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]Dancefloor Efficiency / Festival Arenas Effectiveness[/item]
[item value="10"]You can’t get this memorable track out of your head[/item]
[item value="10"]It has potential to become an anthem or a classic[/item]
[item value="10"]Tim Verkruissen - Days like these[/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]Above All records is a superb label that always keeps the quality standards high. Now Tim Verkruissen returns with Days like these which is a magnificent anthem that has the feel of the old school trance days but remade in perfect 2016 style. Superb trance grooves, driving basslines, sun kissed melodies coming from the blue waters of the Mediterranean sea and of course excellent breakdown that starts with harp melody and then slowly unleashes the Vandit style big synthy stabs until the big climax that give you that Rank 1 progression feel to it! Its truly impressive and deserves the support of big, medium and bedroom trance jocks. #PureGold Love It [/content]
