Dutch super-producer joining forces to create one massive new label Audentity
Bastian, welcome to DMCWORLD Magazine. Really exciting time for you at the moment, a brand new release on your new label Audentity. Talk us through the debut track ‘Forgotten Summer’…
“Yes it is always a very exciting time when you have new releases out and especially when it is on your own new label. The tune ‘Forgotten Summer’ is the first release and it was composed and produced in December 2011 when it is still was very cold here in Holland, but I had a very melancholic feeling during the production process, so maybe that’s why it sounds so summerish. Anyway it was my fastest production ever because I composed the whole track in a couple of hours, talk about inspiration.”
You are teaming up with successful trance vocal writers Raz Nitzan and Adrian Broekhuyse to launch the new label Audentity. What is the aim of the label?
“The idea behind the label is to release the music we really like ourselves, progressive trance how it should sound in our eyes/ears. And for me personally, it was a logical step after so many years to finally have the freedom in releasing whatever I feel and not be independent anymore. Just be free and make the music I love. We also want to release music from other established names and new upcoming talents and help them finalise their music. We help them to set up collabs with more well known producers, make videos for the tracks etc. Also, because we have a large DJ network and a popular social media network behind us, we are able to promote the artist and the music very well. The first new talent we signed on the label Kay Wilder (we did two collab tracks with him) did extremely well and is getting more popular by the day. I am also very excited about a lot of the other new stars we have signed. In the end only one thing really counts: the music! We love that dark, melancholic, rancy sound so much!”
Raz and Adrian are behind lots of massive dancefloor hits for the likes of Armin van Buuren and Ferry Corsten – how long have you been discussing the label project?
“I have known the guys for so many years and of course during the DSOTM years, so it was a very logical step for all of us to team up again and do what we love to do; make and release music.”
What are the next release plans for Audentity?
“At the moment we have just released our second single on Audentity with the title “Just In Bibber” and this one has really gone nuts, it is everywhere in the top 10’s and it has been a ‘talk-of-the-town’ record. Not only because of the hilarious title but also the music itself of course. After that we have a re-release of one of my fav EvsB tracks from 2003 “Who’s The Starter” (scheduled for August 6) with some really amazing remixes and i also remixed the original version from 2003 myself. I literally remixed it on an old mixer which I also used back then (it was all analog back then ) so I took all tracks from the record and remixed it to get that 2012 feeling. Besides “Who’s The Starter 2012″, we have more coming up during and after the summer, records with established names and also some new upcoming talents. Audentity also released Soundbanks for synthesizers, as I have made so many records during the years, I decided to collect all the sounds I programmed and release them. There are already Soundbanks available for Sylenth, Dune and Virus TI which are being used by guys like Tiesto, Orjan Nilsen, Bobina and M.I.K.E.”
You have been recording with Ernesto since 2001 when you signed to Altitude. That’s a long time together! How did you two first meet? And what’s the situation now?
“Yes we started in 2001 and had a massive career together, but ended in 2011 when he decided to quit EvsB. As I have always been the producer of all the EvsB records, I decided to continue with Ernesto vs Bastian, so i took the opportunity to take the project into a totally new direction, call it v2.0. For 2012 for me two things are important: the fans who were always loyal to us and this freedom I already mentioned earlier. So that’s why I really wanted to start Audentity and also get the fans more involved in everything we do (as a team). It seems that it really works as everybody can connect easily with us on Twitter/Facebook etc and I am always interested what my fans want to hear from me (us) so there is always a lot going on our social media accounts, really crowded sometimes and we all love it!!”
What is each other’s greatest quality in the studio, who is great at what?
“As I have always been the producer, I am responsible for all the compositions and productions.”
2005 was quite an important year for you (!!) – the wholly unique ‘Dark Side of The Moon’, not only entitles DSOTM, but lyrically was about listening to the titular Pink Floyd album. The song was smashed to smithereens by everyone from Tiesto to Paul Van Dyk and signed in 30 countries. Tell us the history of this extraordinary record and had you ANY idea just what you were about to release…
“Till now it has been EvsB biggest record and it still being played and mentioned by so many people, it is just unbelievable has been produced in November 2003 and first it was a demo with some acapella, but when Raz and Adrian recorded the vocals with Susana, we all knew immediately that i was something special, but to be honest none of us had expected it would become so big. High Contrast was the label who signed the record and they did an amazing job as the record was released in so many countries, it was one of the most popular trance tracks in 2004/2005.”
Where is the strangest place you have ever heard this record?
“I don’t remember anywhere in particular, but what I do know is that everywhere we went we heard the track on the radio and MTV, it was such a big hit! We’d be in a taxi and it would be on the radio – it was everywhere!”
The weeks and months that followed saw you perform at some of the biggest events in the world. How have those massive 50,000+ events changed to the ones we experience today? What are the main differences?
“I think the main difference is that those events are getting more mature and are getting better every year.”
In 2010 you decided it was time for a change and signed a new deal with Armada Music, Armin’s home. What prompted the move?
“After being one of the main artists on High Contrast for so many years, I really felt we needed new people in the team and because i already had been signed for so many years by Cloud 9 Publishing which works closely together with Armada ,we took the plunge and signed “Every Inch A King” as the first single on Armada. Now in 2012 I still work together with them, the new single with Susana ‘Brave’ will be released on July23rd.”
The last decade has seen a monumental amount of huge dancefloor anthems. What are your 3 favourite productions?
1. Ernesto vs Bastian ‘Thrill’ – because it is the TE Anthem 2008 and it is the second big hit from Evsb.”
2. Fragma “Toca’s Miracle”
3. Paul van Dijk “For An Angel “
Who are the big producers around the world you are rating at the moment?
1.Nicky Romero
2.Markus Schulz
3.Hardwell
Which vocalist would you love collaborating with in the studio?
“Either Tracey Thorn from Everything But The Girl or Adele.”
Away from EDM, what other artists are you listening to at the moment?
“I love to listen to classical music from composers like Richard Wagner, but also to 70/80’s German electronic music which was already pre-trance with those floating, evolving sounds. Years ahead of their time!”
How has your production style changed since you began?
“In the past I used to work continuously on one track week after week, but now I work on more tracks at the same time. I have been making music since 1984 and back then I used those old hardware synths with old sequencers all connected to a real big mixer, but nowadays I work totally in the box with Cubase 6 and lots of vst’s.”
What is your idea of a perfect Sunday?
“A lazy Sunday together with my partner who I have lived with for more than 14 years.”
How do you feel about how easy it is for young producers to make records and a name for themselves in todays technical world? A laptop and you are away…
“I think it is good for them to know that it hasn’t always been that way. In the past you really had to buy lots of expensive equipment if you wanted to make a record, that’s why there weren’t many producers around. Nowadays everybody can make a good sounding track,but it is also more difficult to stand out from the crowd.”
How many unreleased tracks have you in the bank?
“I have some really great new tracks coming up, some solo stuff, some collabs…”
And finally, what has been the proudest moment of your career to date?
“For me personally it was when “Thrill” was in the Dutch Single Top 40. Thanks for having me,appreciate you great work at DMC.”
https://twitter.com/ErnestovBastian
https://twitter.com/Audentity_Rec
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