Our trance boy wonder steals the show on the new In Trance We Trust 020 comp
Interview : Dan Prince
Sneijder welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you today?
“I am currently at home in my studio in Ireland Dan putting the last touches to a new remix.”
A very exciting time for you right now with the brand new In Trance We Trust 020 compilation about to drop…a series that has featured in the past hall of famers such as Bobina, Johan Gielan and Misja Helsloot. Talk us through your mix, 16 tunes of pure class including new material and remixes…
“First off, it was great to be selected to be part of the series, as I have been a massive fan of the ITWT imprint since I started as a DJ many years ago. I approached the CD as I do my DJ sets, main focus being on energy and nice melodies etc. I put the word out on Facebook, Twitter etc. and got sent some really amazing tracks. In the end the mix starts of melodic, but quickly progresses into the more up tempo uplifting and tech side of trance. I has some new material on there also, ‘Next Level’ my second collab with Bryan Kearney forthcoming on Subculture in the summer and a few remixes and reworks which I made a while back that are finally due for release now on Vandit & Garuda. All in all the mix is a fair reflection on what music I am feeling and playing at the moment.”
How many takes did it take you to do the mix?
“It took me around three days in total, getting the tracks in order is the most difficult part I think. It took me a while to get the flow and energy going, but once I did and it sounded right to me, I focused on the transitions. I’m really happy with the mix and it def reflects my style as a DJ. It was a great experience, Hopefully I can have another go sometime.”
When I told The Buzz Chart office I was interviewing you today, there was a whistle followed by “he is the biggest buzz DJ on the scene at the moment.” Thoughts on that little comment…?
“Ha ha…I can only take that as a massive compliment…it’s a great feeling that people are feeling my music and what I do at the moment.”
Some big news dropped today, your remix of Ben Gold feat. The Glass Child ‘Fall With Me’’ is to get a full release. Good to that out eh?
“It is indeed…I made this remix over a year ago. It had massive support from Aly & Fila, John O’Callaghan and recently Armin. Over the last year I have had so many FB messages and tweets asking about this track, so it’s great it will come out soon on Garuda.”
So let’s rewind for a moment. Back to a 13 year old kid in Northern Ireland developing a love for dance music and in particular Dutch hardcore. Not the usual sound for young teenager to fall in love with, but fall in love with it you did and trips to The Netherlands soon began for you to buy cherished vinyl. How did you get into that sound and who were the artists you were into back then?
“Every day I would walk home from school the same route, There was this one guy who always had his garage door open at his house were he had his turntables and vinyl etc. Each day as I passed home from school he would be playing, music blasting out, I would walk past and glance over with interest. One day I plucked up the courage to go over and take a closer look. He invited me in and let me have a spin on the decks and he explained the equipment etc. to me, from that moment on I was infatuated. A month later I got a set of Soundlab Beltdrive turntables and practiced from after school until it was dark every day. To say I was obsessed would be an understatement, I put in serious hours learning in a shed at the back of my parents house. The hardcore scene was massive in N.Ireland at that time, and I guess it’s like every generation, you take influence from what’s around you at that time. I made regular trips to Holland to buy vinyl to have tracks no one else had. My favorite artist from back then are… Anything on Dwarfs records really, Scott Brown, Ramirez, Dark Raver etc. – far too many to list to be honest.”
It was 1999 when you discovered uplifting trance, the most emotional sound on the dancefloor. Was there one record in particular that converted you back then or was it just a gradual shift of taste?
“It was more or less the appearance of Ferry Corsten that pushed me towards uplifting trance, around 1997 I started listening to more Hard Trance stuff, anything on Eve Records, Noom, Reactivate or Bonzai from producers like Pablo Gargano, Commander Tom etc. – it was more acid fused music, very raw, but with basic catchy melodies. So at that point a progression had started for me I think. Then Ferry came along and his sound changed the scene, it was everything I loved about music, and I soon switched to that sound in 1999 and after that trance exploded. The one track that changed it all for me to shift was Starparty – ‘I’m In Love’ (Ferry Corsten & Robert Smit Remix)…I love this track, it has everything I love about a track, it still sounds as good to me now after all these years. Ferry Corsten changed the game for me!”
The next few years saw you one of the most in demand DJs on the club circuit, your mind must have been made up by then what you wanted to do with your life. What did your family think of your decision?
“My family is very supportive of me, they knew it wasn’t just a phase after a few years of me buying music and constantly taking about it. As far a making a career from it, this is only something I really decide a few years ago. It takes a lot to leave your full time job to pursue a career in music. The vinyl days are gone, so basically the profits from tracks is very, very little compared to the old days. DJ/Producers now rely on gigs for income. So it was a massive step for me to leave my job and basically live on the bread line for 2-3 years until the gigs started to come in. It was extremely tough at the start but I think you need to have 100% belief in your abilities and vision to succeed this applies to anything really.”
Unbelievably it was a whole ten years later when you started to fiddle around in the studio and start looking at the art of production. Why did it take you so long?
“I had no interest in music production really, It was always about DJing for me. Then I heard a track called ‘Empirical Labs – Turtle Beach (Outback Remix)’ around 2004 and the acids in that track had me interested. But it wasn’t until 2009 that I actually started to set up a studio and make music. It was after meeting my now good friend Jordan Suckley in 2008 who at that time was an up and coming DJ playing regularly on the mainland UK scene. Jordan advised me production was the way forward, 2 months later I started to build a studio, and here I am now…”
It was only 4 months before you had created ‘The Phuture’ which received support from Tiesto and Armin van Buuren, later that year however the world really sat up with the arrival of ‘Away From Here’…a massive uplifting trance bomb that Paul van Dyk snapped up for his label and was soon featured on more than 15 compilations. Did you know you had created something very special with this track?
“It was crazy how things progressed, ‘Away From Here’ was my first proper sounding trance track and it was also the track that got me noticed. I can remember opening the email from Vandit to say they wanted to sign it – excited was an understatement. I also got an email from John O’Callaghan around that time to say he loved my music etc. – I still have both emails saved to this day lol. I think things really help build a producers confidence, but it was important to me to make consistency my number one priority at that stage. So yes, that track was definitely a massive milestone for me music wise.”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning?
1. Sneijder & Bryan Kearney – Next Level (Original Mix) [Subculture]
2. Sneijder – Remember Me (Extended Mix) [In Trance We Trust]
3. John O’ Callaghan – One Special Particle (Original Mix) [Subculture]
4. Maria Healy – Atlantis Calling (Original Mix) [Subculture]
5. Lange Feat. Hysteria! – Unfamiliar Truth (John O’Callaghan Remix) [Lange Recordings]
6. Ben Gold Feat. The Glass Child – Fall With Me (Sneijder Remix) [Garuda]
7. Will Atkinson – Isolator (Original Mix) [Subculture]
8. Sam Jones & Will Rees – Fire Drill (Original Mix) [Damaged]
9. Aly & Fila – Tula (The Noble Six Remix) [Armada]
10. Luke Bond Feat. Roxanne Emery – On Fire (Aly & Fila Remix) [Garuda]
Where have some of the stand out gigs been for you in recent months…?
“Miami was def one of the highlights, where I played the ‘Mystery Sounds’ yacht party with Aly & Fila and JOC. Also my recent visit to Toronto with the guys from ‘Pure Trance’ was a great experience.”
What is the club scene like in your home country at the moment, it wasn’t so long ago Northern Ireland was at the forefront of Europe’s club scene!!
“True, it did. But at present it has taken a downward spiral over the last few years, young people need an incentive to get involved in music, they need to have targets and goals to reach – I have said this many times before. Most people are more interested in exploiting young talent in N.Ireland, promising them super stardom if they win their ‘DJ comp’s’ which are only aimed to attract people to the venues to spend money and zero focus on talent at all. It’s this kind of disappointment that can have a serious effect on young peoples ambition and outlook, something needs to be done at the grass roots to help the scene grow again and get young people involved and hungry about music again. I hope to give something back when I’m in the position to do so.”
Who are some of the early DJs you looked up to?
“So many to list over the years! Here are the stand out ones…Ferry Corsten, Paul van Dyk, John O’Callaghan, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Aly & Fila, Ramirez, Pablo Gargano…I could list another 20, but these have been the most influential to me.”
And who are the producers from around the world you are giving high fives to at the moment?
“New talent wise? The Noble Six is my favorite, a great producer that’s has a big future ahead for him I think. The more established names? Has to be JOC, Aly & Fila, Giuseppe Ottaviani & Sied van Riel – those 4 never disappoint, consistent quality, I always have a tune from one of those guys in my sets.”
What do you think are your greatest qualities as a producer?
“Three things; having you own sound is essential as that’s what essentially makes you into the individual artist that you aim to be and being versatile and consistent. I think to earn respect in the production game, versatility and consistency is key. I love to make all styles of trance and continue to do this, I approach each track different, I try my best to be versatile at all times.”
You have some amazing followers…
“I have seen some amazing dedication from fans the world over to my music. People having track titles tattooed on them etc. – I feel really humbled when I see this type of thing, music touches people the world over and brings so many people together, I’m lucky to be part of it!”
What is the last song you heard today?
“The new remix I’m sitting working on at the moment in the studio lol. Although I cant give the name yet as it still has to be approved by the label guys etc. Apart from that it was…Warren G – ‘Regulate’…I listen to Hip Hop music on my studio breaks.”
And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?
“Next up is my remix for Ben Gold I think, ‘Fall With Me’ and then my second collab with Bryan Kearney ‘Next Level’ which is due on JOC’s Subculture. I also have a new vocal tune nearly done which in my opinion is my best vocal production yet – and a new 140 club track also coming soon. So plenty to come over the next few months.”
On May 26th In Trance We Trust will release their extraordinary twentieth mix-comp. In a first for the series an In Trance We Trust compilation will field a disc trilogy, mixed by a troika of the scene’s most steadfast trance quartermasters…Menno de Jong, Mike Saint-Jules & Sneijder…