Category: Interviews

INTERVIEW: Dyro (2013)

A highlight of the Amsterdam Dance Event is always finding the rising talent.? There is even a special day for ADE Next, highlighting aspiring producers/DJs learning the trade.? Dyro made the jump from attending the Next panel to being on the Next panel in the span of year. ? His track “Metaphor” received massive support from David Guetta and “Sky High,” his track with Amba Shepherd, was picked up by Strictly Rhythm.? Add to that remixes of high profile artists like Katy Perry, Afrojack, and Example, and you will hear why 2012 was such a good year for Dyro and why he is a rising star to watch for.

RS: How was the Revealed party last night?
Dyro: It was amazing; there was a really energetic crowd. It was different for me to play to a crowd that was really into the music. There was a good flow and I really enjoyed it.
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INTERVIEW: Junkie XL (2013)

Dutch producer Tom Holkenborg, better known as Junkie XL, unleashed his first album in four years, Synthesized, recently.? A mashup of genres, styles, and production techniques, the album is actually meant to be listened to all the way through rather than as a series of singles -? a seemingly unique concept in the current hit single-focused world of EDM.? During the Amsterdam Dance Event, he premiered a lot of the songs during a sold out live performance at the Royal Concert Hall.? I interviewed him the next day about the album and his journey into movie soundtracking.

RS: I listened to the album and I love it. I like that the beginning part is like a mixtape that starts out slow and then builds up, was that what you were going for?
Junkie XL: Regarding the structure, I was going for an album that you could listen to as a whole. I know that the concept of an album is not commercial anymore and that people rarely listen to them, but I think that as an art form it?s not old and still valid.

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INTERVIEW: W&W (2013)

Meeting online in 2007, the team of W&W (William van Hanegem and Wardt van der Harst) started working together and achieved quick recognition when Armin van Buuren played and signed their first production, “Mustang.”? The big room monster launched a succession of big records like “Dome,” “Our Plan,” and “MainStage,” which became the name of their record label distributed through Armada.? Rising stars on the trance scene, their recent remixes of Zedd, Dash Berlin, Cosmic Gate, and Armin van Buuren/BT are just signs that there are even bigger things to come.

DJ Ron Slomowicz: How long have the two of you been working together?
Willem van Hanegem: For about 5 years.
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RS: How did the two of you meet?
Willem van Hanegem: We originally met through the internet, there is a program where you can chat and share music with other beginning producers and in 2007 we met in person at Trance Energy.
Wardt van der Harst: It was through a mutual friend who was there as well. ?We started hanging out and after 6 months we started working on our first track, as we got closer we started working together more.
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