Trance is The Answer

When I first started putting on events at the turn of the century, I had literally no idea at all that I’d be doing what I am today. That first party was in Sydney Australia, and I was very young. Lucky for me, it was massive and a huge success. I remember leaving to race home to grab a quick shower, and when I returned, there was a line around the outside of the building. Pretty intense.

Of course this led me to buying loads of music and eventually learning to mix (on vinyl). Often a dj would be late for an event and I’d have to fill in, hoping to god that they would show up before I actually had to do an actual mix. With help from some of the more established djs in town, I finally got it down, though I did actually resist switching to CDJs all the way up until 2005.

Fast forward in to the future (now, if you are so inclined) and I have 5 solo tracks out and 2 collaboration releases, all of which broke the top 100 for psytrance in Beatport. Was I surprised? Hell yes. I had only been producing for three years and, as I would imagine every producer does forever, learning new things every day.

Something I prepared earlier

The process actually started after a rather major surgery. I couldn’t even walk properly, but I could sit in a chair. So with the support of my family, a bank loan and youtube, I built a studio. A friend of mine, the very talented Mechanimal, gave me a few lessons on how to wield the very intricate program called Cubase.

I was at the studio every single day, learning, making mistakes and having too much coffee. After about a year at it, a record label called Reincarnations Recordings picked up a track called ‘Goa Creamsicle’. I’d actually made it for my very first return to the festival scene, but it had not been ready in time. On release it went to number 7, and I was super grateful to everyone.

That first festival back was rather difficult. It’s hard enough for anyone to walk around on uneven ground in the dark under the influence of festival. But add to that a not quite repaired brain and you have some serious challenges. The walking stick certainly helped, as did the encouragement and inspiration all around me. My music went down well. I even got booked again for the next one. Making good tunes and actually playing them for people dancing are two entierly different things.

By the following summer, life had become a lot more balanced. More releases followed. A label that I’d represented as a dj for many years (UP Records) released my first full EP just before I played at Funny Moon Festival in Czech Republic. Later that year I was invited to play at Vortex Trance Adventures in South Africa. That was pretty amazing (and I’ll be there again in December).

This summer, dates ahead are filling up fast. It seems that the ‘new old school’ Goa sound is rather popular. It is different than the standard sound coming out these days. (There was some resistance at first, mostly from other producers telling me that it would not sell) But in the end, I kept with what has driven me all these years. Uplifting, melodic full on morning music, designed to get you dancing and make you smile.

I really hope that you’ll try it on and see if it fits for you.