Every time I prepare and publish interview I do it with one and the same intention- to present someone special. This artist is not an exception at all. Top trance producer Bart Claessen is a man and artist with principles and everyone of his fans knows what Im talking about. With several absolutely smashing tracks released this year and going strong with his Playmo Radio, 2011 was more than successful for him.
Lets meet the man who fights for the music quality Mr. Bart Claessen!
Lets meet the man who fights for the music quality Mr. Bart Claessen!
Hi Bart and thanks for agreeing to this interview! First of all congratulations for reaching the #1 position on Beatport trance chart with Fantomah.* How do you feel about it?
A: Really glad how Fantomah did and is still doing. I went into a bit of a new direction with that one, felt really good to me, but it always needs some time to find out how the rest of the world thinks about that. Results have been fantastic really!
Q: Seems like you are at a full tilt production mode with the very successful recent releases Fantomah and Cryptanalysis with the Who.is project. Any other killing tracks coming up soon? Do you work on many tracks at the same time or you prefer to concentrate on one or two?
A: I usually work on one track at a time, although I must say that that recently changed. Currently I’m working on like 6 tracks at the same time, it just happened :) I get the most inspiration for new tracks when I’m working on stuff, feels so stupid nót to save all those new ideas, so for a change, I did.
A: I usually work on one track at a time, although I must say that that recently changed. Currently I’m working on like 6 tracks at the same time, it just happened :) I get the most inspiration for new tracks when I’m working on stuff, feels so stupid nót to save all those new ideas, so for a change, I did.
Q: The Who.is project is a collaboration between you and Raz Nitzan. Once you shared in an interview that you both complement one another more than work together on the same parts of a track at the same time. Is this the perfect studio partner for you and how does Cryptanalysis came to life?
A: Perfect studio partner it is indeed :) Cryptanalysis kinda worked out the same way that We.Are did. We come together in the studio, talk about and listen to a lot of music that inspires us, and then start working on something. I control the knobs, he sits next to me, enjoys a tea and a sandwich, and has a lot of input. It works really smoothly.
A: Perfect studio partner it is indeed :) Cryptanalysis kinda worked out the same way that We.Are did. We come together in the studio, talk about and listen to a lot of music that inspires us, and then start working on something. I control the knobs, he sits next to me, enjoys a tea and a sandwich, and has a lot of input. It works really smoothly.
Q: As far as I understand your personality you appear to be something like a tech trance scientist analyzing every track which catches you attention. Did you already discover the hands-up-in-the-air factor or its still a mystery for you?
A: Not sure where you caught that info, but yeah, I’m like a music analyzer indeed, I love to. The hands-up-in-the-air factor isn’t that much of a mystery really, especially these days, a clap on every beat and a tone going up, does it every time haha
Q: If Elf is the eleventh Bart Claessen original track which one is supposed to be coming out? Are you still counting?
A: No. I only counted when I needed a title and didn’t know any. Then I stopped :)
Q: What do you think about the remixes of your tracks? What does it feel like to see your own genuine production reworked, have you ever felt a bit jealous?
A: No, never felt jealous at all, why should I? It’s one of the greatest things to experience, when someone else presents his take on one of your own productions. Exciting.
Q: Are you that emotional and expressive in your personal life like you are in the studio? Do you have such a distinctive attitude and opinion about everything else you do?
A: Damn, feels like you really know me, or have paid good attention over the past years. I do have strong opinions indeed, about pretty much everything. I don’t usually try to show that too much online, don’t want to get too negative, don’t want to be rude to people, and don’t want to be too personal online. But sometimes I really can’t stand something, and there I go :)
Q: And by the way what else do you do besides making music?
A: Unfortunately, making music sometimes only seems a small part of the work. There is email, interviews (hehe), lots of promos to download and listen, websites, social media platforms, news items, promotion, youtube, contracts, administration, even more email, sigh... And next to all of that, I love to hang out with friends, do some programming on my computer, and I love cooking.
A: Unfortunately, making music sometimes only seems a small part of the work. There is email, interviews (hehe), lots of promos to download and listen, websites, social media platforms, news items, promotion, youtube, contracts, administration, even more email, sigh... And next to all of that, I love to hang out with friends, do some programming on my computer, and I love cooking.
Q: Audiopraline`s sweetest question: Whats the most hilarious thing you have ever heard about DJs?
A: If a dj describes his job of mixing tracks together like some higher form of art, like using existing tracks to “create some sort of new symphony”.... damn that sounds so pathetic, hilarious and annoying to hear at the same time. Dj’ing is a lot of fun, and it definitely does require skills, but in the end what you’re doing is nothing more than playing the right tracks at the right moment in the right way for the right crowd, in order to make the place explode. It’s not always as easy as it sounds, but don’t make it any bigger than that, a dj is only as good as his weakest record.
A: If a dj describes his job of mixing tracks together like some higher form of art, like using existing tracks to “create some sort of new symphony”.... damn that sounds so pathetic, hilarious and annoying to hear at the same time. Dj’ing is a lot of fun, and it definitely does require skills, but in the end what you’re doing is nothing more than playing the right tracks at the right moment in the right way for the right crowd, in order to make the place explode. It’s not always as easy as it sounds, but don’t make it any bigger than that, a dj is only as good as his weakest record.
Thank you very much!
With pleasure!
* Interview taken early September, when Fantomah reached #1 position on Beatport Trance chart
http://www.bartclaessen.comhttp://www.mixcloud.com/bartclaessen
No comments:
Post a Comment