My Interview with Jon O'bir
Jon, I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us. We are anxiously awaiting the release of your upcoming album “From Within” and we would definitely like to know all the details.
‘No problem, thank you! I think many people will be surprised about this artist album from me. I’ve only had a couple of solo productions released and a handful of remixes before this. The album contains 14 tracks, 13 of them brand new and unreleased! The style is what I’m known for, quality, feel good trance music, with a couple of experimental tracks thrown in, but even they are full of melody and feeling. I built the album very much like how I build my DJ sets, so fans of my DJ sets will hopefully love the sound of this album!’
Who are your musical influences, past and present?
‘Paul van Dyk has been a major influence and it’s amazing to be working alongside him on various projects at the moment! The list of influences is pretty big, all the top trance guys such as Armin, Tiesto, Ferry, Above & Beyond have inspired me and it’s great to work alongside these guys when I get the chance. I’ve also been influenced by other musical genres, I was into the classical sound when younger and every now and again I like to put some on and see if any inspiration comes from it!’
Do you feel that you would like to change your position in the industry at some point?
‘At the moment I love what I’m doing and I think I will continue to love what I’m doing for a long time yet! Things are very busy at the moment, with the gigs, productions, radio show and Conspiracy Recordings and it’s all good, I’d obviously prefer to be very busy rather than sat on my arse doing nothing. There are other projects I have in mind for the future, but at this moment in time, everything is all good.’
What kind of advice have you received so far in regards to surviving in the EDM industry?
‘For the first couple of years of my DJ career, I did not even think of making a track. Many people kept telling me that production is vital, I finally saw that is was and got cracking in the studio! I do wish I could have started production a lot earlier, but we are getting there now. Also I’ve learned that keeping in touch with people is vital! I’ve always been useless at that, buts it’s a very simple and important step!’
What is your affiliation with Vandit; and how do you like working with them?
‘It really is an honor for me to be labeled as a Vandit artist, a dream come true that such an established label will be releasing my material. The signing of the album has opened up more work for me on Vandit, such as the recent Vandit Miami WMC08 Sessions compilation that is now available to purchase on Beatport. Also there will be future Jon O’Bir remix opportunities on Vandit, which I’m really excited about and of course I’m playing the massive Vandit Night in Berlin on May 10th alongside PvD and Sander Kleinenberg, really exciting times for me! They are a really great crew to work with as well, I met them all for the first time at the Miami WMC this year. I look forward to working with them all!’
Was there a real promise behind the track “A Promise I Made” or is it simply just a title?
‘I went into the studio with Laurent to come up with a collaboration, it was a fantastic experience, as Airwave has always been one of my favorite producers. We got the track 80% done, but then it was kind of pushed a side for about a year and a half as Laurent was concentrating on other projects. He kept promising that it will be complete one day and true to his word it was and it turned out to be a little gem!’
Will there be any further releases under the Aira Force alias?
‘Yes, Rob and I will be working on some new Aira Force productions some time this year. We are thinking of giving a new sound to the name and some ideas are already down, so watch this space I guess!’
Please tell us how the idea for your radio show Ways & Means came about?
‘I had just finished my 6 shows on the Radio 1 show ‘The Residency’ and I was hungry for more after that amazing experience, so I started ‘Ways & Means’. Its just a monthly 2 hour mix of my favorite tracks of the moment, but its popularity is growing and growing which is fantastic to see of course! I have plans to do a ‘Ways & Means’ podcast, which will be weekly and shorter, podcasts will go out to a lot more people, but the 2 hour show will of course continue monthly.’
When you are listening to promo’s that artists have submitted, what is usually the first thing that gets your attention for consideration to feature it on the next episode of your radio show?
‘I get hundreds of demos a week due to me doing a&r for Conspiracy as well as tracks just for my sets, so I only have time to flick through what I get sent quickly. I usually know from just a quick flick through a track if I’m going to support it or not. I look for well produced tracks, fresh sounding synths and strong bass lines’
Is there any advice that you can give to artists that want their music to be heard?
‘Spend time in getting the track just how you want it to sound, there is no point in sending something out that you’re not happy with. Ideally make sure its sounding nice and loud, but not too loud it clips everywhere! And send it out with a nice email explaining a bit about yourself and your track.
What are your current top 10 tracks?
1. Jon O'Bir - Ways & Means (PvD Remix) [Vandit]
2. Derelict - Voice of Hope [Conspiracy]
3. Sequentia pres. Sunshade - Vertigo (Mike Koglin Remix) [Conspiracy]
4. Stoneface & Terminal - Pictures [Euphonic]
5. Alex Morph & Woody van Eyden - Turn It On [Vandit]
6. Oceanlab - Sirens of the Sea (Cosmic Gate Remix) [Anjunabeats]
7. Giuseppe Ottaviani - No More Alone [Vandit]
8. Activa - End of Summer [CD-R]
9. Inertia - The System (Jon O'Bir Remix) [Discover]
10. Underwater - Imagine Me [Conspiracy]
Can you tell us more about your upcoming album “From Within” such as the release date and whether you will be featuring any other artists on this album?
‘There will be a vinyl version of the album, 8 tracks taken from the album and that will be released in June and finally the CD and downloadable album will be on sale in July. There is just one collaboration on the album, that’s with Solar Movement and I use 2 vocalists on 3 tracks of the album, Emi on 2 of them and Lizzy Parks on the other.
What will be the first single to be released on the album and when might that be available?
‘The first single from the album is titled ‘Ways and Means’ and this will be released on 8th May on Vandit Records with a remix from the man himself Paul van Dyk and also a wicked remix from Neal Scarborough.’
Can you tell us what your tour schedule looks like for the upcoming months and which exciting places you will be traveling to?
‘Its going to be a very exciting summer as I will be doing the album tour all around the world. The key dates I’m looking forward to are 10th May, Vandit Night, a couple of dates at Cream, Amnesia and other festivals such as the Love Parade, Nature One and Global Gathering world wide. Hopefully I will get to all places of the world this year, including Australia for the first time.’
What hobbies do you enjoy when you have spare time?
‘I’m a very sporty guy, I like to keep fit, play football, golf as well as watch it when it’s on the TV. The job takes up most of my spare time, but I love doing it and would not change it for the world. Usually Sunday is a day for spare time, I like to spend it with my family and chill out if possible before the busy week ahead.’
Is there any other news that you would like to share with us, or do you have any comments for your fans?
‘My new website will be up and running very soon, www.jonobir.com is designed for easier use and there will be a lot more to do on there than on the previous site. Also my myspace page www.myspace.com/obir will be re-designed to look similar. Keep and eye out for future Conspiracy releases, we have an exciting year planned. I just want to thank supporters of my music, your support means a lot to me, hopefully you will enjoy my new album.’
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Electronic Night Life
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i've been a fan of his sets ever since he came to Ikon NYE. i cant wait to check out his artist album when it comes out 
