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Anyone care to translate this PVD Interview from slam.nl?
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| helm |
It's pretty long but i'll give it a try.
Helm
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| helm |
I finished the translation. I'm sorry for my very bad english.
Helm
The Interview with Paul van Dyk : how a poor kid from east-germany, became a world star.
After the fall of the wall in 1989, Paul van dyk, born in east-Germany graps the chance to make his dream come true with both hands. The DJ/producer grows up in poorness and is raised by his mother. Years the family has to live politically correct. But after the wall comes down, Paul becomes one of the biggest names in the clubbing world. Last year he won the prestigious Ericsson music award for best dj in the world and his own successful album “Out there and back” comes out. Paul has shown more than once, after his great remix of Humate’s “live stimulation”, that he belongs to the world’s best deejays. After his performance at innercity Amsterdam his new single “we’re alive” climbs the international dance charts and he is named dj of the night. A great interview with a friendly german who is seen worldwide as a trance half god!
By gert jan vleugels
I understood that you played in California this new years eve. What do you think about the states?
I had a wonderful time. I left Amsterdam at 6 am and arrived in LA in the afternoon.. I was picked up by some friends and after a couple hours sleep I went to the party of Club Giant.
It was the first open-air party on Hollywood-boulevard ever. They marked off the whole street and built an enormous sound-installation. The police and town of LA worked together to make sure it went well. The police was, according to American standards, very friendly. After that we flew to San Francisco from a small airport. What can I tell about that? Club Spundae where I played from 4 till 6 is one of the hottest clubs on the west coast. If you ever go to SF, I recommend you to go there.
What are your plans for 2001?
To take more time off than last year. The last year was very hectic. The last couple of years were quite a madhouse. I always got a lot of stuff to do. Running a business takes a lot of time. Besides organising parties in Berlin we make lots of records to. Beside that I’m a very busy remixer to. It’s a very hectic life. But I’ll keep on doing the things I love most: the djing and producing. And off course my family: I want to spend more time with them this year. I also hope that my record company and my business will have another great year.
Is it hard to have a personal life next to your career?
Not at all. It’s a matter of priorities. I know damn well what’s important to me. My family comes first. The only problem is that I am a very busy man. As an artist, I have responsibilities to. But my wife is the most important in life. As long as I realize that, then it won’t be difficult to look for the balance between my career and my personal life.
Some artists live for their music and say that everything is less important. How important is music to Paul van Dyk?
Music comes second. I’m talking about making music, not the djing. Producing comes second on my priority list. I can’t explain how it feels when you hear your own record on the radio or at a party!
People call you the emperor of trance. Are you happy with that?
No, it’s not complete. The music I play goes beyond the borders of trance. During innercity I played techno stuff, break beat orientated records, trancy and housy tracks. I like electronic music in all her ways. I try to look for the best records, and make it one when I play.
Why do people call you a trance dj/producer if you’re not?
I think because that was what I was playing when the big trance hype in the UK took it’s start. They give me that name some way. Beside that I played some good sets in one of the Uks dance-Walhalla’s The gatecrasher. I did not even play the music that is normally played there.
If I would call ferry corsten a trance dj? Ferry made some great records. I told about cheesy trance before like ATB. Those people give trance a bad name. Most of those records are awful. I don’t to be called the emperor of that .
I would call you a dj who plays trance. How would you describe trance?
A trance record is a record with a soul. It takes your breath away and takes you on a journey.
It has nothing to do with the predictable tatatatatatatplinglpong music. In England, trance is being puked out by the press. And The gatecrasher has started a new program. In the UK they have a different hype every week. They have a new trance hero every month. I learned a lot from that the last 20 years. I stopped believing the British press.
The trance virus has spread around the US to. Are the US your new target?
I’ve been playing in the states from 1993 and for three years I’m resident at the NY Twilo. I can’t say it’s my new target like other djs.
You mean paul oakenfold, the English paul van dyk. Or is paul van dyk the german paul oakenfold?
Haha. We got the same records in our record case. We got our own style. We got our own personal taste. What’s mine. Music has to be intense and honest. It must strike you.
Some people say your records are commercial. I remember a French techno dude saying that.
I don’t give a … about that kind of comment. If you sell as much records like I do, you wouldn’t care to. The thing is, what’s commercial music and what isn’t? Nobody calls Underworld commercial. They have more success than anyone else. The supply more music to the radio or tv commercials than anyone else. Their biggest hit came from a movie!
What’s more commercial than Underworld? It depends on what you call commercial music.
I don’t care. The French dude is Laurent Garnier right? I don’t think he said that. We are very good friends. I don’t like his music at all, because I dislike Detroit music. He doesn’t like my music and doesn’t understand why I’m producing and playing it.
Why don’t you like Detroit music? Is it too cold, too mechanic and without soul?
I don’t know. There are some Detroit records that I like. But most of it is a heel of a noise.
No, it’s got nothing to do with lack of melody. There are lots of techno records that I do like.
I just don’t have my roots in Detroit. My inspiration is more diverse. From bands like the smiths and new order, to Alanis Morisette and BT and way out west. No, I’ve never been a fan of the Chicago and NY club sound. Though I admire Ron Hellen, A unknown producer from New jersey. I make music that I like,. If others like it, than I’m lucky. But would not change if it if other people didn’t like it.
What is your intention with making records? Reaching as many people as possible?
There are records that say straight what you mean. There are also records that say many different things. That’s way I make different mixes of one song. A techno, poppy house or break beat version. So that Everyone has something of his own taste.
There is a world of difference between your records I hear on the radio and those that you play in a club.
That’s right. There are unwritten laws that people don’t want to hear a Paul van Dyk Techno remix for 10 minutes during the afternoon. I don’t want to here that kind of stuff when I’m driving in my car to the supermarket. I think that most people will agree In a Radio edit you put the meaning of the song back to 3 or 4 minutes.
Last year you won the Ericsson Music award for best dj in the world. What does that say to you and what makes someone the best dj in the world?
I don’t believe in that kind of awards. If you like techno them I’m not your favourite dj.
If you like my music you won’t pick Laurent garnier. The buyers of that magazine make the decision. I’m honoured with it, but it won’t change my life. I always believed in my own music. I wanted to make music without compromise. It’s a reward for the efforts I made last year. Most people don’t know how hard those things are.
What are your Djing qualities?
Hard to say. I think that I’m good at feeling the energy where I’m playing. Whether it’s in a small club or in a giant hall. I try to create a interaction between myself, the music and the audience. Technically I’m a pretty good dj I think. I don’t up while mixing. The most important thing for a good dj is that he’s got his own style. I know djs that have a bad technic but are worth listening to. The are one with their music and know how to play the right record at the right time.
Your colleague Sasha earned $ 200000 with his performance on new years eve. What do you think about the status of djs?
I live a normal life. I absolutely disagree with being a popstar. Off course I drive a big car, I get picked up by limousines, I sleep in 5 star hotels , eat in expensive restaurants and fly business class. If you travel as much as I do and work as hard, than you can’t drive a Fiat Panda with your Record case on your lap. You can’t sleep on the promoter’s couch, because you need your rest. I don’t look on it as the live of a popstar. I look at it as the things that come with the job of being a dj. You have to feel at home when your not. A hotelroom is the least in that case. I didn’t choose to become famous. I make music because I love it. People respect that. Iif people regonize me on the street, they are very friendly. They don’t run to me screaming. They wait for the right moment to ask for a autograph. I try to make as much time for them as possible. Giving autographs is part of being a dj.
You grow up in east berlin. How was your youth and what did the wall mean to you?
As a child you don’t realize what you’re missing because you don’t know what’s behind that wall. If you never saw a banana you don’t know what it tastes like. I was lucky growing up in east berlin. I was able to watch western television. I just wasn’t able to buy the stuff I saw in the commercials. A snickers or a record was out of the question. But things changed. Thank god. The wall meant isolation to me however I was 12 before I realized that. There was no clubbing culture on this side of the wall. There were some freaks that gathered around a ghettoblaster and listened to self recorded music. That was the club scene. Literally underground. I’m happy that the wall is gone but most people from east-germany disagree.
If you don’t try you never get out of east germany. If you obeyed you never had problems.
If you started thinking for your self than you had a major problem. I understand people complaining about the high unemployment numbers, but I’ve got the same background.
At home it was even harder. My mother raised me by herself and we were very poor.
I had a dream and I believed in it. I kept on believing in it. Everyone nowadays has the opportunity to do what he wants to with live. In east germany we did not have that chance. I took mine with both hands
Helm
Sorry swamper, but my English is not that good. I’m sorry. Don’t agree with the sings he says about ferry corsten though, he’s the man!!
By the way, I just listened to Sven vath at innercity. Wow This set is great
things he says about ferry corsten are not true!!! |
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| Swamper |
Awesome!! Thanks!! Your english is more than good enough to understand!
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| ADK |
wow...
what a great (like big, huge) job you did
and that in about 2 hours
(according to the times you posted your 2 posts..)
ADK
(but i dont need the english translation... dutch guy myself) |
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| helm |
But I still disagree about ferry corsten!
Helm |
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| jax |
| quote: | Originally posted by helm
But I still disagree about ferry corsten!
Helm |
Maybe because the translation wasn't entirely correct ?
| quote: | | If I would call ferry corsten a trance dj? Ferry made some great records. I told about cheesy trance before like ATB. Those people give trance a bad name. Most of those records are awful. I don’t to be called the emperor of that . |
Should've been:
"If I feel that the Ferry Corsten sound is part of the trance sound ? Ferry made a couple of fantastic tracks. I was thinking about the cheesy trance that ATB produces. Those kind of producers give Trance a bad name. Many of those so called trance tracks are awfull. I definatly do not want to be called the king of THAT kind of music."
It'a a small difference, I admit. But it makes all the diffference in what he says about Corsten.. :D
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| JeffCee |
Helm - Thanks much for the translation - your english is fine....
That was a really good interview that actaully gave you a peek into the life of a huge DJ. Would like to see more of these from DJ's like VanDyk....
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| RaverFriendly |
| quote: | Originally posted by helm
I finished the translation. I'm sorry for my very bad english.
My inspiration is more diverse. From bands like the smiths and new order, to Alanis Morisette and BT and way out west.
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Yah...Alanis Morissette...canadian connection..
P.S thanx for the translation...must have taken a long time.. |
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