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Interview with Paul van Dyk inside...
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| Starfox |
Paul van Dyk
'Global'
CD / DVD 2 disc set
Release Date: February 11, 2003
Interview with Paul van Dyk about 'Global' was translated from German to Enlish. Enjoy :-)
Paul van Dyk Interview:
What was the idea behind releasing a CD / DVD 2 Disk set? What was your personal motivation?
The idea to start this project was motivated by two rather different things. The outer motivation was that, at the beginning of 2002, I finally had all the rights of my own productions, which had been in the hands of MFS all the years before. I've been DJing and producing music for more than ten years, and all of a sudden, there was this opportunity for a look back over my shoulders - a personal experience but also an experience to share with my long-term fans who have been tremendously important for my work. The inner reason is that I wasn't interested in doing just another "Best Of..." album. The world has changed so much in the last years. Especially the street and club culture as it has emerged since the beginning of the 90s has had some crucial impact on this development. I wanted to create something which is technically up-to-date and capable of reflecting the atmosphere and many facets of today's global culture. Well, and I've always been the one taking the steep and stony path (laughing), which brought me in the position of having to invest much more time and energy than I could ever have imagined. But now that this project is finished, I'm very happy. All the work was very rewarding and this release truly captures a part of my world that is so important to me.
What exactly do you mean by saying "much more work than I could ever have imagined?"
(laughing) I am a very demanding and ambitious person. That's why I searched and found partners for the realization of this DVD project who are equally ambitious in their line of work. For the video footage and visual design, I could win over Die Gestalten (Berlin), who have been specialzing on DVD productions and motion graphics for the last years. On the other hand, it was Nucleus sound studio (Berlin), who are one of the leading German studios in the field of 5.1 surround sound productions. The spirit and verve of all partners involved has been fantastic. There were millions of details to discuss and coordinate. We produced hundreds of gigabytes which went straight to the waste bin and which will never ever surface anywhere. I'm really glad that everything is over and done, but at the same time, I'm very happy about having learned so many things in the process. And I hope that the bits and bytes from the bin leave some traces of quality on the final version of the visuals.
How did you select the tracks? It must have been rather difficult to choose 13 tracks from a period of ten years of music production...
Well, actually, it was rather easy. More or less, I decided by intuition. I have to admit, though, that some tracks are easier to "translate" into 5.1 surround sound than others, which also had some influence on me. Still, the key question for me was, which of the tracks were crucial for me personally and which of the tracks received the most emotional or enthusiastic feedback of my fans. And, if possible, I wanted to represent the many shades of my productions as well. Apart from club hits such as "We Are Alive" from my last album, you'll also encounter more quiet but also highly intensive tracks, such as "A Magical Moment." This track from my first album was never released separately on vinyl, but to me it's one of the most important tracks. On the DVD, the track is connected with a gig of mine in Bangkok. The impressions of this amazing place, the atmosphere in the club and the reactions of my fans - these are all some of the "magical moments" which I consider myself very lucky to experience.
You've remixed all tracks on this DVD for 5.1 sound and then blended them in a 74 minutes DJ mix. What can we expect soundwise and what will the listener familiar with your work find in them?
My inner guideline was to have all songs sound as close to the original as possible. I took a very personal approach. Let me give you an example. New Order's "Blue Monday" was one of the songs which influenced me most in all my life. Whenever I feel like listening to this song, I want to listen to the original version and not the 25th or whatever remix version. At the same time, the new sound technology offers ways to experience sounds on a higher emotional level than ever before. If a sound or one soundtrack moves through a room, the effect is fantastic - and a new way of sensual pleasures is created. That's why I dissected my old tracks and put them together again in the most effective way while staying true to the original. Apart from making this effort, we have two different mixes on this DVD. One is a studio mix, the other a live mix. Whenever you see me walking on the streets, you'll also hear street sounds, Whenever you see the crowd in the club, you'll hear club sounds. That's how we tried to create this feeling of being right in the middle of the action. For me, the sound design is about 50% of what makes this DVD so special.
Soundwise, the DVD starts with "We Are Alive," which could be played as the highlight of a DJ set and might be expected in the middle or end of a tracklisting, like on your last studio album Out There And Back. On the DVD, this track hits us right at the beginning, followed by "Seven Days" which seems to be used as a late intro, an impression supported by the subtitle of "Global Overview." How would you describe the structure or plot of the whole DVD?
Well, from what I know Global is one of the first DVDs residing in the genre of "electronic music" in a global club context. Therefore, we obviously don't know how people will respond to this product. That's why we decided to put "We Are Alive" as a big 'Bang!' opener. We tried to create an interesting and much diversified product, which captivates its audience from the very start. I personally like the musical flow on this release. After the bang! of "We Are Alive", the mix becomes rather trippy, then grows in intensity, before it gains a more open sound character emphasizing on positive vibes and positivity in general. I keep on using the term 'we' which always includes the whole team of this production. For example, we rebuilt the interior of the Casino club in Berlin according to the requirements of an authentic live club recording in 5.1 sound, because we wanted to have an authentic club sound on the DVD. We had to make painstaking efforts in all steps of the production process. We had to adjust and coordinate the sound and video material, a process which started with meetings in March 2002 and ended at the beginning of November. That was the only way to have a corresponding DJ and visual mix. We also had to have an eye on the viewers capacity trying to avoid an overstraining with excessive visual signals. Therefore we developed a strategy of accentuating and diversifying the different visual devices in the different chapters - which also had an impact on the order of the tracks.
The second chapter is subtitled 'Global Overview' and is structured with 10 terms such as Future, Society, Recreation, Movement or Grace. How did you decide on this selection and do these terms carry a deeper meaning for yourself?
Let me try to put it that way... Quite frequently, people ask me about the most influential things or events in my life. I then honestly answer: "Life in general!" I've always been an open-minded person and cosmopolitan as one could be growing up in East Berlin. The 10 terms are just one attempt at structuring the sometimes overpowering global impressions and making them comparable. The result is astonishing - if one looks closely, there is so much we and our cultures all have in common. Just look at the police officers in Korea and England or the clubbers in Berlin and Tokyo. In this chapter, we contextualized video material from all over the world - we 'snatched' them from their local context and put them, in the categories you mentioned, in a new associative order. By doing so, we succeeded in creating a mosaic of the "global culture" right at the beginning of the DVD. Of course, we hope, that we can make people curious for what is in store for them in the following ten chapters, in places like Tokyo, Northampton, Berlin, Ibiza, Bangkok and Mexico.
The whole DVD could also be seen as a fascinating documentary of the global club culture with cultural relevance for the whole society. Do you think that this ambitious approach will be embraced by worldwide trance fans in general and how will your fans react to it?
Well, first of all, I don't see myself as DJ and producer of trance music, but rather of electronic dance music in general with quality being my topmost objective. I am convinced that global thinking and global influences are part of what makes my music so attractive. I am pretty sure that people who like my music are very interested in getting insight in what's going on around them especially if it transcends their personal limitations. Luckily, I'm in the position to travel around the whole world and make a living out of it. And I want to share my experiences with my fans. I think that the global aspect of this DVD will be as much appreciated as I am appreciated as an artist in many different countries around the globe. (laughing) Of course, I also hope, that the superior quality of this DVD will open up new horizons to some 5.1 freaks. This DVD operates on such a high technical level, that some people will buy this product who otherwise would never ever have come into contact with my music...
Let's touch another subject... A closer look at the complete video footage of this DVD reveals that your physical representation is surprisingly rare. For the most part, you are to surface but in rather short cuts and it's only the last short chapter, supported by the track "My World" which focuses on your persona. How does this subordinate visual presence fit with your outstanding position on the international music scene? Some magazines refer to you as "Leader of the Trance Nation" or "Trance Messiah." Can you give us some hints of how you see yourself?
I don't see myself as a "leader" of any kind and I don't see myself as the centre of what's going on around me. Most people, and especially the music press like to see us DJs as magicians having some obscure power over the crowd. I personally think that the opposite is true. It's the 2,000 party people in a club who are in charge. It's an interactive process that starts with me playing some records. I can but offer some direction, but the crowd will react and respond to that, thus leading me to react to them. A good DJ recognizes the vibe and dynamic process in the club and adjusts his set to the vibe he feels... Let me put it another way: I am NOT a pop star! (laughing). Pop stars use the media for their own purposes, to get them heaved on a pedestal. When a new album of Kylie Minogue is released, the last thing the public is about to come to know, is who produced the album or who were the musicians that played a vital role in the production. The main question will always be how short Kylie's skirt was or who she was having an affair with lately...
Alright, then let's drop the "leader" issue... Could we then describe you as ambassador of electronic music or, at least, as a kind of medium who enforces the progress of the further developing club culture?
Definitively not. I am neither an ambassador nor a medium. I just love what I do and and everything I do, I do for the love of music. And I hope that people appreciate me and my work for what I'm doing. There is no other way to describe it. In Germany, we say that you better leave the church in the village, if you know what I mean. It is as simple as that - music is the centre of my life. The effect of music in general, and this is true for my music in particular, is always an individual one - and therefore outside of my direct influence. That's why this DVD shows first and foremost the music and how people worldwide react to it. I am a part in the whole process, and I am very happy to be able to be that part.
This release is titled Global and you constantly travel around the globe. As a matter of consequence, there is a nice device on your website, the so-called "PauLocator." This button allows to trace you everywhere at any given time. In spite of all your cosmopolitan thinking and worldwide obligations, you still refer to yourself as "homeboy" of Berlin. Is it really possible to be homeboy and global player in one and the same person?
If that's possible? Of course it's possible. Absolutely! Wherever I travel, I promote Berlin. Quite obviously, New York is wonderful, London fantastic and Tokyo terrific - but it will always remain something very special and unique to fly into Berlin, in daytime, at night time, whenever. I haven't found any other place where I can feel as relaxed and comfortable as in Berlin. If you must call me some kind of ambassador, then that of Berlin. I love this city. Berlin is my home and my home town.
What do you expect from this release?
I wish, that people accept and understand this CD / DVD in the way we tried to conceptualize it. I would like people to feel how much effort and love we put into the production process. And I hope that people get inspired from the positive vibes and can draw some energy for their daily lives.
-taken from an email |
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| Apollokiev |
"Well, first of all, I don't see myself as DJ and producer of trance music, but rather of electronic dance music in general with quality being my topmost objective..."
:cool: |
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| DeusAnubis |
| thanks for the info f0x ;) and where is the german version of this iv ? ;)) |
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| Starfox |
| quote: | Originally posted by DeusAnubis
thanks for the info f0x ;) and where is the german version of this iv ? ;)) |
i don`t have it... I got the english version via email..
xxx
f0x |
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| PatMcGroin |
| quote: | Originally posted by Starfox
Soundwise, the DVD starts with "We Are Alive," which could be played as the highlight of a DJ set and might be expected in the middle or end of a tracklisting, like on your last studio album Out There And Back. On the DVD, this track hits us right at the beginning, followed by "Seven Days" which seems to be used as a late intro, an impression supported by the subtitle of "Global Overview." How would you describe the structure or plot of the whole DVD?[/b]
Well, from what I know Global is one of the first DVDs residing in the genre of "electronic music" in a global club context. Therefore, we obviously don't know how people will respond to this product. That's why we decided to put "We Are Alive" as a big 'Bang!' opener. We tried to create an interesting and much diversified product, which captivates its audience from the very start. I personally like the musical flow on this release. After the bang! of "We Are Alive", the mix becomes rather trippy, then grows in intensity, before it gains a more open sound character emphasizing on positive vibes and positivity in general. I keep on using the term 'we' which always includes the whole team of this production. For example, we rebuilt the interior of the Casino club in Berlin according to the requirements of an authentic live club recording in 5.1 sound, because we wanted to have an authentic club sound on the DVD. We had to make painstaking efforts in all steps of the production process. We had to adjust and coordinate the sound and video material, a process which started with meetings in March 2002 and ended at the beginning of November. That was the only way to have a corresponding DJ and visual mix. We also had to have an eye on the viewers capacity trying to avoid an overstraining with excessive visual signals. Therefore we developed a strategy of accentuating and diversifying the different visual devices in the different chapters - which also had an impact on the order of the tracks.
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OMFG OMFG! I CAN'T WAIT! :D :D :D :D
paul describes it as trippy, lol :p |
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| VisionsofPVD |
Great interview...the man is too humble...
it seems Paul is not afraid of attempting new concepts..and thats what I like about him..or love should I say.;) |
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| benoitfan |
Nice interview there :eyes:
can't wait to buy the DVD! still 3 weeks to go :whip: |
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| Starfox |
| quote: | Originally posted by benoitfan
Nice interview there :eyes:
can't wait to buy the DVD! still 3 weeks to go :whip: |
hehehe... tomorrow here!!!!!! :toothless :toothless :toothless :toothless :toothless :toothless |
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| LiquidX |
| Nice interview !:D |
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| djtecktonik |
OHH MAN......
ONLY 17.5 hours to goooo........ |
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| benoitfan |
Hmmm I wonder if I can order it from Vandit rightaway without waiting till March.. oh well, but I do want the European version so...
I'll wait :whip: |
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| sot |
| interesting interview..paul hates being classified into one genre..every interview they say hes a trance dj he always reponds NO NO! im a electronic dance music dj lol..but yea..cant wait to pick this puppy up tommorow :) |
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