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1. So, Leon tell us more about how it all started, and what helped you become where you are now?
well actually theres different 'cue points' in my career - starting from the first time i heard commercial dance music (2 unlimited - no limit; was on repeat on my oldskool walkman back then), the first time i received a shareware tracker program to use on my pc in 1995 to create some simple electronic music, the shift to hardcore house in 1996 and from there my love for the more melodic oriented productions (some rave tracks, e.g. by Dune), and then the first time I heard Energy 52's Cafe Del Mar (and falling in love with it that very time) on national radio when i was on holiday in the UK with my family: I instantly decided - this is what i wanna make, dance music with a certain feeling..
After that me and my younger bro got some better programs to produce music with (cubasis sx and nuendo 1.0) and we started fooling around with those progs, and after a while started to send some demos to Armin van Buuren, who was up and coming back then. I decided to send those tracks to Armin because I just heard his Boundaries of Imagination mix compilation and I loved many tracks on there - besides, it was possible to contact him thru his website.. in short, after a while we got a publishing deal, got some remix assignments, my bro by then quit making music to concentrate on his own garden architecture business and I started to release my first tracks and remixes.. and from this point to the point I am now it just has become more fun by the day!
2. We've missed "Surpresa"! That project coming back to life anytime soon?
well, all aliases I have are used for different record labels, its all about different contracts.. Surpresa was signed to Armada back in the days, under my Inner Stories moniker i kinda produced the same music for Blackhole recordings. When I sign some more music to Armada in the future, in the same style, it will be a Surpresa track anyway! Tho, its not about the project names, its about the
music, for my upcoming album theres some 'Surpresa-like' tracks finished, but because its my album, im just using my own name for that. So no worries, I will never stop making this kinda music!
3. What would you do if you didn't become a dj? And on the other hand, what would you do if you became #1 dj?
I really dont know what i wouldve done when i wouldnt have become a dj (or producer). I always was in love with making music, tho I studied at the university here in Holland and finished that study (planning). Didnt really like it tho, so in the end these years of study was the amount of time I gave myself to break through into the music scene - as a producer first, as a dj later on. Pointless to say im very glad it worked out well in the end!
What would I do if I became number 1 dj? haha.. tough question, i can tell you one thing tho, i'll celebrate.. but thats not too special - i already celebrate the fact that it's monday for instance, always cool to find reasons to party, right?
4. You guys in the Dutch Trance Alliance seem pretty close. Whom do you feel is closest to you and why?
i cant really give an answer to that... its true Ive become close with many of the new trance/dance/electronic music generation in Holland (and not just Holland), its like I have a new group of friends apart from the friends I already had from my childhood on.. and everyone is different, tho all people in the dance music I know and am close to have a couple of things in common: they know how to have fun, they have a passion for dance music, and its fun hanging out with!
- So you love them all the same?:P
thats not true cuz i dont know them all... but in general you can say most of the people I meet in the dance industry are nice people, fun to hang out with and down to earth!
5. With the scene welcoming and accrediting younger producers by the year where do you see yourself in 10 years?Do you believe you will be able to keep up with the current pace dictated by the never-ending need of new productions?
yes I think I can keep up with the pace, I love doing what I do so I hope to be doing this for a long time!
- So where do you see yourself in 10 years?
well thats hard to answer, I hope Im still djing and producing, and I hope to continue my career in an upwards way like it is going now - from releasing my first remix to playing at trance energy mainstage, releasing my first album and travelling the world..
..and besides I hope to still have my family and friends around!
- Married with children perhaps?
haha im not planning that kinda stuff, i just see what happens!
6. You have a pretty unique and recognizable sound. Give us your own description of it!
Usually moody, always having a certain drive, and not going back to things that already have been done too many times, but heading for the opposite direction
7. If you were to switch one day to house music, who would be the artist you'd collaborate with?
well first of all - i dont believe in switching styles... i believe in evolution, and every artist can 'borrow' influences from other styles or produce stuff in other styles, whatever style that is, as long as you love what you do.. I actually produced a (tech)housy track for Cloud9 dance, called Basement, dont know when it will be released. The answer to your question tho would be: Eric Prydz.
8. Alright... Moving on to the hot stuff... So tell us more about your long waited album: "Pictures"!
hehe.... well at first I can tell Im very happy with the result!
The album will feature 20 new or unreleased tracks, and 4 older tracks (Ocean Drive Boulevard, Summernight Confessions, Crazy People (Alternative Mix) and Poseidon). Needless to say, that its gonna be a double CD to fit those 24 tracks! The second disc will feature fresh collaborations with Cliff Coenraad vs Thomas Hagenbeek, Joop, Sied van Riel, Daniel Wanrooy (Progression), Freek Geuze (Fine Taste/Global Illumination), Jonas Steur and Galen Behr.. and the album will feature various styles, tho the album is focused on melodic and moody music - going from ambient/downtempo, minimal (neo)trance, melodic house, melodic and uplifting trance to some tech trance.
and for the people from Lebanon - one of the tracks is called Beyrouth, cause thinking of my visit there still makes me wanna come back!
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9. You kind of answered my following question involving a surprise for the lebanese people!
... So, what made you choose the city's name as one of your track's titles? And did you capture anything of the city's essence in the track? Or was the naming done randomly?
I chose different cities/places all over the world for some track titles, cause the album is a reflection of what I have been through the last couple of years, hence the title 'pictures' as well. I really liked the warmth of the people in Beirut, the track about Beirut hence is a very warm layered track.. I don't know what the city's essence is tho, I'm not from Beirut, but it's the way I felt when being there that is translated into the track..
its a combination between minimal and trance, with a very moody feeling... i guess that kinda tells how the track sounds!
10. What would be your favorite track on the album? And what track did you mostly have fun while producing.. We can clearly see fun oozing out from some of the track's title's suck as "XD" and "YE". Explain!
needless to say I had fun producing all tracks... theres different fun attached to all different tracks, from being in the studio together with my friends for the collabs, the hanging out / partying with them in between, the fun when producing Ocean Drive Boulevard (cause that was the first track I produced after buying the Acces Virus TI, it's like discovering a whole new world of fat sounds and knobs to tweak), writing Summernight Confessions after listening to Chopin... XD is a different story tho, I was working on this loop for a couple of hours and I was thinking, damn this is going nowhere.. then I added this deep bassline and just let the loop flow into that bassline and I was like WOW this is soooo gonna rock
Y is next to X in the alphabet, same goes for E and D, hence YE - cause this originally would be a remix for the XD track.. but while i was working on it i decided to make the track decide for itself in what direction it would go and I made a solo track out of it..
In the end, all tracks have different stories... my favorite track of the album, not sure about that as well! Usually my latest track is my favorite track. I still enjoy tracks like Poseidon, Ocean Drive Boulevard, Summernight Confessions and Crazy People very much, thats why theyre on the CD. But because the tracks are different I dont know what track I like most.
11. Whom would be your choice to remix some of the tracks in your album, and which tracks?
at the moment theres plans for different remixes:
-Nic Chagall is working on a remix for 'I Finally Found'
-Jonas Steur remixed XD
-Airbase is gonna remix either YE or Lost Luggage (from me and Jonas), same goes for Rank1, Arnej is gonna remix Lost Luggage as well.
and besides that, Im not like: this track should be remixed by him or her, and this track by another... ofcourse there's producers I respect very much, not only from trance/dance music.. I would love to see what Prydz would do with any track, or maybe even Timbaland.. I always like the remixer to surprise me anyway!
12. When's the album going to be out? And is it gonna be available on iTunes?
The album will be in stores on September 29th, and yes, its gonna be available on iTunes if i'm not mistaken!
..Some random questions..
13. Whom do you think is "The Producer of 2008" so far? And what is your true opinion on Deadmau5?
the producer of 2008 - don't know really. I like many producers for being original. If I have to pick one, it'd be Arnej, because I didn't hear from him for a long time (music wise), and now he is back with a bang!
Deadmau5: simple: I love most of his productions. Never seen him live tho.
14. What kind of slippers do you wear at home, and what is the last thing you do before you go to bed?
haha! * looks at slippers * uhh well the slippers are green and yellow, thats all there is to be told about those things
the last thing I do before I go to bed is switching off the screens and the Access Virus TI...
15. If it was your last gig ever, and you had time for just one more track to play, what would it be?
Energy 52 - cafe del mar (three n one remix)
Et voila! That's it... Any final words for TH members and lebanese people in general?
Of course! I really hope to see you soon again!!!
Thanx alot Leon!
w000000t!!
)...And green and yellow slippers?? I always saw Leon as the leather kind-of type...and Deadmau5 for producer of the year??but but why???? 
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