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 We are proud to present you an exclusive interview with Andreas Schmidt, the man behind numerous projects like Ace's Delight, Pervading Call, Sonic Inc., and lots more.. Read on to find out everything you ever wanted to know about this genius!
i:Vibes: Hi Andreas, please, tell us a bit about yourself first? Where do you live, what are your hobbies besides the music, do you have a relationship, a job next to being a producer?
A: Well, I live in a small town next to Frankfurt in Germany. I'm 27 years old and to be honest I do not have many hobbies besides making music. Whenever I can I'm in my studio, trying to fix some hot tunes which are diversifying and sophisticating at the same time. Living that way does not leave much time for "girls" or other pleasing things. Another 4 year relationship just broke into pieces and I must admit that being my girlfriend is not easy since I'm very ambitious when I write Music. I often return home at 02:00 to 03:00 o'clock in the morning, then I answer mails or other business requests since I furthermore founded a publishing company called ACEAGE. So I stay up till 06:00 o'clock and then go to bed. I stand up at 12:00 and drive to the studio at 14:00 o'clock staying there till 02:00 h again.
i:Vibes: How did you get into making music?
A: A friend of mine showed me one of the first 5 track sequencer-keyboards when I was 15. Recording 5 channels and simultaneously playback was hell of an invention to me! But that time I didn?t know that this would be a crucial point of my life.
One year later a friend of mine (Marko Boehme) told me that it is also possible to control keyboards with computers too and he showed me how! This was even better and I said to myself: THAT`S IT!
I directly bought a computer, a sequencing program and a Korg X3 ? so it began!
The following years I used to learn a lot about Midi and all concerned material. I even wrote a track for my final high school prom which was kind of embarrassing though but it was the only way to test how people react on my music.
After school I had to visit the army so time for producing got short but I still kept on reading magazines of keyboards and writing tracks at the weekend. I received some money at the end of the army time and it was merely enough to buy a new keyboard. A Korg Trinity with superb sound! Then ? 1998 I made the acquaintance of Markus (Marc la Cruz)?
I showed him my tracks and he liked them a lot. He asked me if he could get a copy and I of course gave him one. Two days later he called me and said that he?d made a record deal with one of Talla 2xlc?s Labels. We only had to choose a name for the project so ?Airfire? was born on the 03.03.1998!
i:Vibes: What track of your own have you been most satisfied with until now?
A: This is quite a difficult question since I always try to top myself. So I assume it's always the newest one ;-D
i:Vibes: What do you see as the best thing in your music?
A: I must admit that I have no problems writing complex melodic structures or to create moods. I could invent 5 to 10 different melodies a day but I have problems making good progressive/monotone tracks at the moment (atm). They simply do not satisfy me anymore. Furthermore I try to create sort of an environment in my tracks. The track has to "live", it has to offer such a variety of different attractions that it's even worth listening to it after you already listened to it 500 times.
i:Vibes: What do you see as your greatest accomplishment as a producer?
A: In my opinion a real artist is someone who does not influence himself by others or other tracks. He just performs art the way he thinks it ought to be and that to 100%. These kind of people are "Trend-Setter" but there are few. These days the trance scene is minted by "Trend-User" ? those who copy certain passages out of an other song, changing them a bit and reimplant the passages in their own track. Unfortunately this tactic seems to be successful since the "Trend-User" are not the only one who like the "stolen passage". It's also the trance people out there which are betrayed with false fame and proficiency. So I assume the greatest accomplishment is being regarded as a "Trend-Setter", someone with a unique style and great abilities, someone who's able to influence/attract others the way he performs art.
i:Vibes: Are there any collaborations coming up with other producers?
A: I used to have many co-labs in the past and nearly all taught me to stay alone but I'm still open minded when it comes into discussion. So was I when I met Sebastian Ostermann on the Dj Convention early 2003. We talked about past releases and further projects. Then I met him again as I visited Dumonde some weeks later in their studio. I liked his style and he loved mine so we talked about uniting for a project and directly sat down to create the main melodical hookline. Then each of us made an own mix in its own studio and we where very curious about the other ones mix since it was only the hookline that we had in common. Pervading Call was born and I contacted Tony Burt from Above the Sky Records who is without doubt a very competent and fair businessman (and again : there are few!).
i:Vibes: Will you continue making hard and dark trance like Eriel, or is your style changing to something a little more ?soft? (like Mental Theme?s Ultra Trance Mix or the Ace?s Delight Instrumental Mix of Destiny). And what about the Baced project, will there be more productions under that guise?
A: Of course there will be some harder tracks in the future! There must be, because at least one side of a Venom Recordings record ought to be hard-styled! But the other side should be softer then. The record should offer something for everyone and I'm always very vigilant about finding the accurate balance between either sides of every release on my Label.
To calm all you out there who might fear that tracks like Eriel will not be produced anymore since I broke up the business relation with Marc la Cruz ? no worries ... nothing really changed, only the name of the project cause the producer is still the same ;-D
Hehe, yeah and BACED! was originally created by me to have a project where I could totally freak out. As you can see I tried to hide my alias in it! Ace Da Brain .....ACE....D....B.....now B in front and B..ACE..D.
But well ok it could also be interpreted like this : B(rain) (of) ACE = D(ead) ....hehe but lets stop fooling around : Yes there will be some more BACED! projects but as already told I'm not into the right mood now. There will certainly come a time where I will freak out again and then ... BACED! will hit you without mercy again!
i:Vibes: As not many of us seem to know, you are the producer behind the two successful Sonic Inc. tracks ?The Taste Of Summer? and ?I Feel 4 You?. Will you be making more of these a bit ?commercial-minded? tracks in the future (as they had lots of radio play all over Europe)?
A: Oh my god, Sonic Inc.! None of my projects have been such a surprise to me like Sonic Inc.. I produced "The Taste of summer" 4 years ago and was wondering if this track would not be too complicated, too much for the listener. But I released it and sold 800 records here in Germany ... it was a flop! However Armin Johnert (who now takes care of my label concerns for Venom Recordings) told me that this record was huge in Belgium and Holland and even placed number 1. in the charts there! But he told me this one year after so you should have seen my eyes after realising what chance just has passed.
I think one could consider Sonic Inc. as a predecessor of Ace's Delight or at least as the "more commercial" brother. I don't know if I will continue this project because I now try to focus a little bit more on myself and Ace's Delight started very well. Let's see what the future will reveal.
i:Vibes: There are quite a few tracks in the Biography section on your site that haven?t been previously released. Are these going to be released later on or did you just make them for fun?
A: Well, some of these tracks will be released soon but there are of course some others which I can't release due to some quarrels with other so called "producers". "Secret Memory" is one of these tracks I wrote for someone who told me that he needed a new record under his name. So I produced this track unaware of the fact that he wanted 50% of the ownership just because of saying: "I need a new track". As already mentioned above situations like this taught me to produce alone since those tracks are "frozen" now in my release list until lawyerspeak sets a clear solution for this matter.
i:Vibes: What did you feel when you heard that ?Mental Theme? reached number 18 in Armin van Buuren?s A State Of Trance Top 20? Must?ve been kind of a dream coming true?
A: Hehe, to be honest I was a little bit disappointed that it "only" reached place 18. Some of the tracks placed above me where in my opinion a little bit too scanty. I assume it also had to do with the promotion of my track which was not satisfying to me but in the end I guess it's just a matter of taste if a track is good or not ? It all lies in the "ear" of the beholder :-)
i:Vibes: Are there any dreams you still want to see fulfilled, producer-wise?
A: Of course there are! Dreams are the key to exceptional performance. Mine is to be regarded as one of the best among the top elite of producers. So I keep working for this aim trying to give 120% every time.
i:Vibes: From what or who do you get your inspiration? Most of your melodies are very complicated and emotional, do you make these up all by yourself or do you get inspired by classical music, for instance? How long does it take you to create a melody as in, for example, Mental Theme / Destiny?
A: Most of my inspiration comes out of my emotional condition though I have a weakness for melancholic melos. I very seldom listen to other music, neither classical one nor trancy. I think developing like this might be the best way to test my skills and likings. This gives me the chance to develop a unique style and sound which is in my opinion unavoidable if you want to call yourself a real "artist".
Most of my tracks consist of more then one melody. There's one leading into the Break, then there's the Break melody and afterwards there something like a little bridge part to provide that the end does not get too boring by repeating the refrain again and again. Mental Theme took me 1 month to fix it (only the trance mix). The classical parts are my favourites. I often "waste" much time on them. Many natural-sounds have to be fit in, moods and climax have to be created, tempo and volume up and downs have to be designed. My first epic breakdowns started with Marc & Ace - Conquest Paradise and continued to Sonic Inc. - Taste of Summer. But real classical I got first time when I wrote Traveller ? The Arrival (part 1) or Sonic Inc.'s follow-up ? I feel 4 You . I used to write some classical arrangements before but never released them. I loved it but I did not know where to sell so I tried to combine my styles which was not a bad idea ... as I may assume :-)
i:Vibes: What track of yours was very ?easy? to produce, but still with being satisfied with it?
A: Marc la Cruz & Ace Da Brain's ? Eriel! I wrote this track in 3 days but it still hits me every time I listen to it again (Marc la Cruz mix). The Airfire mix took me longer.
i:Vibes: What about your label Venom Recordings? It has had some successful releases in the past, with plays by Armin van Buuren and a lot of other DJ?s. Are there any new releases coming up in the near future?
A: Sure, I'm currently working on the new Venom 004. The Trance mix is finished to 65% and I considered making a hard BACED! Mix on the other side due to the massive request! As far as I can tell the trance mix will be awesome again (well I did my best) and BACED! ... lol you should probably know what you can expect from BACED!
i:Vibes: As far as I know, you haven?t been DJ?ing a lot. Are there any chances you will start doing it, or will you just continue with the producing and leave the spinning to others?
A: I will probably not start spinning cause I think one should concentrate on one thing to get the best success. But you are right there are already many requests if I could DJ in various clubs. I guess I will consider composing a DJ-Staff for Venom-Recordings which could be booked. This leaves me enough time to produce my style and gives others the chance to evolve to a good DJ.
i:Vibes: Now this must be kind of a clich? question, but what do you think of the whole mp3 scene on the internet? Some say it?s an easy way of promoting new tracks to a huge audience, others say it?s just bad for the industry and not helping anyone.. What do you think?
A: Ok let us face the facts. Music industry was heavily damaged by MP3 but in my opinion MP3-compression is really an awesome invention! I think it's time for a change that the Major labels try to prevent. Just ask yourself what is the need of a Major label like Sony or Universal if you could sell your MP3's directly in the net offering your product to "all" people in the world without discounts or processing costs. Overrun by the ongoing the Majors now try to build download ? platforms to prevail their status but it seems as if the little / independent Labels could make more profit out of that. Time will tell but in the end I think everyone will get its share.
i:Vibes: Please name one tune that comes to mind when you think about ?trance?.
A: Not easy since I do not listen to too many tracks. I think my definition of trance is Stuff from Above & Beyond. These Guys produce brillant trance!
i:Vibes: Please name one producer you?d like to collaborate with in the future.
A: If not Above & Beyond I would choose Ferry Corsten.
i:Vibes: Hard and banging or soft and emotional?
A: Both, but at the moment soft and emotional.
i:Vibes: Full on vocal or instrumental?
A: No question! Instrumental RULEZ!
i:Vibes: What?s your favourite synthesizer?
A: Waldorf Q but ideally it's my Korg Trinity.
i:Vibes: What was the number 1 tune of 2003 in your opinion?
A: Hehe, really want to know that? Mental Theme!
i:Vibes: Anything you want to say to the i:Vibes visitors?
A: I'd like to say thank you for the support and the interest. I will confront you with some awesome new work in 2004 so be prepared ;-D But I have to take a "time out" for 3 month producing an Album for some others. Hope you won't be disappointed but I promise to be back soon .... and then better than ever!
Cheerio and greetz from Germany!!!
Yours truly,
Andreas Schmidt (alias Ace da Brain)
Producer and Labelowner
Head of ACEAGE Musikverlag
Andreas, thanks alot for taking time to answer our questions. We hope to see alot more from you in the future!!
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