i:Vibes got together with the two lads behind the awesome Sequentia project and had a good chat about who they are and what they do...
Sequentia – A duo living apart.
Trance is as alive as ever, as there are always new faces coming into the scene and growing in popularity and one of these up & coming projects is Sequentia. They have produced many beautiful refreshing sounds in 2007 and have kept the trance public curious for new tunes. Sequentia are German Daniel Garczyk and Dutchman Mark Hoogkamer. Before the two lads met online in 2004, they had already had their first own experiences at producing tracks. Daniel, based in Aachen, Germany, made a buzz in 2003 with his project Far & Away. His first attempts with “Solstice” got thumbs up from top DJs Armin van Buuren and Above & Beyond. Mark, on the other hand, from Rotterdam, had a special Dutch spice in his tracks which got the attention of many DJs. His first track ’Iron Butterfly’ as Spiral Motion put him on the trance map. Soon collaborations with Kamil Polner, Skyform and Amphiby followed. In 2005 Sequentia was born and so was their first hit ’Eclipse’. Ian Betts of Six:Thirty Records gave the boys the chance to release on his label. Many more tracks followed like ’Innuendo’ and ’Kaleidoscope’. In 2007, they have been extremely busy with new productions as well as remixes. They remixed known artists like Airbase, Static Blue, Lost Witness and Jan Johnston. They also did stellar remixes for the classic Mirco de Govia track ’Aura Indigo’ as well as possibly remixing one of best tracks of 2007 “Never Gone” by Adam Nickey. They have released on well known labels like Anjunabeats, Enhanced and Alter Ego. These guys have a huge future in front of them and i:Vibes had a chance to talk with them.
i:Vibes: Hi guys, how are you? Thanks for talking to i:Vibes. How was your Christmas? Were you able to take a few days off from music or is trance always in your heads?
Mark: Actually I partied non-stop during the entire holidays. The last few months have been so busy, that I had to cancel all work those two weeks to experience a well deserved ‘break from everyday life’.
Daniel: I spent Christmas with my family and stayed at my parents’ place during the holidays and as every year on Christmas Eve my brother and I met up with friends to go to a local club... that’s always great fun - I didn’t actually listen to trance during those days.
i:Vibes: What is your biggest trance wish in 2008?
Mark: I think I speak for both of us when I say it’s all about thrills. We get excited when we see thousands of people enjoying our music, and basically that’s all we want from this, also in 2008. We would like to experiment with various styles, create music with inspiring artists and have lots of fun with this great music style called trance.
Daniel: I’d still like to add one thing ;). One of my big wishes is to DJ at some cool events around the globe, as I’m a DJ as well besides being a producer.
i:Vibes: How was your childhood? Did music play an important role in your early life?
Daniel: I had a lovely childhood, there’s realy nothing to complain about. Music hasn’t always been playing an important role in my life, but obviously that changed :P.
Mark: For me, music was there from the start. I got some mixtapes from my parents containing all sorts of electronic music from the early 80s. Later on I became a big fan of Italo Disco and then trance – both have more in common than many people know. All in all, I had a wonderful childhood and got to develop a deep love for dance music.
i:Vibes: What were your early musical inspirations and why?
Daniel: Well, as a young kid I listened to pop music like everyone does I guess, though that hasn’t been inspiring for me ;) but I started listening to electronic dance music rather early in 1997 (aged 11-12) and some rock stuff like Ramstein (I’m not kindding :P) and my biggest musical ispiration was Piet Blank’s weekly radio show 1 Live Partyservice. That show instantly got me hooked and I wanted to become a DJ ever since, and eventually I did when I was 15.
Mark: As Daniel said, Italo Disco and to be more precise all kinds of productions from Discomagic, A.Beat-C and Memory Records. Tracks like ,’Robot Is Systematic’ were and are out of this world and have done great things for the dance scene. Another big musical inspiration for me is Annerley Gordon (Whigfield), she has the perfect voice for dance music. In the trance world Vincent de Moor has yet to be beaten.
i:Vibes: What was the defining moment in your lives where you fell in love with trance?
Mark: I always listened to trance, even in the 90s, but was swept away in 2003 by the track ’Crystal Clouds’ by Questia (Vincent de Moor). Do I need to say more?
Daniel: I can’t really point out a certain moment but as mentioned earlier, listening to 1 Live Partyservice really got me into it.
i:Vibes: Trance was never as big in Germany as in Holland. Where did you guys get your trance moments in clubs? Daniel, did you find any good underground trance parties in NRW? Maybe you visited a Technoclub party in Frankfurt in the last years? Mark had more chances to see fine trance events in Holland.
Mark: We actually visited a great trance party in The Hague together, that was a nice experience. A few years ago I had a lot of fun going to almost every trance party and meeting up with people like Robert Burns and Thomas Bronzwaer – definitely the most fun people in the scene! Nowadays I’m a little out of touch, but hope to make up for it this year.
Daniel: I usually go to clubs where they play rock and indie stuff when I go out. Although I love go to some trance parties as well for a change, but you can hardly find any around here. No I have never been to a Technoclub party (yet). Quite recently Steven Liquid a DJ/producer living near Aachen set up a monthly club night in Aachen at Club New Water (http://www.new-water.de/) which already had DJs like Shah, Pedro Del Mar or Sasha Da Link on the line up and I also played there in January!
i:Vibes: You guys are 22 and 23. Are you fulltime producers or do you have other jobs as well? Daniel is living in Aachen, let me guess you are at university there, am I right? I lived near Aachen some years ago. Mark, what else do you do in Rotterdam?
Daniel: Yup, you’re quite right ;). I’m studying at RWTH University.
Mark: My busy life is made up of university (Urban Design), work (bartender) and being president of RTM XL, an organisation dedicated to metropolitan developments in Rotterdam. Basically I love everything I do, living in a beautiful city with great architecture and urban developments and lots of good dance clubs.
i:Vibes: I guess the line “What would we do without the internet?” is something you guys live by. You met online in 2004 and have been making music together ever since. What made your partnership so unique? You must have more than just a partnership now, but friendship?
Daniel: We are definitely friends! The funny thing is that when we meet up we spend more time having fun than actually making music. I think the power of Sequentia is the friendship underneath and the fact that we both just want to enjoy ourselves and that line you mentioned is indeed something we live by.
i:Vibes: You guys live in two different places. How do you produce music? Are you always sending files back and forth, or do you find some time to be in the studio together? Aachen is not too far from Rotterdam.
Mark: We indeed send projects back and forth or define tasks that we stick to. I’ve given Daniel a tour of my city and country a few times, and I intend to visit Germany this year. It’s hard when you’re both students as well.
i:Vibes: You guys have been on a steady rise in the last years. Have you been surprised by your success so far? You are still looking for the big breakthrough, which most likely will follow very soon.
Mark: In our eyes, we’ve already made it. We are making the music that we would play in clubs or at home ourselves, and lots of people are enjoying it. That’s pure magic. We never thought so many people would be touched by what we do, but things just seem to get better for us everyday and it feels like a dream already.
Daniel: I completely agree with Mark here and hopefully the BIG breakthrough will follow very soon.
i:Vibes: Your sound is really fresh and beautiful. How would you describe your sound?
Daniel: I think it’s a really driving and emotional sound, that works well in a club and on your stereo at home, but it’s kinda hard for me to describe it. I think there is always something about music that can’t be desrcibed with words.
i:Vibes: You guys have a real classy sound that is so genuine. How much of a perfectionist do you both say you are? I am sure you have sweated many times getting the perfect sounds.
Daniel: We definitely are perfectionists, we don’t want to put our name on something that we ourselves consider something of low quality. We both definitely had many hard times “getting the perfect sounds”, and we still have these moments sometimes, but when you see how well a record that you have invested that extra in goes down, you know that it was all worth the trouble!
i:Vibes: Do you guys have certain duties in the studio? Who does what and what are your strengths in the studio?
Mark: I can say Daniel is the details guy, I am always amazed at the little sequences and melodies he comes up with to really polish a track.
Daniel: Although we don’t stick to any certain rule about who’s doing what we usually end up doing it in a certain way. Most of the time Mark starts with a rough arrangement, on which we keep building our track up from. One rule that we actually go by all the time is to come up with a lead melody before we start working on the actual track.
i:Vibes: What studio equipment do you have and besides your PC, what piece of equipment could you not live without?
Mark: For ’Eclipse’, ’Innuendo’ and a few other tracks we used a Virus C but we decided to get rid of it since software has gotten so much better!
Daniel: My headphones!
i:Vibes: Congratulations on winning the Euphonic Remix contest. Your remix of ’Aura Indigo’ is really fantastic. Did you ever think that you could win this contest?
Daniel: I thought that there was a chance of winning it, but that wasn’t something I was too sure of since there were a lot talented producers taking part in that contest.
Mark: It may sound strange, but Daniel did such a great job with this remix that I had a strong feeling it would be one of the winners.
i:Vibes: Where were you guys and what were you doing when you found out you had won the Euphonic Remix contest?
Daniel: I just returned back home University, checked my emails and one of them was from Ralph Kyau. I didn’t celebrate it but I was quite happy about it !
i:Vibes: Did Ralph Kyau give you guys any advice for the future? Euphonic is a very close knit family with very few artists, but who knows, your sound on a Euphonic release in the future could make Euphonic very proud.
Mark: For 2008 we have a lot of great tracks lined up on other labels, but we also have some material that they might like. We plan to take on less remix jobs so we can work on some original tracks maybe something for Euphonic or any other quality label that is willing to take care of them.
i:Vibes: Was ’Aura Indigo’a difficult remix to make? Obviously you can’t touch the beautiful melody, but you guys did a great job making a completely new track. What was the toughest thing you had to do to get the remix the way you wanted to?
Daniel: It was rather easy to do this remix to be honest. I’m a big fan of Mirco de Govia’s work so it wasn’t difficult to get into this track at all and once you got your inspiration going things can turn out quite nice quite easily haha. The toughest thing was to shorten the track for the release (because they decided to put 4 tracks on the vinyl) without killing the atmosphere.
i:Vibes: I love the way you guys fight to get a beautiful atmosphere into the tracks. A perfect example is Sunshade - City Of Glass. I just absolutely love this track. What was the inspiration behind this track? How do you find the perfect atmosphere?
Mark: Both Sunshade tracks (’Vertigo’ will be on the B-side) have a typical atmosphere with lush, dreamy pads and a stabby lead synth. In my opinion, this contrast is what makes the tracks strong. It will be a very special release for both of us!
Daniel: There are so many things inspiring us, from everyday moments to club experiences, you name it… it can be anything. Speaking for myself, most of the inspiration I get is rather subconscious I think. One source of inspiration that I’m aware of has to be messing around with chords or sounds in my sequencer, this usually works for me.
i:Vibes: I also love your remix of Adam Nickey - Never Gone. This was one of my favourite tracks of 2007. The original was incredible, the Above & Beyond Respray breathtaking and your remix just magnificent. This track can make you cry at moments or make you smile at others. How hard was it getting this remix so good? The original and Above & Beyond mix were already very good, but your mix gave it a special energy. What is your favourite part of your remix?
Daniel: For me it’s the additional chord changes at the end of the climax, cause it realy lifts the track up once more. I’m really satisfied with this remix in general anyway. ;)
i:Vibes: What can we expect from you in 2008?
Mark: where original tracks are concerned we have ’Eclipse’, ’City Of Glass’, ’Vertigo’ and ’Undiscovered’ lined up. Also in the works are collaborations with Static Blue (’Sacrifice’), Lost Witness (’Fade’) and Adam Nickey (’Like Strangers’). Besides these you can expect a lot of new sounds and styles, and some remixes that we’re about to finish.
i:Vibes: With who would you like to spend a day in the studio and why?
Daniel: Kyau & Albert, their sound is very innovativ, fresh and never fails to impress me.
Mark: Definitely Vincent de Moor, he is a trance hero!
i:Vibes: Where do you see the trance sound going in 2008?
Daniel: Over the past two years trance has became a lot groovier and I think that’s the direction things will be heading in 2008 as well.
i:Vibes: Trance has been slowly dying in Germany the last years. Guys like Paul van Dyk and Kyau & Albert are giving trance a top name in the scene with their labels Vandit and Euphonic. Talla 2XLC is running the legendary Technoclub. Then there are many young trance producers like Cold Blue, Cressida or Store N Forward making fine trance for the future. How do you guys see the whole German trance scene? What went wrong in the last years and can anything be done so that the scene picks up again?
Daniel: I don’t think that something went wrong, because there has almost nothing been going on partywise and most of the german trance producers are rather part of the dutch or UK trance scene. That’s the sad truth. A problem is that many people here, connect trance with some cheesy chart dance acts. “Real” trance music can’t be found on German music televison and it hardly can be found in the playlists of big radio stations either, so it’s hard to build up something like a fan base for this kind of music, because many people don’t ever get in touch with it.
i:Vibes: You guys are looking for DJ gigs. What is the most important thing for you as DJs?
Daniel: It’s important that the people coming to see you play have a good time, cause that’s what they’re paying for when going out – having a fun time. The more they enjoy to see me play the more I enjoy playing anyway.
i:Vibes: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Mark: Hopefully working as an urban designer for the Rotterdam city council, while still creating music with Daniel. I’d like us to make some albums, to tell a bigger Sequentia-story than we can do now.
Daniel: Hopefully working as a grammar school teacher and still being able to DJ and to produce the music I love.
i:Vibes: What are your five all time favourite tracks?
Daniel: It would be to difficult to go for an all genres top list, so I’m naming only trance tracks. Perpetuous Dreamer – The Sound Of Goodbye (Armin’s Tribal Feel) Mekka – Diamondback Goldenscan – Sunrise (DJ Tiesto Mix) Delerium Feat. Sarah McLachlan – Silence (DJ Tiesto ISOS Mix) Tilt – Invisible (Lost Tribe Vocal Mix) …oh boy this list could go on and on, there’s just so much good stuff out there!
Mark: Tony Caso - Dancing In Heaven Nitrous Oxide - Morning Light Poet In Process – Freeway Cellophane - Music Colours Primadonna - Flashing On The Floor
i:Vibes: What are your current five favourite tracks?
Daniel: Signalrunners - Electric Sheep (Nitrous Oxide Mix) Jose Amnesia Feat. Jennifer Rene – Invincible (Sied Van Riel Mix) Markus Schulz & Departure - Cause You Know (Wippenberg Mix) Myon – Albion Lemon & Einar K - Anticipation
Mark: Fragma – Deeper Valhalla – Hope ATB - Justify (Adam Nickey Remix) Mark Pledger & Matt Hardwick - Fallen Tides 7 Skies & Static Blue - Central Park
i:Vibes: What are your hobbies?
Mark: Swimming, cycling, webdesign, architecture and going out.
Daniel: Playing and watching football, going to the gym and going out.
i:Vibes: Thanks guys for the chat. Good luck in the future!!!!
Daniel: Thanks for the kind wishes and for doing the interview with us!
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