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 i:Vibes caught up with UK trance producer Factoria and put some questions to him to find out some more about him...
Factoria - Top UK Melodic Trance
Even though the trance world has shifted to more progressive sounds the last few years, there are always some artists who can’t turn their back on the melodic side and one of these artists is Dave Dowsett AKA Factoria. He was born in June 1981 and now lives on the south east coast of England. He has been producing music since the mid 90s. Before the whole Factoria project took off, he decided to get his college degree out of the way. He studied at the University Of Hertfordshire in Hatfield. He began University in 1999. He got even more interested with Trance music while studying there. In 2002 he graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Music Technology and moved back to the south coast to build a home studio so he could start producing the music he loved so much. In 2002, he teamed up with Kevin Meade and formed a new project. Their first release, ‘Conductivity’, was released in 2003 and received a lot of airplay on BBC Radio 1 dance anthems. He then released his first track as Factoria called ‘Twist Of Fate”. However he first really gained big recognition with his remix of Electrovoya - Whispers. This track was spun by top DJs like Tiesto and Ferry Corsten. His real breakthrough occurred in 2005 with the second Factoria release ‘A Legend’s Legacy’. This track was played to death by Paul van Dyk, who also made his own edit of it. He released two further strong Factoria tracks, ‘Twisting Free’ and ‘Kissed By An Angel’. These two tracks were supported by the top DJs: Paul Van Dyk, DJ Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Above & Beyond, Johan Gielen, Ronski Speed, Smith & Pledger, Thrillseekers, Lange etc. 2005 also saw the launch of a new project from Dave called ‘DST-7’. A style that can only be described as fusing trance, prog, electro and house music together in an experimental fashion already proving popular with DJs Paul Van Dyk & Tiesto. His latest Factoria release is ‘Revive’, which is featured on the new Technoclub Vol. 22 Talla 2XLC Vs. Scot Project. He also has released tracks as Bass Enchanters and Interchange. He has remixed known artists like Robert Nickson, Matt Darey, Ian Betts and Headstrong. He also is active as a DJ, having spun at Holland’s famous Asta and at Passion in England. He also has his own company called Slipstream Media Design specializing in a range of music styles and sound effect/sound design for electronic media applications and graphics design. i:Vibes caught up with Dave to talk about trance...
i:Vibes: Hi Dave, how are you?? You really produce breathtaking melodic trance. You have been producing gems one after the other for the last three years. Why aren’t you more known? For me it is a riddle.
Factoria: Hi, I am very well thank you just getting back into the swing of things and looking forward to good things in 2008. Thank you for saying that. I can’t really answer the question “Why am I not more known?” I guess its all about having the right track supported at the right time.
i:Vibes: Your main project is Factoria. How did you come up with this name? Does it have a particular meaning or reason why you chose it?
Factoria: Coming up for names for projects and tracks is always difficult, for the Factoria project is was a simple play on words. It was a ‘fact’ that I was going to be producing ‘euphoric’ trance. Combining these words formed ‘Factoric’ I didn’t like the sound of Factoric so changed the word euphoric to euphoria and bam ‘Factoria’ was born.
i:Vibes: What was your childhood like? Did music already play a role early in your life?
Factoria: Oh yes, ever since I can remember music has played a major role in my life. I had a piano in the house when I was a child and in my early teens started sequencing on a Atari ST and Amiga 500. I bought my first hardware, a Yamaha keyboard, and moved onto loop production in Sonic foundry Acid on the PC. Now I use all manners of hardware and software.
i:Vibes: You were a teenager in the 90s. Who were your early musical inspirations and why?
Factoria: The Shamen , N-Trance, Snap, a lot of the Dreamscape and Ministry of Sound dance music. I’ve also always had a keen interest in the synthesized / electronic sounds of the 80’s.
i:Vibes: You were inspired by the famous Binary Finary - 1998. What is it with this track that just keeps bringing back the goosebumps? I also really adore this track, especially the PvD remix.
Factoria: I think it is just the melody that always grabs me, so simple yet so very effective. Paul Van Dyk and Matt Darey also made amazing mixes.
i:Vibes: You received your music technology degree back in 2002. How important was this first step of getting a degree, before actually having released a record? What was the most important thing you learned at University?
Factoria: It was a last minute change of heart that led me to switch from a computing degree to study music technology. It was one of the most important decisions of my life so far and resulted in me gaining vital knowledge and the fundamental understanding of the principles of sound which has certainly helped me with my productions.
i:Vibes: You produced your first track ‘Conductivity’ as Oceanforce & Factoria with Kevin Meade. What was it like working together with Kevin Meade? What was the most important thing you learned from him?
Factoria: DJ Oceanforce was a client at one of the studios that I often worked at as a freelance engineer and as soon as we started to work on tracks our ideas really came together. With his DJ knowledge and my production techniques we came up with several tracks and the Bass Enchanters project.
i:Vibes: How do you get along with your UK colleagues? Was it difficult getting established in the scene? Was there anyone who helped you?
Factoria: I get on well with the other producers and DJs from the UK. I would say that from the UK Above & Beyond and Paul Kershaw have been very supportive of my material and been a real help in getting the Factoria project established.
i:Vibes: I remember Paul van Dyk spun a track Oceanforce - Euphoric Dream at Cream Amnesia in 2002. Was that an unreleased track or was that ‘Conductivity’ that was not really named yet?
Factoria: That was actually not a track that had anything to with me, it was produced by DJ Oceanforce with another studio engineer before I worked with him.
i:Vibes: You seem to be a big supporter of Paul van Dyk. You have released under many different labels. Would it be a dream to release on Paul’s label Vandit? How important has Paul van Dyk been for the global trance scene?
Factoria: I would love to have a release on Vandit someday. It is a label I really respect and has certainly released some classic tracks. I think Paul Van Dyk has been, and still is a very important figure in the trance scene. He is both an amazing producer and DJ, His tracks have that trance magic that really works the floor and his DJ sets are always refreshing and thumping!
i:Vibes: As Factoria, you produce exceptional melodic trance. Why have you stayed faithful to melodic trance and not changed your sound in the last two years?
Factoria: I guess I just make what I love. I am sure my sound will grow tired at some point and if I experiment and find another style / sound I like I will create tracks with that but until then I know what I like to hear in clubs myself.
i:Vibes: How would you describe the Factoria sound?
Factoria: Driving (it is very important to me that the track has a good drive and of course the uplift always achieved with a beautiful melody and nice pad progression)!
i:Vibes: My favourite Factoria track is ‘A Legend’s Legacy’. This track is simply incredible. Do you remember how this track was produced? Was this a track that took very long to make or did you bang it out quickly?
Factoria: I spent about 3 months tweaking this track until I was happy with it. It was always the plan to produce a track with a film style theme. It wasn’t until the last week that I decided to add the vocal adlibs. I was very pleased to have Octagen aka Paul Moelands on remix duties. I spoke to Paul a lot on MSN and really admired his production techniques and his sound. What he did with the original was outstanding and I can’t thank him enough for that great remix.
i:Vibes: Paul van Dyk played ‘A Legend’s Legacy’ to death in 2005. Were you surprised by how successful this track got?
Factoria: Yes I was to be honest, I was a great surprise. I was really pleased when he spun it during his set in the main arena at global gathering. It was awesome to hear the track over such a massive sound system.
i:Vibes: ‘Beneath The Surface’ is also a fantastic track. If I didn’t know it was a Factoria Track, I might have guessed a Paul van Dyk track, it reminded me a bit of the 2001 track Solid Sleep - Club Attack. Do these comparisons bother you? How difficult is it for you to keep going in the studio and keep producing something new that is really top?
Factoria: That nearly never saw the light of day! It was one those tracks where I had the concept arranged for ages but just couldn’t get it right. In the end I nearly shelved it but when Elevation Records heard it they picked it up along with Seven Summits so it got released. Comparisons don’t bother me - I know I would never rip off another artist’s work and several of my tracks have been compared to other releases. I take them all as compliments.
i:Vibes: Your track ‘Revive’ is really beautiful with a long melodic break. It is featured on the Technoclub Vol. 22 compilation. How difficult is it for you to write a killer melody? What inspires you to write such beautiful music?
Factoria: ‘Revive’ has been a very successful release and the guys at Breeze records have been fantastic, I can’t thank them enough.
i:Vibes: You recently released ‘More Sleepless Nights’, what is this track about and how did you go about producing it?
Factoria: Once again sequenced in Cubase with several hardware synths used for bass and lead sounds. It was written over a couple of nights when I just couldn’t sleep because of some personal stuff I had going on at the time.
i:Vibes: What new tracks and remixes can we expect from you in the coming months?
Factoria: I had a new release out since the 12th of February (Factoria Pres. CSX – Abduction) on Diverted Records. It’s something a bit different from me. I also have a few other ideas on the go at the moment but only time will tell if they see the light of day.
i:Vibes: How do you go about producing a track in the studio? Do you have a certain way how you do it? For example, Paul van Dyk looks for a certain atmosphere. How do you do it?
Factoria: Load Steinberg Cubase SX and get the Virus B fired up!
i:Vibes: You have a very nice studio. What is the most important piece of equipment besides your computer that has been most important for bringing the world the fantastic sound of Factoria?
Factoria: My Access Virus B, I just love it.
i:Vibes: How do your other projects Bass Enchanters and Interchange differ from the Factoria sound?
Factoria: Interchange was a one off hard house project which never really took off the ground. Bass Enchanters takes a few Factoria elements, but perhaps not quite as driving. There may be another Bass Enchanters release in the future, but for now that project is on hold.
i:Vibes: You have produced super instrumental tracks. When can we hear a Factoria track with a vocal? What would the perfect Factoria vocal track sound like?
Factoria: I have an idea in my head for a really uplifting yet edgy vocal track but I don’t know many vocalists and I’m yet to have the time to start constructing it. I don’t think it will be long though before you here a big epic Factoria vocal trancer though!
i:Vibes: Arksun made a beautiful remix for you. Is he probably someone you would like to produce a track with? What other artists would you like to get locked up with in the studio?
Factoria: I would love to get in the studio with Laurence. Several times myself, Laurance and Ryan G have had a jam session in Ryan’s studio but nothing ever really emerged from any of them. He is a producer I very much admire and his engineering knowledge is fantastic.
i:Vibes: What is your opinion of the German trance scene? What artists do you respect?
Factoria: I have a lot of respect for the German scene. Stoneface & Terminal, Ronski Speed and Alex M.O.R.P.H. are all favourite producers of mine and I think Germany has some great trance roots.
i:Vibes: You’re also a DJ. How much of your time does DJing take up? You seem to be more of a fulltime producer.
Factoria: Not a lot to be honest, at the moment I tend to focus more on production.
i:Vibes: What is the most important thing for you as a DJ?
Factoria: The crowd go home with a massive smile on their faces.
i:Vibes: What was the craziest experience you have had as a DJ?
Factoria: Probably the craziest thing is when I was playing a local venue one of the lights decided to crash down just missing the DJ both. Certainly made a lot of people jump, fortunately nobody was hurt.
i:Vibes: Do you spin with CDs, records or with one of the new technologies like Ableton Live? Many critics say that DJing isn’t what it once used to be like, because hardly anyone spins with vinyl anymore. What is your opinion about that?
Factoria: CDs and vinyl all the way for me though now days I’d have to say I use CD more. Not yet ventured into the realms of using a laptop but never say never.
i:Vibes: You have a company Slipstream Media Design. Why did you start this company? Is this also something you could fall back on later in life after music or will music always be in your life?
Factoria: Slipstream Media Design is the business I have setup as an outlet for all my media design services, I design small business brochure style websites, all sort of graphic design materials, music production and sound design for electronic media and more recently Architectural drawings.
i:Vibes: What are your five all time favourite tracks?
Factoria: Such a hard question, I could probably list about 100, but five that come to mind this second are:
Binary Finary - 1998
Armin – Communication
Paul van Dyk – For An Angel
Solar Stone – Seven Cities
Oceanlab – Clear Blue Water
i:Vibes: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Factoria: Hmmm I think I will probably be pretty settled, working hard with my Architectural and media design business still producing in my spare time (who knows what style though!). ;)
i:Vibes: What are your hobbies?
Factoria: I like making the most of life and like to work and party hard, playing a few sports now and then like Football and Tennis and I enjoy relaxing and watching TV shows like 24 and Lost.
i:Vibes: If you were stranded on an island, what DJ would you invite to play music and would you rather be on the island with Paris Hilton, Katie Price or Katie Holmes?
Factoria: I would like to be on the island with DJ trio Above and Beyond and out of those three, it would have to be Katie Holmes (before Mr. Cruise came along!).
i:Vibes: Dave, thanks for the interview!
Factoria: You’re welcome, hopefully catch up with you guys in a German club soon!
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