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 Bissen's a name on the trance circuit who you may have been reading more about over the past year or so with a series of scorching releases so far with labels like Discover. He's been around on the music scene for quite a few years though so we went to interrogate...
From producing some of the biggest dancefloor smashers in the trance scene in recent years, designing presets for software synthesizers such as Ableton Live's Instrument Devices, writing music for adverts for some of the world's biggest brands, doing sound design for major TV networks, to running his own music licensing and production business, and somehow still finding time on weekends to go away to distant places to DJ, one could very likely come to the conclusion that German-born Georg Bissen never sleeps. Which would be an appropriate assumption, since he has called New York, the city that never sleeps, his home for the past 9 years.
As a dance music artist and producer, Bissen has had a slew of original and remix releases over the last 3 years that have averaged about one per month. These records have been released on some of the biggest, most desired and well-respected labels in the business, including Discover, A State of Trance (Armada) and Boxer. Starting with his breakthrough records "Exhale" and "Quicksand" in 2007, Bissen has had a meteoric rise through the ranks of dance music producers, and is now well-established in the producer elite.
Always in pursuit of a fist-pumping, "all systems go" attitude, Bissen's sound exhibits an effective blend of tough, hard beats and grooves, coupled with extremely memorable, huge melodic riffs and hooks, exemplified perfectly in tracks such as "Exhale" and "The Vault." Never forgetting that this music is intended for dancefloors and not armchairs, Bissen delivers impeccably produced, proper huge tunes that are unpretentious and have lasting impacts on clubgoers and DJs alike. A perfect such example is Bissen's remix of the Black Eyed Peas #1 song "I Gotta Feeling", which was one of Ibiza's summer anthems of 2009, and which was hammered by every imaginable DJ, as well as getting massive radio support in the UK. Bissen also recently was one of 3 winners in the Club Space Miami Original Track contest, the track written and produced with frequent collaborator Victor Dinaire, Peter Finley and singer David Berkeley. The song, "Take Me To Space", beat out over 300 other entries.
As a DJ, Bissen continues his no-nonsense approach with exciting and uplifting sets. He boasts over a decade of spinning experience, beginning in college, where he earned a three-year residency at Buxton in Providence, RI. In New York, Bissen repeatedly spun at Liquids, and for years he djayed loft parties throughout the city, which he helped organize. Nowadays, Bissen is pursuing his international djaying career in earnest, and can be seen in clubs from New York to Hamburg to Vancouver, and everywhere in between.
A full-time music professional, Bissen has written and collaborated on well over a thousand pieces of music and projects in his still brief music career. Bissen got his start in the music business when he moved to New York City to work as a composer and engineer in the music for advertising industry. He formed his own music production and licensing company MetaTechnik soon after, which now boasts two offices in New York and Los Angeles. At MetaTechnik, Bissen has produced award-winning campaigns for over a hundred major national and international television commercials for A-list clients that read like the Who's-Who of the world's biggest brands, from McDonalds to Coca-Cola, from Mini Cooper to MTV. Due to this fact, his work is heard by tens of millions of people every week.
By staying focused and consistently enhancing his sound and music career, Bissen continues to carve his very own niche, with his versatility and far-reaching talents now penetrating almost all facets of the music industry, and growing every day.
i:Vibes This is the first time we’ve caught up with you on i:Vibes Bissen. Starting from the beginning, what got you into this music we call trance?
Bissen: Thanks for having me! Like I've mentioned in interviews before, the album that got me into trance were the "Behind the Eye" compilations on Eye-Q records. When I first heard those records in a record shop, I was truly inspired and knew this was the music I had been searching for all my life.
i:Vibes Were there any particular moments that got you hooked into the sound?
Bissen: There are many. From the aforementioned record shop incident where I consciously heard the music for the first time, to late-90's raves in Germany, like the Warp festivals or the Love Parade--all those moments solidified my tastes in the music. I remember my uncle taking me to a warehouse somewhere outside Hannover to my first rave ever, when I was around 15 or so--it totally blew me away.
i:Vibes How hard was it to learn the tools of the trade to be able to start producing yourself and what influences did you take from other artists when formulating your own production style?
Bissen: It was really rather hard when I started out, as I was 14, and only had a synthesizer and a 4-track mixer tracking on a cassette! No computer yet. So I used the internal sequencer on the synthesizer. It was all very basic. I recreated a lot of tracks by my early trance idols like Cygnus X, but also by more new wave and dance-pop acts--anything from Depeche Mode and New Order to Culture Beat (ehem, yes). But anyways, I did what seems to naturally occur when starting out--by recreating other people's tracks and figuring out what production tricks they used, you create your own style over time.
i:Vibes What was it like growing up in Germany and how is it different from New York where you have been for the past nine years?
Bissen: Well, for one, electronic music was always way bigger in Germany than in the US. Dance music was always on the radio, in stores, everywhere. But aside from the music, I find New York very liberating. I could have not done in Germany what I did here--i.e. open up a company, and be trusted to do work for major corporations by people twice or even 3 times my age. I love the cultural diversity of New York, and all that the city has to offer, from the best restaurants, museums, and performance venues in the world. I still love Germany and get nostalgic every now and then, but every time I go back, I know my home is here now.
i:Vibes How has the New York scene inspired you with your own music production?
Bissen: What was the most inspiring were the Twilo days of the early 2000's when I first moved here. Bi-monthly residencies by Paul van Dyk, Sasha and Digweed, Sven Väth and many others were just absolutely amazing. Anyone you talk to, who's been there, will tell you how absolutely magical those Twilo nights were. Once the club shut down, New York has not been able to recreate anything of the sort.
i:Vibes Not many people will know for your television advertising production for quite a few very famous brands. So, here’s one for you, what trance anthem would you put with one of your favourite brands for an advert?
Bissen: Haha, interesting question. One of the biggest issues is that trance does not particularly work in advertising at all, even if I could just slap it on. So, let’s start lyrically, I think Andain's "Beautiful Things" could work quite well to describe a product. Let's say, something quite posh, like a luxury car. So, I'd combine "Beautiful Things" with an Audi advert--the car driving through some beautiful scenery. I think that could work ;-)
i:Vibes With Discover you have really shown the scene what a trance producer you are. How did the link up with Discover come about?
Bissen: I actually met Chris Hampshire, who runs Discover (and a bunch of other labels) in 2005 at the Amsterdam Dance Event. I gave him "Sand" and he signed it to one of his labels. He, working closely with John Askew, eventually introduced my music to him, and the rest is history, as they say.
i:Vibes What makes Discover such a good label for trance music?
Bissen: I think a lot of it has to do with good A&R-ing and not getting distracted what may be the sound du jour but that may completely be out of style tomorrow. Also, they treat their artists fairly, and give them a lot of creative freedom.
i:Vibes Were you a little surprised to see John Askew leave the label for Perfecto?
Bissen: Absolutely. Askew and Discover were somewhat synonymous. Nevertheless, I totally understand Askew's decision, and am really very happy for him. He and Discover continue to be on great terms, so it actually broadens the playing field a bit. John unabashedly holds the trance flag higher than most others in the scene, so I couldn't imagine anyone better to run the reinvigorated Perfecto.
i:Vibes One of your most recent tracks was released on Matt Hardwick’s ‘Kill The Lights’ label called ‘Skylands’. How did you come up with the powerful melody for it?
Bissen: I don't know. I have no idea. Haha. It just flows out of me. The song is dedicated to my wife, as she definitely served as inspiration (hence the title--we got married in the Skylands of New Jersey), but how specifically I write melodies I couldn't tell you.
i:Vibes Is the melody the first thing you think about when starting a new track or do you just go where the first beat takes you and see what comes out?
Bissen: Yes, generally speaking I write the breakdown/melodies first, actually, then the rhythm track around it. Unless it's a techy track, or I found an awesome sample that I got inspired by. But that doesn't happen too often.
i:Vibes You also had a very addictive vocal track with Victoria Gross earlier on this year for the track ‘Give It Away’. How did the collaboration with her come about?
Bissen: Victoria is actually my longest-running collaborator. She's the partner in my business and runs the LA office. I've literally written hundreds of pieces with her. She's a great singer and an amazing writer.
i:Vibes Do you start off with the vocal in mind or create the production first?
Bissen: For vocal tracks, I actually prefer vocalists to send me just an acapella, without knowing what track or piece of music they sang over. From there I start writing chords around the vocal melody. Of course, sometimes I provide a track and vocalists write over it. In rare instances (like "Give It Away") the 2 get created in conjunction.
i:Vibes What’s next on the Bissen production line?
Bissen: First off, I’m very excited about the track I did with Jeza called “Without Warning” that’s coming out on Enhanced including a Myon and Shane 54 remix. I have also done a vast amount of remixes lately. I will point out just a couple, as they have had massive reactions in my live sets. One such remix is the one I did for Cowboy Mike’s “No Way Back”, which will come out on Christopher Lawrence’s Pharmacy Records. Just doing promos now is a remix I did for Zack Roth (another local New York DJ) called "Mata Leon" coming out on Dissident. I have another original track called “Riptide” that will most likely see the light of day on Discover soon, and there’s a follow-up to “Washout.” There are others (I’m still sitting on roughly a dozen tracks that are currently unreleased)–so stay tuned.
i:Vibes Can we expect any more vocal outings for Bissen this summer?
Bissen: Actually, yes. As mentioned above "Without Warning" is a collaboration with Jess Bennett (Jeza). We are actually signed as a duo now to Enhanced under the project name "Exostate." The track will feature a Myon and Shane 54 Remix as well as a Suncatcher remix. There's "Take me to Space", which I wrote together with Victor Dinaire and Peter Finley, and which features vocalist David Berkeley is being signed to Sean Tyas' Tytanium label via Spinnin, so expect big things from that vocal track as well. Also with Victor, but with Peter actually singing, is "Tonight You Are Perfect," which was just nabbed by Euphonic, featuring a Steve Brian Remix. Lastly, a huge vocal track that I worked on with Senadee is coming out on Paul Oakenfold's "Never Mind the Bollocks" album, and later as a single on his Perfecto imprint. So yes, plenty of vocal outings coming up for the summer ;-)
i:Vibes On the subject of summer, we know you’re a very busy man but will you have the chance to get over to Ibiza for any dates during the summer?
Bissen: I would hope so, but I don't think it's happening this year. Probably next year though. It's one of the goals I'm working towards at the moment.
i:Vibes We do know that you will be mixing the new Global Trance compilation on Discover which takes on the US soon. What sort of new talent can we expect to be featured on there?
Bissen: Most of the info for this album is strictly classified as of now, haha. To be honest, I'm still in the beginning phases of this compilation--it is a huge task, as I'm basically A&R-ing the whole thing, and I am scouting out exclusive, unreleased tracks by US producers and DJs only. It's a bit daunting, but of course I'll be up for the challenge. One thing I have noticed is how many great trance talents the US has generated in the last few years--it is definitely not merely a European produced genre anymore.
i:Vibes This is not the first compilation for the label after last year’s superb ‘Underground Anthems’ release. How was the feedback from that album?
Bissen: Feedback was great! Overall it was a quickly complied album, so I was very happy with the result and mileage I got out of it. It was one of the bestsellers for the label as well for the year, so that's always a bonus.
i:Vibes Trance is in very good health at the moment with so many new names and faces coming onto the scene. Who for you has stood out over the past twelve months as your producers to watch?
Bissen: Hmm. I do like Vol Deeman a lot. I have been supporting every track of his since his remix of "Maiden's Tower". Also digging Estigma's sound. Though not a complete newcomer, but only really having broken through the ranks in the last year, and one of my favorite producers of the moment is Steve Brian (who, as mentioned before, just remixed "Tonight You Are Perfect.")
i:Vibes What have been your favourite albums over the past year, not strictly trance music but anything that the ear’s taken a taste for?
Bissen: Well, trance-wise I must admit, I was a sucker for Gareth Emery's "Northern Lights." Aside from trance, I really love Hurts "Happiness" quite a bit. Definitely album of the year for me.
i:Vibes Where do you see the musical style of Bissen going?
Bissen: For the most part, I am quite happy where the sound of "Bissen" is right now. I am still in love with uplifting trance in the upper 130's bpms, and I don't think much is going to change in regards to that in the near future. I have experimented a bit with slower, more progressive styles over the last year, but I find myself always coming back to what I love best, I guess. Of course, I am involved in many different projects, some of which have very little to do with trance, but as far as the artist "Bissen" is concerned, stylistically not much is going to change, I don't think. Naturally, I will always work on getting better sounding productions, and arrangements/sounds and mixing styles will change over time to keep making tracks that sound relevant and contemporary.
i:Vibes What are your favourite tracks at the moment?
Bissen: I really like Future Disciple's "Let It Stay That Way", Lisa Lashes' "Numero Uno (Ummet Ozcan Remix)", Michael Myers' "Easy", and Tom Colontonio's "Elysium."
i:Vibes With such a huge workload, what does Bissen do to relax?
Bissen: Very little! I catch some Jon Stewart on TV at night sometimes. With the summer, I do end up going to the beach (Jersey shore!) when I can. In the winter I ski a lot. Honestly, though, most of the time I just like to chill with a glass of wine or a beer on the deck in the summer or in front of the fireplace in the winter, having a good conversation with friends and family.
i:Vibes If you could remix one of your favourite records of all time, what would it be?
Bissen: If there truly was such a record, I'd probably either just do a bootleg of it, or simply do a remix. I just recently did a remake of Brainchild's "Symmetry C" with Victor Dinaire--that was definitely one of my all-time favorite records. Same with Tilt vs. Paul van Dyk's "Rendezvous" which we're currently finishing up as well.
i:Vibes Outside of New York, what cities have you experienced to be the best for electronic music nights?
Bissen: Honestly, I don't think NY is one of the best cities for electronic music anymore--at least not what it used to be around 10 years ago. It is getting better again though, which is refreshing to see. Amsterdam is pretty cool--Berlin is pretty amazing as well. I am always amazed with the amount of great talent going through Vancouver, and every time I've played there, the response has always been overwhelming, so that city definitely ranks up there also.
i:Vibes Finally, if you could name one producer whose music has had a lasting influence on you right up to today, who would that be?
Bissen: One of the biggest influences must have been Ralf Hildenbeutel (Sven Väth's producer from the 90s), at least musically speaking. The careers of BT and Paul Oakenfold are truly inspiring to me as well, since both have successfully reached beyond the general confines of being a dance music producer/DJ and have successfully made a name in many different facets of the music industry.
Massive thanks to Bissen for such a great interview! For a taste of Bissen check out his latest podcast below:
Traceatlantic 61: Tracklist
1. Bissen-Skylands (Nouveau Intro Mix) (Kill The Lights)
2. Matt Lange-A Deeper Shade (Anjunadeep)
3. Gregory Range & Robert D. Handelskai-Embrace (Original Mix) (Echelon)
4. Vanity In Mind-Radiance (Steve Brian's Aftersun Remix) (Subtraxx)
5. BT and Andrew Bayer-The Emergency (SNR Remix)
6. Squidfunk - Dualspace (PAFF Deep Mix) (Next Level Vista)
7. Adham Ashraf - Blue Moon (LavKastor Remix) (Hardwired)
8. Gareth Emery vs Alex Speaker - Exposure (Ben Nicky Mashup)
9. EDU pres. 5tranger - Chasing Stars (Jenya Solids Shuriken Mix) (Harmonic Breeze)
10. Altered Beats - Superfluo (Big Alliance)
11. Haris C and Plant- Flashback (Sayphonik Fully Loaded Remix) (Factual)
12. Michael Myers feat. Brooke Williams - Easy (Original Mix) (Dissident)
13. Tom Colontonio - Elysium (Liquid)
14. Insert Name - Opus Dei 2.5 (JOOF)
15. Thrillseekers - Song for Sendai (Adjusted)
16. Simon Bostock - Overload (Discover)
17. Avalona - Forgotten Paradise (Myk Bee Remix) (Balearic Sun)
18. World Premiere Tilt vs. Paul van Dyk -Rendezvous (Victor Dinaire & Bissen Remix)
19. Eleusyn - Oxygene (Eleusyn Remix) (JOOF)
20. Senadee - Life Support Machine (Bissen Remix) (Perfecto)
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