Every world-class electronic music festival needs a world-class compilation album to bring those on-site memories back. High Contrast brings you back to the Sunrise experience with the release of Follow The Sunrise - their Judge Jules & Marcel Woods compiled mix-companion.

Both Marcel Woods and Judge Jules speak about this year’s Sunrise Festival, mixing the CD, DJ Top 100 and more!

1. How did you experience this years’ Sunrise festival?
Jules: Sunrise is an institution in Polish clubbing. I’ve had the pleasure of playing the festival twice and each time it has been truly memorable. From the production behind the festival to the energy of the crowd, Sunrise delivers on every level and is one I look forward to returning to with much anticipation!
Woods: Was a great party with a solid production! And I just loved the crowd, was awesome! so loved it…

2. You’ve been a regular guest at Sunrise Festival throughout the years. Seems like you enjoy coming to Poland?
Jules: Poland is one of those countries that every DJ looks forward to performing at. The Polish hunger and knowledge of dance music is one of the most superior in Europe and for my kind of sound it is a real joy to experience that from the booth. I’ve had some incredible gigs in Poland over the years.
Woods: Yes I enjoy Poland a lot!

3. You’ve mixed the official Sunrise Festival compilation ’Follow The Sunrise’. Did you compile the track list any different than other compilations you did?
Jules: Not really, I approach all my mix compilations with a view of recreating the energy of the dancefloor but capturing that in CD that can be listened to at home or in the car. I try to pick records that have some longevity to their sound and which work well with the mix as a whole. Keeping the records as box fresh as possible can often be difficult, especially as music is so widely available these days.
Woods: Nope it’s always a reflection how I want to play on a event.

4. Any favorite tracks on your mix, people definitely have to check out?
Jules: That’s actually a tough question because I’m really pleased with the entire mix but some personal favourites of mine Lee Osborne’s ‘Questions’, the Myon & Shane 54 Summer mix of Andain’s ‘Promises’, Tristan D’s ‘Interstate 5’ and Marcel Woods’ ‘sunrise’ single.
Woods: Number 1, and 2, and 3, and 4, and 5, and 6, and 7, and 8 and 9, and ow yes, track 10, 11,12,13 and 14, and not to miss track 15, track 16 and 17 are also cool ;-) hahaha

5. It’s the first time you are working together on a compilation and you’ve been around for quite some time now. To Jules: you’ve been playing a lot of Marcel’s tracks in your sets and shows, how you rate his music? To Marcel: Jules has been a frontman for electronic music with his long running radio show for many years. Have you experienced the influence of his show in the scene?
Jules: Marcel is one of those producers whose sound is incredibly difficult to nail down! He’s something of a chameleon of sounds but one thing is always certain with a Marcel Woods records is that his trademark stamp of quality will always be there. He never lets anything that isn’t above his own standards get out of the studio and because of that he has a back catalogue which is literally punctuated with arena smashing releases; which probably explains is longevity as a festival regularly for events such as Sunrise – very few producers have been able to maintain such a high standard of quality for such a long period of time without being labeled to one specific genre.
Woods: Ofcourse Jules is one of the guys you want him to play your music, the industry looks always to playlists with such a high profile as jules show. So yes def he influenced the scene.

6. Summer is the time for festival and that means crazy times for DJs. How’s your schedule and can you keep up with the festival madness?
Jules: As a DJ I love nothing more than performing to a crowd of people in a large festival surrounding. The freedom of dancing in a field alongside hundreds of likeminded individuals is something that comes naturally to humans. I’ve a few remaining festival dates on the calendar with the imminent ones being Creamfields and South West Four towards the end of August, coupled with a good few Ibiza dates to look forward to.
Woods: It’s sometimes exhausting with 6 flights in 2days, with barely any sleep, but the music and the crowd keeps you on your feet.


7. Any new material you are working on and you like us to tell about?
Jules: 2011 has been a very productive period for me in the studio. I took the decision about two years ago to get back in the studio and focus more energy on my production. I’m really pleased with the reaction from my last few releases most notably ‘Verano Loco’ and ‘The Greater Good’. My current single ‘City Lights’ is a really mash up of my musical loves and something I think most people will find very different from what they’d usually expect from me out of the studio. Additionally to this I’m just putting the finishing touches to a couple more as yet unnamed singles – so watch this space.
Woods: Yes a huge album will be coming out in oct from me… :-0

8. As every year the DJ Top 100 voting has started. What are your thought on this and why should people vote for you?
Jules: For me the poll is a great indicator of what is popular in the scene at that given moment in time. I think some people take the whole aspect of the poll a little too seriously and regard it has a negative, or even damaging effect on the scene, but in my view it’s a great opportunity to see what genres and sounds have been successful over the past 12 months. A lot of new DJs and producers are broken into the spotlight through the poll so it offers a lot in the way of moving the artists’ behind the music forward.
Woods: People need to vote for those who made their world rumble, and if they loved my sets or my music I wish they vote for me… :)

9. Any rising stars who would deserve to be in the top 100 this year?
Jules: I think Lee Osborne, Ben Nicky and Ummet Ozcan are a few names that are doing incredibly well for themselves at the minute. All are making great music and have potentially long careers ahead of them if they can keep releasing the quality of music they have been of late.
Woods: W&W will explode in this years poll, those guys are getting HUGE!

10. Will we see you again next year at Sunrise Festival?
Jules: If they’ll have me again then it’s a big “yes” from me!
Woods: I Hope so!

'Follow The Sunrise 2011' mixed by Judge Jules & Marcel Woods is out now through High Contrast Recordings