This is Simon Lee and Alvin from Radio KUL, a weekly podcast that you can listen on Mugasha. Here's an interview with one of the artistes that will be featured on this week's episode of Radio KUL.
Susana Takes Centerstage
As we continue to kickoff 2010 in style here on Radio KUL, we’ll be bringing you closer to yet another international singing sensation this week.
Susana Lise, better known as Susana, is the voice behind some of our favourite records. By chance, she was featured on Ernesto vs Bastian’s “Dark Side of The Moon” in 2005. Little did she realise that it would mark the beginning of a very successful career in dance music. Originally from an alternative rock background, she brings edginess and powerful vocals to all of her tracks.
Susana has been very fortunate. Almost all of her tracks have gone on to be massive singles. “Shivers” (2005) and “If You Should Go” (2008) were international smash hits and remain as festival favourites, and last year she scored pure gold again on Rex Mundi’s “Nothing At All,” which was a DJ favourite and deservingly one of 2009’s top tunes. In between all that, she’s worked with Talla 2XLC, Ernesto vs Bastian, and Re:Locate too. She’s also gone on tour with A-list DJs to perform her tracks. Her talent and gift will continue to shine this year as she reveals her brand new album.
Here she is speaking with us for this exclusive Radio KUL Extra interview.
Susana
Hi Susana, thanks for speaking with us today. How are you?
I am doing fine, thank you. Thanks for having me!
It’s been a spectacular 2009 for you. Your track with Boy Hagemann aka Rex Mundi “Nothing At All” was not only a DJ favorite, it was also one of the top tracks of the year in terms of popularity and sales. Only you can tell us what this feels like.
It’s a great feeling of course. Ever since the first time I heard the instrumental I felt a strong personal connection to the track. So, to know that so many people have been touched by “Nothing at All” in the same way feels great. It’s a great feeling to know that something you have put a lot of emotion into is so much appreciated by others.
You’ve already made many wonderful records with Ernesto vs Bastian, Armin van Buuren, Talla 2XLC and many more. What got you involved with dance music?
I have basically been singing my whole life. I remember how, as a little girl, I would sing along to my dads records, teaching myself how to use my voice by mimicking the singers. When I was 15 I started to take professional vocal lessons to learn more about my voice and it’s capabilities. Around that same time I was participating in shows at my high school on a regular basis and I joined a band, further developing my skills and love for music. The music we made with the band was rock/alternative based with some funky flavors added here and there, and my vocal lessons focused mostly on classical music and jazz.
So you could say I was creating a pretty diverse musical background. However, I never really explored electronic dance music. This changed when a neighbor of my family, after having seen me perform with my band, decided to introduce me to producers Raz Nitzan and Adrian Broekhuyse in 2003, when I was 19 years old. Just a couple of months later we went into the studio and recorded the vocals for Ernesto vs Bastian’s “Dark Side of the Moon” which was released in 2005… So that is basically how I entered the world of EDM,.. and I don’t plan to go anywhere anytime soon!
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I draw most of my inspiration from music itself and from my own emotions and experiences. Within trance music my preference goes out to the more progressive tracks with a deep beat, multiple layers and a little mystery to them. Besides listening to trance and progressive tracks I love listening to singer/songwriters, especially the female ones, like Fiona Apple, Tori Amos and Imogen Heap, to get inspired by their lyrics and to learn from the way they communicate emotion with their voice. Because I believe that is what being a vocalist is all about: conveying certain emotions with your voice. And I believe these emotions need to be sincere in order to really touch people. So that is why, when for example I am recording vocals in the studio, I search for inspiration in my own emotions and current and past experiences.
What else are you currently working on?
It has been 5 years since my first official release and I am celebrating this with the release of a complete album later this year on Armada Music! So I have spent a lot of time in the studio lately working on new material in collaboration with different DJ’s and producers. We have just recently decided on the album title, which is going to be ‘Closer’. Most tracks are finished so we are now in the process of preparing the release, which is scheduled for this spring. And since I am expecting to be doing a lot of live shows this year I am also taking extra vocal lessons and will be participating in a two day vocal workshop in order to keep my voice healthy.
Who are your current favorite artistes? Is there anybody you would like to collaborate with in particular?
Well, I have already been very fortunate to work with a lot of different great DJs and producers for my upcoming album – whose names will be revealed in time ;) – but amongst some of my current favorite EDM artists are definitely Armin van Buuren, Rex Mundi, Markus Schulz, Arnej, Dash Berlin, Nic Chagall/Cosmic Gate and Deadmau5. As for my fellow vocalists I really like the sound of Aruna, – especially in Cosmic Gate’s “Under Your Spell” – and Jes, Nadia Ali, Jaren, Jennifer Rene and Departure, the male vocalist of Markus Schulz’ tracks “Without You Near” and “Cause You Know,” which, by the way are two of my favorite tracks because of their edginess. Speaking of which, I’d like to see more male vocalists in trance music! But I’ve heard Markus Schulz’s artist album will feature a new male vocalist. So I can’t wait to here that!
Somehow, all of the tracks you’ve recorded have gone on to be major releases. Do you attribute this to luck or are there particular projects that you’re drawn to?
Of course it is important to have talent, to put your mind to it and to work hard. But, in order to become successful I think a little luck is necessary as well. I have been very fortunate to get in touch with Raz Nitzan and Adrian Broekhuyse, who are not only great producers but also have an amazing track record and have a lot of the right contacts. And to be honest, over the years we have also recorded many tracks and vocals that did not get released. However, we never get rid of anything, because you never know when the right moment to release a certain track will arrive. My album for example will contain a track that we’ve recorded I think at least two years ago.
How do you think you’ve changed, as a person, and professionally, between the time of your first release to today?
Wow, that’s an interesting question. Let me think. Well, first of all, on a personal level the biggest change must be that, about 1,5 ago, I finally decided to focus completely on music. Music has always been a passion, but besides becoming a professional singer one of my dreams had always been to live in another country for a while, experience new cultures, meet new people, go backpacking… In other words: I longed to stand on my own two feet and experience some adventures. So, after finishing high school, when I was 18, I traveled to Peru in South America and stayed there for 5 months. I went to school there to learn Spanish, worked with disabled children and went backpacking. I know this might sound cliché but it was a live changing experience. I fell in love with South America, with its language, its culture and with the feeling of traveling independently and meeting new people. So, when I returned to Holland I decided I wanted to study Latin American Studies at university. I loved it and of course it took up a lot of my time.
Meanwhile I kept on planning new travels, thinking of ways even to find a job abroad. Then slowly I became involved with trance music and started to fall for that too. So, you could say that at one point my heart was torn between two passions. But I think eventually you need to decide what it really is that you want in life. What really is your place. And I found that music is where I want to be. And so I decided it was time to give it a chance. I mean, it is not easy to make a career out of singing. But I decided that if I didn’t at least try, I would come to regret it later in life. So after I graduated my bachelors degree in Latin American Studies I decided not to go on to get a Masters degree. And I have not regretted this decision, not even one second. Because since I started to really put my mind to it things started developing very fast.
And now I am even releasing a complete album! Sometimes I really need to pinch myself. On a professional level I think the biggest change is that I am much more aware now of who I am as an artist. I really found my spot in electronic dance music and have a clear idea of where my preferences lie within the genre. I believe it has so much to offer and the music itself is developing very fast, I feel like the different subgenres of dance music are starting to fuse more and more with each other and I think this fusion is a very interesting development. I am also under the impression that using authentic instruments and live artists is becoming more and more mainstream in dance music. Which I think is great.
So, it’s obvious EDM has not yet reached its limits, not by far, and I cant wait to explore it further.
What are your other interests besides music? What do you do when you’re not making music?
As I’ve explained I studied Latin American Studies for a couple of years and I combined this with a minor in International Development Studies and a minor in European Union Studies. And even though I didn’t continue my studies my interests still lie there. I met some of my closest friends at university so I share that interest with them. Which is nice. And currently, besides working on my career, I have a part-time job as a supervisor of market research at Amsterdam Airport, which I enjoy very much. When I’m not working at the airport or working on music I like to hang out with my friends, watch a movie, cook dinner. The usual stuff. But, I must say, I also often find myself daydreaming to music. And I can do this for hours. I am the type of person that, when I like a song, can play it fifty times in a row without getting bored by it. Oh and I love working out in the gym accompanied by the trance and progressive sounds on my mp3 player. It always gives me a great rush. You should try it! Preferably on the crosstrainer haha…
In your opinion, how can EDM artists make a difference to the world?
Even though I am pessimistic about a person being able to change the world completely, I do think that, on a smaller scale, anyone can make a difference. Of course a public or famous person can use it’s status to inspire people to take action, or to donate, as we see is happening a lot now with the earthquake that has struck Haiti. But first and foremost I think EDM artists, or any artist for that matter, can make a difference through reaching people with their music. I receive a lot of messages of people telling me how a certain song helped them through a difficult time in their lives. I think this is the strength of music and it’s amazing. I remember Armin wearing a t-shirt once that said: “Make music, not war!” and I think that is a very true statement!
Will you perhaps be touring again soon? When and where can we watch you live next?
At the moment I have no live shows scheduled because we want to wait until after the album is released. But I can’t wait to go on the road again because performing is the greatest feeling in the world and I am impatient to share my new tracks with the crowd! I am really looking forward to the summer. To the festival season. I will post any updates about upcoming tour dates on my Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.
How does it feel to be guesthosting this week’s Radio KUL? :)
Yes, thanks for having me! It’s a great opportunity and a fun challenge. I have never done anything like this before. I have done some short voiceovers for radio in the past but I never guesthosted an entire show. It’s a nice way of speaking about my work and plans. I do hope I come across naturally though! And for lack of a studio nearby I recorded the show in my room. But every once in a while a car would pass by and I would have to rerecord my take haha. But I had fun! And I hope your listeners will enjoy the show as well.
How do you expect 2010 to turn out?
I am feeling very excited to get to work a lot this year! And I am curious to see how the album will be received. It is going to be an important year for my career. That’s for sure. And I hope to be able to combine my two passions – music and travelling – a lot this year by going on the road to perform live!
And lastly, any message to your fans reading this.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that is always sending me such nice comments through Myspace, Facebook and Twitter. That really means a lot to me. It’s great to know that there are people out there that share the same passion for music! And also thanks to those who give me chills down my spine each time I perform by singing along with every word of the song :) I hope to see you somewhere in a club again soon!
Join Susana as she guesthosts Radio KUL episode 124. Airs Friday, 29th January 2010 on Mugasha.
Rex Mundi featuring Susana “Nothing At All” is out now on ColdHarbour Recordings.
More info :
Susana – http://www.myspace.com/ssssusanaFollow Simon Lee and Alvin on Twitter and Facebook and find out more about Radio KUL at their official website.
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