This is Simon Lee & Alvin from Radio KUL, a radio show that you can listen to right here on Mugasha. Here's an interview with one of the artistes that will be featured on this week's episode.

Jeza To Guesthost Radio KUL

Jess Bennett aka Jeza entered the scene with her track “Leaving London” that she recorded with Signalrunners back in 2006. This year, Jeza has returned with a slew of releases together with Will Holland, Tritonal, Eco, and Tiesto under his Allure alias.

We’ve invited her to guesthost Radio KUL this weekend.

This is our exclusive interview with her.

Jeza

Hello! Where are you answering this currently?
Hello, thank you for having me. I’m in Hong Kong, packing for New York!

“Leaving London” was your breakthrough record back in 2006. This year you’ve re-entered the EDM scene quite actively. What happened during the 4-5 years gap in between?
I finished high school and went to university! I spent much of my spare time writing music and during my last year there, I formed a band called Parliament Hill. We wrote and recorded a folk/acoustic album called “Light The Dark”. We spent weeks in and out of a studio and the end result was amazing. The album remains something of which I am very proud; and of almost equal importance, I came away with real studio experience, which has been indispensable for my work now.

“Start Again” with Will Holland is truly a great record, you voiced it perfectly. Tell us about meeting Will and making this song together.
From the start, I hit it off well with Will. He’s very talented and hard working, but immensely grounded as well. Will sent me an instrumental last July. I realized he was someone with whom there is a real shared understanding on the level of music, a similar passion for what we’re doing. We agreed that we wanted something emotional and bittersweet and I wrote the lyrics and melody quickly because I felt so connected to the song and the emotions behind it. I didn’t meet Will in person until last October at the Amsterdam Dance Event, but we already kind of knew one another from our emails back and forth. I took the train up to Leeds (from my home in Surrey) last November and finally recorded the song with him. I’ve just finished writing the follow up record, which will be released in the next few months!

Your new collaboration with Eco, “Over Paper Skies” has also been picked up heavily by other DJs. Can you share with us more about this song?
Eco’s music draws from a lot of genres. As a singer songwriter coming from more of a folk/acoustic background, I really appreciate hearing elements of different kinds of music in the tracks I work on. This song is a perfect example of the kind of crossover feel evident in a lot of Eco’s music. I’m so pleased that Marat and Debbie (of the talented duo, Hysteria!) added their touch to this song on their remix. Can’t get enough of that electric guitar–this remix makes me happy.

And of course “Light Up” with Heatbeat, it’s been popping up on tracklists everywhere. What was it like working with the Argentinian duo?
Agustin and Matias were a lot of fun and really easy-going. As with many of my collaborations, this song was written thousands of miles apart. Heatbeat’s music tends to be quite different from the songs I write, so this track was created by moving towards a common ground, and we’re all very happy with the result.

You worked with Tritonal on two tracks for their new album Piercing the Quiet. Tell us about both the songs. Did you help write it too?
Yes, I co-wrote both songs. I was sent the tracks, to which I wrote the melody and lyrics. I wrote “Can’t Keep It In” while I was in Washington DC, and the time difference was very small between us (Chad and Dave are based in Texas), so we were getting /giving pretty immediate feedback to one another. I wrote “I Can Breathe” in Hong Kong, which is 13 hours ahead of Texas, so I would wake up in the mornings excited to hear what the guys had done while I had been sleeping. The songs are both quite complex and rich, as a result of real attention to detail–specific notes, layers and voice phrasing—and that was possible because we really communicated with one another.

“You Say It’ll Be Okay” — What are your fans saying?
My fans are really supportive of this collaboration. People tell me that it has an ‘old Tiesto feel’ so I think that’s fantastic! A few years ago, the whole EDM scene was foreign to me, but of course I had heard of Tiesto, so I feel very fortunate to be a part of the new Allure project now, especially having just really begun my EDM career.

Who are some of your favorite artists at the moment?
I am constantly falling in love with songs, infatuated by voices. I get so sucked in that as a result, I focus the majority of my attention on only a handful of artists, for weeks to months at a time. Recently I’ve had the new Gemma Hayes album on repeat. My constants include Turin Brakes and Sigur Ros. Singer songwriters and haunting or emotional melodies. It is no surprise that my favorite “EDM” artist also happens to be a singer songwriter: Sarah Howells.

What are your plans for the rest of 2011?
It’s turning out to be a wonderfully busy year, filled with music. I have some exciting collaborations and releases coming up as well as some shows. I’m also venturing into some new musical territory. Please stay in touch via my Facebook page. My website is coming soon!

Any message to your fans around the world reading this?
Thank you, thank you, thank you for believing in artists like myself. Fans are at the heart of EDM…you guys make the music thrive, by supporting and sharing the work you believe in!

Listen to Jeza guesthost Radio KUL 183 with Simon Lee & Alvin alongside a guestmix from Yuri Kane. 

“Over Paper Skies” is out now on Armada. All of Jeza’s music are available worldwide via Beatport.

More info :

This is Simon Lee & Alvin from Radio KUL, a radio show that you can listen to right here on Mugasha. Here's an interview with one of the artistes that will be featured on this week's episode.

Sarah Howells To Guesthost Radio KUL

Sarah Howells is the unmistakable voice that has been the soul for timeless dance records such as “Out Of The Sky,” “Reverie,” “Find Yourself,” and “Let It All Out.” Most recently, her new collaboration with First State “Skies On Fire” has been heavily requested by EDM fans and strongly climbing the sales charts. We’ve invited the talented Miss Howells to guesthost Radio KUL this week.

Sarah Howells

Sarah, thanks for taking time to talk to us! Let’s talk about “Skies On Fire.” What an amazing record! Having worked with First State on “Reverie” and “Brave,” was it really natural and comfortable to collab with Sander again for this one?
Definitely. We played in Canada together earlier this year, not long after Reverie and we got on really well. When you click with someone it makes all collaborations much easier. We have to do a lot over email but it’s easier to understand each others ideas once you’ve met and get on. I was really happy with his mix of this song. It took it somewhere new…and of course allowed a whole new group of people to discover it!

Tell us about your band then, and what’s been new with Paper Aeroplanes?
Paper Aeroplanes is basically Richard Llewellyn and myself, our songs and my voice. We’ve playing together, touring and releasing music for around 4 years. We have 2 albums, one of which has had a label release in the US and Canada and all over Europe. We’re currently working on our third. Our sound is kind of folk/acoustic music. Its basically the way some songs start off before I collaborate with a DJ. Our album The Day We Ran Into The Sea has the track “Skies on Fire” on it! We’re doing a headline UK tour in September.

“Out Of The Sky” – a record that every dance music lover knows by heart. Flashback a few years and tell us how did you hookup with Lange for this one?
Lange moved to Cardiff at a time when I lived there also. He was asking around for a new vocalist to work with and someone at a studio suggested me. I wrote an acoustic song for him….really quickly cos I didn’t really know what he wanted. We tweaked it a little bit and a month later he sent it back….and I loved what he did to it! It was very exciting to hear my first EDM track. I love the strings. Lange is definitely one of the best producers out there.

There’s also one of your contributions on Dash Berlin’s artiste album – “Believe In You”. Tell us about it.
It’s more of a chill out track. It something they sent me and wanted me to write over and I instantly loved the sound of it. It’s basically a love song. Apparently they had tears in their eyes when I sent my parts back. It’s always good when a song can draw emotion like that.

Which is more challenging for you to work on – the dance music or contemporary music format? Does the rest of the band get involved too?
Sometimes the trance tracks are co-written with Richard. He also records all my vocals for me in his studio. It’s the same place we record our band albums. I suppose the Paper Aeroplanes music is slightly more challenging because we have to produce those songs ourselves so thats an extra dimension. With the trance tracks, I keep my guitar parts simple so DJs can add their vision. And sometimes the dance tracks start with the producer’s tracks and I work from their chords and productions.

How has venturing into dance music changed your life and career?
Definitely. It’s introduced me to a new sound and a new world that I wasn’t so familiar with previously. It’s enabled me to travel to countries I probably would have never seen and I’ve received a warm welcome from everyone involved in the scene which is more like a huge family! I feel really lucky to have been given some of the opportunities I’ve had. I look at music with a much wider view now.

What does the rest of 2011 hold for you?
Loads of touring with Paper Aeroplanes and a new single from us. Hoping to squeeze in some club shows wherever possible and I have a few waiting confirmation as I write. I also have a few tracks in the pipeline which i can’t mention but will be announcing via Facebook etc very soon.

Lastly, any message to your fans around the world reading this!
I have to say thanks for being with me along the way and thanks for your support and interest! Keep in touch.

Listen to Sarah Howells guesthost Radio KUL 180 with Simon Lee & Alvin.

“Skies on Fire” is out now on Black Hole.

More info :

This is Simon Lee & Alvin from Radio KUL, a radio show that you can listen to right here on Mugasha. Here's an interview with one of the artistes that will be featured on this week's episode.

Hannah Ray To Guesthost Radio KUL

This week on Radio KUL, singer Hannah Ray will be taking over hosting duties. We’ve invited her to talk about her songs such as “Autumn Leaves,” “Nadia,” “With Me,” “Here We Go,” and the freshly released “Painted Red.” Hannah has been a professional singer for over a decade and her outstanding collaborations with EDM producers have been well received by the scene. Here she is for this warm up interview.

Hannah Ray

Hi Hannah! How are you and what’s been a recent highlight?
Hi guys, I’m great thank you. I had a few releases come out at the beginning of this month that I’ve been really looking forward to, Masoud’s “Here We Go” and Duderstadt’s “Painted Red”, both which have been received really so, that was definitely a highlight.

How did you get involved with dance music?
A few years ago I decided to MySpace Jaren from Armin’s “Unforgivable” and of Cerf, Mitiska, and Jaren, and asked her for some advice on becoming a trance vocalist and she emailed me back saying that she might have some tracks I could sing for her that she’d written. I couldn’t believe my luck! At the same time I MySpace-d Myon & Shane 54 about a topline I’d written over “Not A Lot Left”, he loved it and later introduced me to Shogun, with whom I wrote “Nadia.” MySpace used to be amazing for this kind of simple networking.

“Autumn Leaves” is such a beautiful record and it’s the one we remember you by. Tell us how you got together with Temple One for this release?
This was a lucky suggestion by Enhanced’s Will Holland and my new manager Stuart who I met through Jaren. The track was brilliant and lent itself to so many vocal melodies I really enjoyed teasing out the perfect one.

“Here We Go” with Masoud is also gaining a lot of airplay and support from the scene. What are the lyrics about?
Ah well you’d have to ask Jaren this one! This song is actually one of the one’s I have sung for her. When I read the lyrics I pictured that quiet time in the middle of the night when things sometimes become clearer and you realise things about yourself, your ambitions, needs and priorities. The chorus is where you put these realizations into action taking a “deep breath” and doing it right.

And also share with us about “Painted Red,” your new song with Duderstadt.
This song was so fun to write as I loved the instrumental Duderstadt sent. I thought the song sounded dark, and mysterious so I chose the theme of erotic dancing to write about, haha! I think that women are things of beauty and I just love the fact they can create these fantastic illusions for audiences using humour in burlesque performing and using pure sexuality in erotic dancing, so I wanted to write about the artistic side of that. How they act out these fantasy type roles and the viewers are almost painting a picture of this woman in their imagination. I think this is a positive song in that I think it’s good to understand your sexuality, it’s power and beauty and perhaps as we all do from time to time, enjoy using it ;)

What are your plans for the remainder of 2011?
Well I have been working with an un-named big producer and so I am just crossing all fingers and toes that that goes ahead and then hopefully it will be released later this year. Also I am getting some new photos done in June round my birthday which is always brilliant fun. I would absolutely love to do some PA’s this summer and jump up and down on stage as I would in the crowd!

If you could narrow down 3 essential ingredients of a great song, what would it be?
Lyrics that came from the heart, a vocal that’s sung well and with passion and definitely music that blows you away with or without the vocals.

Besides dance music, you also sing a lot of contemporary music. Share with us some of your original material.
Ooo I’d love to! My solo work is being written all the time behind the scenes and you can find some up on Soundcloud or Facebook . It’s the first time I have been able to really get this ball rolling and I’m loving every minute of it!

Who are some of the artistes that you’d be eager to work with?
Deadmau5, though he’s only a little bit trance these days. I followed him way back when he had barely any view on YouTube, then all of a sudden he’s everywhere and I have now been able to see him live 4 times which I never thought would happen back then. I also would be so honoured to work with Armin van Buuren, having seen him live too at Global Gathering and Creamfields, Tiesto of course, and I love the Myon & Shane 54 boys, their music is so feel good and they’re really sweet.

Any message to your fans around the world reading this!
Thank you so much for your support, please keep in touch with me via Twitter, Facebook, and Soundcloud, and hopefully I’ll see you in a rave somewhere in the next few years! :D

Listen to Hannah Ray guesthost Radio KUL 178 with Simon Lee & Alvin.

“Painted Red’ is out now on Intuition.

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Follow Simon Lee & Alvin on Twitter and Facebook and find out more about Radio KUL at http://www.radiokul.com/.
 

This is Simon Lee & Alvin from Radio KUL, a radio show that you can listen to right here on Mugasha. Here's an interview with one of the artistes that will be featured on this week's episode.

Cathy Burton To Guesthost Radio KUL

Cathy Burton is the talented voice behind some of trance’s biggest records such as “Certainty,” “Rain,” and “Love To Hold.” She is also a gospel artiste who has been releasing music for almost a decade now. Cathy has also toured with Armin van Buuren and continues to perform small to large shows around the world. She’s one of the few artistes that manages to achieve success in different realms of the musical spectrum. Her new track “When Tomorrow Never Comes” has just been included on A State of Trance 2011. Cathy will guesthost this week’s episode of Radio KUL where she’ll be sharing the stories behind some of her discography.

Here she is for this exclusive interview.

Cathy Burton

Hi Cathy! Thanks for doing the interview. Where are you answering this currently?
I am in my office in Nutbourne, which is a little village on the South coast of England and the sun is shining through my skylight.

“I Surrender” is such a beautiful song. How did this collab with Armin van Buuren come about?
“I Surrender” kind of landed in my lap. I was actually out on maternity leave and a writer/producer that I work with Raz Nitzan literally asked me if I could squeeze the vocal in before my baby was due as Armin was really into the track. So being pretty excited about it and just enjoying the whole vibe of the song and lyric, I happily obliged and got a vocal down here in my studio in the UK. Armin liked the track and put it on the Mirage album, as ever, it’s always exciting to know what he is going to do with the track, and he never disappoints.

And what was the experience like touring on Armin Only?
The Armin Only experience is like no other. I always have to pinch myself to check it’s actually happening. I never thought I’d be asked to do something like this, especially so far into my career. I love the fact that Armin Only has opened up a whole new world to me. I enjoy the gigs, the dancers and the production are amazing, the crowds are fantastic. Alongside I get to see the world and sing, I’m very happy to be part of it. New friends also have come into my life, which is always great.

How did you get involved with dance music?
I got involved through Raz, who I mentioned above. He spotted me on Myspace when I was in a folk/americana 3 piece all girl band. We were touring the UK with 3 voices and 3 guitars……so very different to the dance scene. I was also continuing my own stuff at the time. So when I met Raz it was just another natural collaboration as we worked on the songs as I would with any other style of song. Then I was blown away with the creative process of dance music and how much goes into producing it. It’s amazing.

How does recording worship music compare to dance records, and what do your fans from worship music say about your EDM collaborations?
I’m not sure if people who know me in worship know I’m singing this stuff. Anyone that does make the connection seem to think that it’s very cool! I haven’t had any criticism as of yet. I’ve only encountered positive feedback, because the tracks that have come out are so good. People think my voice fits well. Recording worship music and dance music, is kind of the same process to me. I believe in what I’m singing, there has to be authenticity for me. So the more I get to write in the dance genre, the more I can just be myself. I think dance music is pretty spiritual…..I can stand in the crowd in an Armin Only show and feel that God is right there with me and all of us. He isn’t contained to a church building and he has great love for creation, which includes all of us. Whether we believe or not, God has compassion for all our struggles and sometimes I feel there’s a fair bit of sorrow and searching in the trance stuff. Which moves me.

Tell us about “When Tomorrow Never Comes?”
“When Tomorrow” is a great track, another from Raz. I love the lyrics. This was recorded last year some time after my 3rd baby was born. It’s always a challenge to juggle children and work! I’m delighted that Armin featured this on A State Of Trance 2011, it’s great to get another break like that. It’s a good song though so I’m happy and grateful to be singing it.

What do you have in store for 2011? Any more songs or tours in the works?
I’m hoping to get some writing done, more collaborations. I’m also signing up with a booking agent in order to find more live work with the trance music. I’ll be continuing on the Armin Only “Mirage” (tour). I also have a few backing vocals gigs, my own gigs and just on going writing for my singer songwriter stuff. I’m enjoying it all at the moment.

Who do you have to thank having achieved all this success in different genres of music after all these years.
Well first of all my husband Paul has been the bigest encouragement to me. I’ve had John Waller manage me for a good few years, and before him Tommy Jay Smith. It’s always been good to have people like them who have such experience and wisdom in the music business. In the writing world, Nick Van Eede and Ricky Ross gave me a lot of confidence. I’ve worked with many producers, including Gus Dudgeon, Chris Eaton and other guys with a real craft. I’ve also just sung alongside many singer/songwriters, musicians. These guys have provided a real community that have just kept me going.

Any message to your fans around the world reading this!
Dear “fans” I really hope that my music gives you happiness and healing. Thank you so much for your support, I’m so pleased that I’m able to carry on singing, and it’s thanks to you.

Listen to Cathy Burton guesthost  Radio KUL 175 with Simon Lee & Alvin.

“When Tomorrow Never Comes” is out now on Armada.

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This is Simon Lee & Alvin from Radio KUL, a radio show that you can listen to right here on Mugasha. Here's an interview with one of the artistes that will be featured on this week's episode.

Christian Burns To Guesthost Radio KUL

Christian Burns is the successful crossover artiste who has worked with Tiesto, Beny Benassi, Richard Durand, and Armin van Buuren. His early days were spent in the successful pop group, BBMak, but these days he collaborates with EDM artistes and is working on his new band, The Bleach Works. His songs “Night and Day,” “This Light Between Us,” “Suddenly,” and “In The Dark” are huge fan favourites, and he also co-wrote and performed “Suddenly,” “The Emergency” and “Forget Me” together with BT for the album These Hopeful Machines which was nominated in this year’s Grammy Awards. “This Light Between Us” that he recorded together with Armin van Buuren recently shot to #1 in Poland, and Christian is set to release new music over the next few weeks with Glenn Morrison and Allure.

We’ve invited Christian to host the next episode of Radio KUL. Here he is for this exclusive interview.

Christian Burns

Christian, it’s amazing to have you on the show this week. What has been a recent highlight?
Well, its great to be on the show! Been on the road and visited some amazing places recently, one of the highlights was the show in Poland where my song with Armin van Buuren was #1, the crowd sang “This Light Between Us’ back to me SOOOOO loud!

You recorded “In The Dark” with Tiesto in 2007. This was your crossover into EDM. Did you know who he was at that time, and did you expect that record to be so successful?
Well to be honest, I didn’t know who he was at the time when he contacted me on Myspace. I was in my own little ‘rock’ bubble at the time and was not really listening to what was going on in the EDM scene. Once we wrote the song I knew it was a good one and by then knowing how massive Tiesto was I thought it had a good chance of being a hit!

“Night and Day” is such a suitable name for that record, simply because Richard Durand definitely had two contrasting moods on that song. How did this collaboration come about?
Well, Arny at Black Hole Records called me one day and asked if I would like to write a song with Richard, I said yes and Richard sent me an instrumental that was very different to the finished record. Love what Richard did with it though.

“The Emergency” and “Forget Me” were also very well received on BT’s new album These Hopeful Machines, which was nominated in this year’s Grammies. You helped to co-write these two songs. What was the process like?
I met BT when i was on tour in Budapest with Tiesto and we hit it off straight away both having similar tastes in music, it was a complete pleasure working with BT on these songs, we just sent ideas back and forth over the internet. The songs came together quite quickly as the instrumentals that BT sent me were very inspiring.

Also with BT, you worked with him on “Suddenly.” Where did the inspiration for the lyrics come from?
Well, the lyrics for this one are about forgiveness and absolute true love and the amazing feelings that come with it.

And of course, “This Light Between Us,” the song you worked on with Armin van Buuren for his new album. How did the lyrics come about?
This is a song about hope, and that sometimes life can throw you a curve ball but you just gotta get back up and carry on. There is always somebody somewhere willing to help you.

You’re on the Armin Only tour and even shot the video for “This Light Between Us.” What has this whole experience been like, if you can put it in words?
The whole Armin Only experience so far has been amazing, we have traveled all over the world and played to over 100,000 people and there are still about another 10 dates to come I think. The crew are brilliant, we are like a little family and everybody is very supportive of each other. As for the performances, mind blowing! The crowd are in complete bliss for 8 hours from beginning to end. Cant wait to see the live DVD! Its out at the end of Feb this year.

Where are the rest of BBMak now? Are you guys still in touch?
Yes, I am still in touch with Mark and Ste, we are great friends and love catching up with them talking about the old days! :)

What are your plans for the rest of 2011? Will we be hearing more records from you soon?
2011 is already shaping up to be a busy year for me, I have loads of shows already in the diary and gonna be releasing some new music. I have a track out with Glenn Morrison at the end of Feb, a track on Tiesto’s Allure album in May and a few others that I cant tell you about yet!

And lastly, any message to fans around the world reading this!
Would just like to say a massive thank you to all the fans, I am lucky to meet so many of them on the road. You can keep up to date with all my news on Facebook and Twitter.

Listen to Christian Burns guesthost  Radio KUL 170 with Simon Lee & Alvin.

“This Light Between Us” is out now on Armada.

More info :

This is Simon Lee & Alvin from Radio KUL, a radio show that you can listen to right here on Mugasha. Here's an interview with one of the artistes that will be featured on this week's episode.

Tania Zygar To Guesthost Radio KUL

You’ll recognise her name and voice from the breakthrough records “Vanilla” and “Half Light.” The icon behind some of 2010’s biggest tunes, Tania Zygar, distinguishes herself with her lyrics. Her music has captured the hearts of EDM fans around the world. Born in France and now living in Canada, she is a classically trained musician and has several releases on AVA, Armada, Black Hole, and Auryn, all supported by the heavyweight DJs. Over the next few months, you will hear her on collaborations with Arty (“The Wall”), Estiva (“Death of Me”), and Space Rockerz (“Puzzle Piece”).

Tania Zygar will host Radio KUL this week alongside a guestmix from Tydi.

Here she is for this Radio KUL Extra interview.

Tania Zygar

Hey Tania! How are you and where are you currently?
I’m doing well now actually! I went through a stressful period but now things are finally back to where they should be. I’m in my home studio in Ottawa, Canada right now, it’s really cold here!

“Vanilla”! What a huge tune and a definite fan favourite in 2010. How did tyDi and you hook up?
Tyson and I started collaborating when I had thanked him for playing “Take Hold of Me” on his radio show Global Soundsystem. We wrote a few songs for his record together, and released “Vanilla” shortly after. I’m so happy with it!

And you guys paired up again for “Half Light.” The lyrics were interesting …
Interesting because there are so few lyrics? We decided to keep this one simple with the lyrics because the song already had such a beautiful feel to it, we didn’t want to crowd it. I think it fits so well all together! Consider it a prelude for what’s to come! ;)

You also had another 2 tracks, “So They Say” and “Take Hold Of Me.” Tell us about these 2 records.
Oh dear! I don’t want to talk about “So they Say”, it’s one of those tracks my friends and I joke about now. They like to tease me about how bad it is because it is! But we were all just starting out, so you can’t expect perfection right away..but that track is really what got me started in EDM. “Take Hold of Me” was actually a lot of fun. Zoltan and I are close friends and he’s quite the character! He approached me with the idea and we built the lyrics together. It’s an interesting track because it’s layered in harmonies and I’m a HUGE fan of harmonies (like Imogen Heap!). It got some attention and it’s essentially how I met tyDi!

And you’ve worked closely with Mike Emvee on several projects, including “One by One.” What was the response to this record?
I’ve worked with Mike Emvee only on “One by One”, he’s been my roommate for almost two years now! He’s also quite the character! The response was good, it was played on Above and Beyond’s Trance Around The World show which was good exposure for both of us. We plan on making more beautiful songs in the future.

Are there any artistes who have inspired you continuously since your early classical days?
Can I say Backstreet Boys? I’m joking! Hmm, artists that I’ve admired for a while – ones that stand out are Imogen Heap and Emily Haynes from Metric. I’m a big fan of indie music!

And are there any producers in particular that you would love to work with, and why?
Wolfgang Gartner because I love his dirty bass lines and can always dance to his tracks!

Can you tell us what you’re working on at the moment?
I’m working on a pop like song, top secret stuff! I’m also working on a cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats”, I’m producing it from scratch and showing it to the world soon!

And what are your plans for 2011?
Well, I hope to travel lots for bookings and networking opportunities and discover the world! I’m also going to be working with some amazing writers, and I’ll working on my production side a bit more – making more hits! I have lots of really good releases coming out within the next three months, so I’m hoping the reaction of the fans will be positive enough to start touring more! That would be a dream!

Any message to your fans out there reading this!
Of course, a BIG thank you for listening to what I have to say and being part of it all. Every message I receive from you I read and it fills my heart with joy. My biggest drive in music is the fact that it can affect people from across the world, thank you for being part of making my dream come true! I will ALWAYS be grateful!

Listen to Tania Zygar guesthost Radio KUL with Simon Lee & Alvin 168.

“Half Light” is out now on AVA.

This is Simon Lee & Alvin from Radio KUL, a radio show that you can listen to right here on Mugasha. Here's an interview with one of the artistes that will be featured on this week's episode.

Emma Hewitt To Guesthost Radio KUL

Here she is for this exclusive interview.

Emma Hewitt

Emma, it’s a pleasure to be speaking with you! Where are you currently?
Oh thanks, it’s my pleasure! I am currently in Amsterdam working on my debut album. It is freezing here at the moment! Snow everywhere!

When you recorded “Carry Me Away” with Chris Lake, did you ever think that it would unleash a completely new career path for your music?
No, I didn’t at all! I did really like the track though, and I thought there was something special about it when we wrote it. I don’t really ever have expectations of where a song will go though, as even if something is feeling great to you when you write it, you never can predict how other people will respond. I think I am extremely lucky that this song opened as many doors for me as it did.

“Not Enough Time” – a fan favourite. How did the lyrics come about?
The lyrics to “Not Enough Time” were written down by the beach in Australia. My brother, Anthony, and I co wrote these lyrics, and to us we were trying to sum up the feeling of the impermanace of everything. How time slips away so quickly, but you have to keep moving with it and running ahead so you don’t get left behind. We also wanted to aknowledge that time moving forward is not such a bad thing, as long as you keep looking forwards yourself, it is not so great for those who get stuck living in past memories.

How did you meet Lange for “Live Forever?”
I actually met Lange through MySpace! I have been a fan of his tracks and I think he is an extremely talented producer, so when he contacted me about working on a track together I was pretty excited! We only met in person for the first time when we did some live shows together through China and Canada to promote the track and Lange’s album. He is a lovely guy!

Of course we have to talk about your track with Dash Berlin, “Waiting.” Truly one of the most beautiful tunes ever written in dance music history. What is the story behind this record?
Thank you! Again, I haven’t met Dash Berlin in person at this stage, they contacted me through MySpace after hearing “Not Enough Time” and asked if I would write a vocal for them. When they sent through the track I thought it was very inspiring, so I got writing straight away. The lyrics for “Waiting” were written about longing for the feeling of someone who was once around, and hoping that they will come back someday, but in some way knowing this is not probably going to happen.

Let’s talk about the video for “Lasting Light” together with Ronski Speed.
Ronski Speed was fun to work with, again I am a big fan of his sounds. He came out to my home town, Melbourne, for a show so we thought it would be a great chance to shoot a video. We filmed most of the video during the performance on the night, so we only had one shot to get it right, but it was a lot of fun. Short and sweet!!

Your brother Anthony has been so important to your career. How has he inspired your music?
My brother is kind of the behind the scenes other half of all the music I sing. Growing up in a small country town in Australia we were always great mates, we listened to similar music, and both started playing in bands together during high school. Anthony is a guitarist, so we started writing songs together at that point too. We have made records together and have done a lot of touring, and most of the electronic tracks I have released have been written by both Anthony and myself. You can even hear him singing if you listen carefully in some tracks, like “Not Enough Time.” Instead of being in the band, Anthony is now involved in the management side of things, he is far more organized than I will ever be, so there is a good balance!

Tell us about this new artiste album that’s due on Armada. Any clues on the tracks and maybe featured artistes?
I am making the album with the talented Mr. Josh Gabriel. It is going to be something quite different from anything either of us has done before. There will be a mix of trance, some break beats, some dirtier industrial style tracks and dark electronic pop music. We are going to do a massive trance remix package of all the tracks done by some names I won’t mention yet, but am REALLY excited to have involved!!! I felt this is a perfect chance to explore some darker and different sounds, but also keep the big trance releases on the album and stay true to form. I am super happy with how it is shaping up!!:)

And, the new single with Dash Berlin, “Disarm Yourself” is set to make a lot of waves. When was this recorded, and we hear a video is in the works?
This was recorded a little while ago now, but Dash Berlin have spent some time getting the track just the way they wanted it to sound. We have filmed a video, it was a lot of fun to make!! We filmed it out in Australia again, it should be coming out around January as far as I know. I love working with Dash Berlin! He is extremely talented, and such a down to earth guy!

Describe your 2010 for us. What were the highlights?
Gosh, it has been a bit of a crazy year when I look back! I think the main highlights would be winning the IDMA with Dash Berlin in March, signing to Armada music and to Chrysalis Publsihing, these events were huge for me!! Touring Canada with Lange was great too. There have been loads of fantastic shows and experiences though, and they have all been equally wonderfull! Beginning my album and seeing it start to be born is also a massive highlight!!

And what can we expect from you in 2011? Where can we watch you live?
I will be seeng in the New Year at Ho Chi Mingh city in Vietnam after the countdown. “Disarm Yourself” is set for release early in the year, then the first single from album will also be out in the early months, followed by the album. I will be doing shows all over the place again, Prague, Cyprus, Chille, Egypt, The States and so on. I can’t wait for another fun year!!

Any message to your fans out there!
Huge thanks to anyone who has listened to the music! The whole reason I write songs is so that hopefully someone out there can get some kind of feeling, or inspiration from hearing them. The same way I have emotions or memories trigured when I hear certain melodies. Thanks so much for the support and all the beautiful messages – they really mean a lot to me…big love to you.

Listen to Emma Hewitt guesthost Radio KUL with Simon Lee & Alvin 166.

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