We caught up with the trance legend Markus Schulz recently, right after his set at Ultra Music Festival. This is what he had to say :
TBB: First of all Markus, How are you?
Markus: I am absolutely fantastic, thank you. Just got off the stage at Ultra and I’m so proud of everything that’s been going on here with Ultra & dance music in general in the United States. Everything is on fire right now!
TBB: Diving back into the past trance music and America don’t seem synonymous, How did you discover/work on your sound?
Markus: I’ve always been looking for more melodic stuff through my whole career, I think trance is really big here in the States. Well if you look at in a way “what is trance?” to answer that, when you turn on the radio you here melodies that are unmistakably trance but produced by “House” music artist’s. The whole scene has become kind of a blur of blending genres, this new generation of artist’s has come and blurred everything. I believe that is a good thing because the scene was getting a bit tiered for a while and this has turned everything upside down. It’s quite an exciting time for EDM.
TBB: Talking about that further on, Do you reckon your sound has changed over the years?
Markus: Well yes definitely it has evolved, As an artist i believe if your sound isn’t evolving means your sound is dying.
TBB: Well don’t know if a lot people know this but we believe you started out as a break dancer, could you tell us a bit about those days?
Markus: It was quite a lot of fun (laughs), that’s what i guess is a bit different about me. When I’m up in the DJ booth or on stage i like to play music that i would want to dance to. Back in the day i used to make all the mix tapes for our crew when we entered competitions. When i think about those times i wish i could still break dance like i used to. (laughs)
TBB: Have you given break dancing another go recently?
Markus: Not recently but there was this one time Ferry Costen and I were waiting in one of the business class lounges at an airport and Ferry took a video of me bustin’ a move or two (laughs), I think the video is still out there on Ferry’s youtube channel.
TBB: How does it feel to be a part of the “A State Of Trance” family?
Markus: It’s an absolute honour, I’ve known Armin since 1999 and to see how everything has progressed it has been amazing. I was one of the first artist’s signed to Armada and to see how the label has grown, how “a state of trance” has grown and how Armin has grown. Just to be a part of it and have my career grow as well has been really cool. I’m really happy to be a part of this movement.
TBB: Talking a bit about India, you have played there a few times in the past and hopefully will be performing again in the future, Could you tell us about your experiences while performing in India?
Markus: I love to play in India, the people there are really passionate and know their music. I remember the last time i was performing in India there were so many “unicorn slayer” t-shirts in the crowd, it made me feel really honored (laughs). India is one of those places that has a vibe of it’s own and is lot of fun, I love playing in India.
TBB: Are you happy about the nick name (unicorn slayer) sticking?
Markus: Of course it’s all by the fans (laughs), I just retweeted a fan that said “Markus Shulz is the unicorn slayer of trance”. I thought it was kinda funny, it just caught fire and took off from there. So, it’s the fan’s moniker and i embrace it completely.
TBB: Could you give us a sneak peak as to what lies ahead in terms of studio productions and tours?
Markus: I am currently doing a “scream” bus tour across the United States and I’ve made a few tracks for the bus tour. I have been working on a lot of tracks that I’ll be releasing this year but i don’t know about an album or anything, we haven’t decided on that yet. I am a bit of a studio junkie so i always keep working on something.
TBB: Any last words to your fans in India?
‘Markus: Thank You’ all you guys in India you all are so passionate. Hopefully i can come and play for you guys again very soon.
Interviewed by: Kanov Bagai
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