Sunda (Ten Questions with...) Exclusive interview
1. What is trance music to you?
Escapism; beauty; otherworldliness; connection...
2. How do you perceive the state of the current trance music scene?
The current trance music scene is fascinating and diverse, with trance fusing with other genres and inspiring a younger generation of artists. I enjoy hearing various forms of trance, from the deep, dark sci-fi journeys by Pico Boulevard and Enlusion to the more upbeat, chunky bass-driven style of HAWS (label). The 140-150 bpm hypnotic trance sub-genre is also thriving, although I tend to pitch down those 150 bpm tracks a bit.
The addition of deep, raw, and hypnotic trance charts on Beatport has allowed lesser-known artists creating phenomenal music to break through and find their niche. There’s a lot of experimentation happening, with artists self-releasing on Bandcamp, releasing on smaller independent labels, or setting up their own labels. I believe we’ll see more of this going forward, which can only be positive as new and unique forms of trance continue to emerge.
For main room trance, labels like Borderline, Pure Trance and Landscapes are my go tos. They all retain the raw elements that (in my opinion) define trance music and make it such a beautiful art form. Borderline is currently going from strength to strength with an incredible pool of artists producing in some of the most lush trance music around. Landscapes is another great label that I have been releasing on, which also believe in the fundamentals of trance music that make it such a special genre. That's not to say there aren't some really cool modern trance artists out there too, James Pound is a really passionate producer who is doing great things for trance with Rated Records and his new label 'Serenity' is set to launch next year. I think there is a shift in the main floor trance charts and we are starting to see more support for greater diversity in this scene.
3. What are your goals in producing trance music?
My goals are to make music and contribute my art to the community of trance lovers. I’m currently building a small community of trance fans around my Eternal Horizons mix series on SoundCloud, which is growing organically based on a shared passion for all forms of trance music. I aim to showcase lesser-known DJs and emerging talent. I have a few close friends helping me with production feedback and sets: Milah (Mike Brown), an incredible and underrated DJ, and ByDesign (Matt Dyson), who taught me many production basics and inspired my sound.
https://tf-r.bandcamp.com/track/sentimientos-sunda-remix
4. Who was your inspiration to start producing trance music?
During COVID, I heard an Activa set that completely blew me away. Before that, I had revisited trance a few times, but none of the leading DJs were doing anything that personally interested me. I feel mainstream trance has become more like pop music or EDM, which isn’t a bad thing; it’s just evolved into something different. Activa’s set felt like a progressive house set to me; it wasn’t just one big tune after another but took you on a journey with peaks and troughs, focusing on percussion, funky basslines, and grooves.
Hearing the track “Cassini” by Slipstream and Activa made me feel that the magic had returned to trance. To me, it remains one of the best tracks I’ve heard, capturing the essence of trance from the days of Paul Oakenfold in the Courtyard at Cream. I tried to create my own “Cassini” but ended up developing my own sound in the process.
https://www.beatport.com/release/true-essence/4690528
My first two tracks on Borderline, “Mirage” and “Pillars,” came about after exploring Allan Morrow’s website for MIDI files, presets, tutorials, and following his tips and tricks on Facebook. In fact, “Mirage” is based around an Allan Morrow preset. I highly recommend him if you want to start producing any kind of electronic music. Allan has been a significant inspiration to my sound, and I’m excited to see what he releases on his new label, Strobin.
Since releasing on Borderline, Activa has been incredibly supportive, providing constructive feedback, advice, and opportunities to share my music. The group of artists creating the incredible Borderline trance music are some of the nicest people I’ve met. I believe one reason the music is so beautiful is that it’s untouched by the ego-driven side of social media in electronic dance music.
Recently, I’ve been receiving mentorship and advice on production and sound design from Pico Boulevard, who is helping me develop the progressive elements of my music further. I highly recommend him for tutorials and mastering services.
My current inspirations:
Grant Trowbridge - Whispers From The Past and Lost in New York and EOS are 3 of my all time favourite trance releases. (Hoping my remix of one of these tracks will eventually be ready to see the light of day!)
Activa, Slipstream John Dopping & Allan Ruddick, Coredata, Dave Begic, DNA Project, Pico Boulevard, Deepcry, Narel, Horizons, Chris Johnson, Factoria, Julian Del Agranda, Allan Morrow, Ben Lost, Luke Terry, Aeon Shift and the whole amazing crew of Borderline producers!
5. Which song are you most proud of and why?
Probably “Against The Tide.” It was really hard to follow “Mirage,” which was like lightning in a bottle, written and sketched out as a full track in a couple of hours—I have no idea how it came to me! “Against The Tide” was the result of about a year of failed attempts to write something that could follow “Mirage” and “Pillars” but also be more progressive and even more retro. I actually discarded the original project but returned to it after watching an Allan Morrow tutorial on progressive trance percussion that really inspired me. It’s been played by Paul Van Dyk at least three times now, which is huge praise considering he was one of the reasons I started playing trance years ago.
I also owe huge gratitude to Jonny Royall, who has contributed to my Borderline releases and helped bring them to life. Jonny has an excellent understanding of my sound and what I want to achieve with my music, bringing a wealth of production knowledge and talent to add those finishing touches that elevate the music to even higher levels. Not only that, but he’s one of the nicest people you could ever want to work with. He also writes music that sounds like it comes from outer space—I have no idea how he does it!
6. Will your future releases be collaborations with other artists? Are you more into solo productions?
I absolutely love collaborations, it's way more meaningful than just writing music on your own and it's so great for new ideas and inspiration. Expect more from Saharans soon, a new collaboration on Rated Records with Grant Trowbridge TG11 - Breathe and a rework of one of my latest unrevealed tracks on Borderline.
7. What inspires you to create trance music?
The memories of Cream, Gatecrasher, and Golden from 1997 to the early 2000s, featuring artists like Paul Oakenfold, Scott Bond, Paul Bleasdale, Dean Wilson, Nigel Dawson, Seb Fontaine, and Sasha, among others, are unforgettable. Producers from the late 90s early 2000s such as Marino Stephano, Push, Airwave, Dominion, Tilt, Sharam Jey, Lange, Matt Darey, Man With No Name...
I just love getting inspired by this music and creating my own music - nothing beats it!
8. What hardware and software do you use to create trance music?
FL Studio
Spire
Sylenth
Vital
Transit
Astra
Valhalla shimmer / supermassive
Rbass
Fab Filter Saturn
9. How do you perceive the influence of social media on the career development of a trance artist?
I feel that social media has given rise to a new kind of artist who is more of a multi-skilled content creator and influencer within the scene. While it doesn’t interest me much, I recognize it as an art form in itself and don’t criticize this evolution. I remember older clubbers telling me that all the trance music in 2000 was terrible and that dance music wasn’t as good as it used to be! Times change!
10. Finally, what would you like to say to your fans?
Thank you so much for all your support and kind comments. The listeners are the reason I keep doing this, and the social connections formed within the community are invaluable. Please continue to support smaller labels and artists who create music with a true passion for trance!
My latest mix for Borderline radio can be found on Bandcamp:
My monthly trance mix series 'Eternal Horizons' is available at www.soundcloud.com/sundaproductions
