DuMonde (Eleven Questions with...) Exclusive interview
DuMonde is a legendary German Hard Trance project. Every fan should be familiar with the great classics such as "Never Look Back", "Tomorrow", "God Music", "See The Light", "Ich will raus/Let Me Out", "Kalt" and many others. Currently, it is formed by Jürgen Mutschall and Daniel Körber aka D.Mand. The gentlemen bring a sound that many of us will surely love. With their rich experience in this industry, you can count on the highest quality music. The guys shared a few things about Trance music. I invite you to an interview conducted exclusively for Visions Of Trance.
1. What does trance music mean to you?
Jürgen: True emotions. The beat needs to grab me, drive me, build me up, and inspire me. Trance takes me on a positive journey.
2. How do you see the current state of the hard trance scene?
Jürgen: We keep listening to tracks, but in my opinion nothing truly new is being created. Maybe that’s exactly what real trance fans want – to bring back the old days or at least preserve them.
Generations are blending more and more. Back then, we were the clubbers and ravers; today, many of us are parents or even grandparents. It’s fascinating to see young people attending classic parties with their parents and celebrating this music. They get inspired by the old tracks and the stories behind them.
I experience this myself: my son Philipp and his friends come to the parties where I play, and they really celebrate the music. The genre doesn’t matter – it’s all about the vibe.
3. The legendary DuMonde project is active again, but now you’re the only original member left. What sound are you pursuing, and what can you tell us about it?
Jürgen: I was one of the founders of DuMonde, together with Dominik and René. René left early, and Dominik and I continued to develop the style. Over my long DJ career, new ideas always came along.
After the break in 2007, I restarted DuMonde – this time with my longtime friend Daniel. I needed that pause, and now we only produce music that brings us joy. Sometimes we look back, sometimes we move forward – it doesn’t matter as long as the music comes from the heart.
Fans who liked our sound back then will hopefully not be disappointed. But we don’t stress about it – it’s all about the music. Back in the day, money played a big role; now, it doesn’t anymore. It comes as it comes.
4. What are your goals when producing hard trance music?
Jürgen: Great beats, harmonious melodies, and music that inspires me.
5. Who inspired you to produce hard trance music?
Jürgen: I’ve always been fascinated by trance. Tracks on labels like Lunatec Records or artists like Talla 2XLC and Sven Väth had a major influence on me.
6. Which track are you most proud of and why?
Jürgen: We’ve done so many remixes that I still love. But if I had to highlight one, it would be our remix of Binary Finary.
Daniel and I recently did a remaster of Binary Finary. It sounds really powerful now, and I absolutely love it.
DuMonde – Ich will raus / Let me out, is another track I really love.
Daniel: For me, „Sometimes“ is something very special. Jürgen and I have known each other for years and experimented in many musical styles. But the typical DuMonde style was always there in the background, even if the time wasn’t right for it. It’s even better now that we’ve taken the step, and people have received the track so positively.
7. Trance vinyl releases are making a comeback. Do you see this as a chance for a revival?
Jürgen: I think it adds value to the music again. I still own thousands of vinyl records and continue to buy them, mostly full albums rather than singles.
It’s good to take a step back and learn to appreciate things again. Maybe the younger generation will also learn to enjoy music more consciously.
Jürgen: The old days. I started in mainstream clubs where everything was played. Later, I organized the first house parties in my hometown.
At some point, I needed a change – and that change was trance. Its energy captivates me to this day.
9. What equipment and software do you use to produce hard trance music?
Jürgen: I have a clear idea of how a track should sound. Often, this is only achievable with old synthesizers. Daniel takes care of that – and he’s incredibly skilled at it.
Daniel: To stay authentic, we mainly use hardware, such as the Waldorf Q, Novation Supernova, Virus, and JP8080. Our DAW has always been Cubase with the accompanying Steinberg tools. For me, this way of producing feels more genuine and high-quality – and it’s just more fun.
10. How do you see the influence of social media on the career development of a hard trance artist?
Jürgen: Nowadays, there’s no need for real DJs at big events – people just want to see YouTube or TikTok artists. But let them play a six-hour set in a club – that’s when you see what they’re really capable of.
I learned the craft of DJing and spent years investing in vinyl. It was a fantastic time, and I’m proud of it.
11. What’s next for you?
On January 17, 2025, a rework of „Never Look Back“ will be released (exclusively on Beatport). It’s deliberately not a remix. De Leon and I thought the original was great, but none of the new remixes or cover versions convinced us. This rework was initially created just for my DJ set, but the response was so positive that we decided to release it.
On February 14, 2025, a brand-new DuMonde track will be released on HighContrast. For this, we collaborated with my old friend Bill Brown, who also worked with us back in the day. Although he comes from the rock scene, his presence fits perfectly.
I wish everyone a happy new year. Stay true to music – no matter the genre. Music is here to enrich our lives.
