| Interview with Michael Splint ( 16.10.2007 - 17:40 GMT UTC )
1. Would You say all producers are ultimately competing against each other or is it all just mutual admiration ?
Michael Splint: It's one big competition!! There is of course "friends" that work together - Ferry & Tiesto did it once, but ultimately I think we all compete against each other (which isn't a bad thing...)
2. How do You find the Danish EDM scene compare too all any other European countries ?
Michael Splint: Well, the Danish EDM scene is very good - just not if you're into Trance... House, Electro, Minimal and stuff like that is quite popular - even "Euro Dance" - but it seems like the Trance scene is starting to pick up again. We had some really good years from 1998 to 2003 - so what goes up, must eventually come down - but as I said, it's picking up again...
3. Even though You are well known, You are not in the spot light like a lot of other producers, any particular reason why ?
Michael Splint: Hehe - I only have one reasonable explanation for that - I havent had many releases out under my own name. Due to my contract, I could only release under the name Michael Splint for F&W Records, so I had to use aliases in order to release the tunes I wanted to. The contract was made when there was a little more money in the trance scene and the idea was to "build" me as DJ/Producer - various things happened (or didnt happen), so here we are. I'm out of the contract and have effectively shut down all the other names I used; Falkon, Barbed Wire, Yet Yauer, Max Power and Expeditors. After all - when I'm involved in a track - it's still me, so from now on I will just use my name on the stuff I'm working on - that way the name should stick more in peoples minds
4. You have worked with loads of people - what were the best of those times working with those names ?
Michael Splint: Well, I dont have a "favourite" person to work with as such - I'm more or less happy to be working with people I have as friends in my personal life too. I would have to point out Lee Haslam. He was very cool to work with, as he knew exactly what he wanted to do with the track. We only had 2 half days to work on it, so it's actually sitting a bit still - but I'm sure we'll get it done sometime soon And with the internet these days, you can work with people you never meet - that's the case with Nebula. He lives in Italy, so we use msn and skype a lot.
5. What projects are you working with at the moment ?
Michael Splint: At the moment I'm working with Oliver Wyteman on the new Michael Splint single - as it looks now, it will be done sometime in December and for the first time it will be without vocals! There is however some tracks with Sasja in the making too. I have one on the way with Ben Bording (actually it's two - the second one is with Marcie on vocals...), then it seems like the bootleg I did with DJ Choose will get an official release - I think we'll do a trance mix of that, plus I'm also doing some other tracks with him. Nebula and I started talking about something to do and I'm also talking with other interesting people about doing stuff - so the next couple of months should be packed in the studio
6. You are an independent artist so what is the best and toughest things about being independent ?
Michael Splint: Well, there is definitely not a lot of money in this business - so I actually have a "regular" job during the day - so I guess, the hardest part is that there is very little time for everything!
7. A lot of producers are starting up their own label. You have been involved with Novascape and Diverted - will you start up for yourself ?
Michael Splint: It is definitely an option I've looked into. But if I do it, I don't want it "just" to be another online label, pushing out loads of releases - even if there is a lot of talent out there, I would probably keep it very personal - but check out my sites in the coming months - maybe there will be a news item about a label
8. I have listened to "Ruffed up, So Lost" and another one with Sasja, called "You Set Me Free" on Your MySpace profile. Would You say the overall vibe of "Splint`s style" is a personal vibe where You are really putting Your own rhythm and bass across through the music ?
Michael Splint: Music is always personal to me. I have to have an input on how the stuff sounds, as I can't play any instruments myself. It's very important to me that people know that I am always working with other people and that in fact I am sitting behind them shouting my ideas and thoughts on the track in progress.
9. You have released 3 singles with Sasja as the vocalist - how come ?
Michael Splint: Obviously because I think she is a great singer. Secondly because we try to keep a ’red thread’ in the releases on this project – hence the name ’Michael Splint Feat. Sasja’ – I do work with other vocalists (male and female), so in the future there will be other features – I can’t expect Sasja to sing on all my stuff
10. I have always been told that if You want to succed as an artist, You have to sacrifice something. What about Yourself, what have You sacrificed to become an EDM artist ?
Michael Splint: Hm...As I said earlier - Time is a big factor. I don't feel I have sacrificed that much (but if you ask my wife she will probably say she doesnt see me as much as she would like to) - luckily I am married to a great woman and the fact that we share music as a passion helps a lot!
11. When you spin - which do you prefer: Vinyl, CD or laptop DJ’ing ?
Michael Splint: I’d have to go with CD. It’s so much easier nowadays. Vinyl takes too long to get hold of unless you have a really good record store in your town (which there isn't) – so for me it’s so much cooler to be able to log on to a website and purchase whatever I want whenever I want.
12. In the same spirit – mp3 – good or bad ?
Michael Splint: The eternal question :-) Obviously it's good because of the time factor – you can get promo’s the minute after they are done in the studio, sent across the globe – plus you save a lot in postage :-)
a) Good because you can get your music out very fast and efficient to all parts of the world – I get mails from all over the place by people enjoying my music and DJ sets.
b) Bad…well because of the same things really…Who wants to buy anything when you can get it instantly all over the internet?? I’m still hoping for better times, but the days of thousands of vinyls over the counter of a trance track is over…
13. If we want to catch Your sets, where can we find you ?
Michael Splint: I do 1 monthly show on Digitally Imported - Danish Delights - with my friends DJ Choose and Michael Parsberg. It's a 3 hour show every 2nd Wednesday - right after Corstens Countdown. It's been on for a good period of 3 1/2 years now! I also do a 1 hour show that's being broadcast on ETN.FM, Radioseven.se and Clubdv.fm, that one is called Face The Music. Both shows are "my" brand of trance - a little bit of vocal, uplifting, melodic, techy and hard stuff.
14. What can you expect from seeing Michael Splint perform live, the same as on the radio shows ?
Michael Splint: Almost - with a little twist I don’t think that what I do is anything special opposed to a lot of other DJ's (we are still "just" playing records), but I would like to think of myself as a mixture of a crowdpleaser and and crowd “teacher”…So there will always be room for classics in my live sets. Whenever possible, I like to bring Sasja along for live vocal performance too - that's always great to do.
15. I really appreciate the exclusive interview we had Michael, but at the end of it, have You got anything to say to all TranceSound.net members or anyone reading this interview tho ?
Michael Splint: Thanks for asking me to do it. I'm hoping TranceSound.net will become a big success and we'll have some great parties in the future!
Interview made by Cosmin Lukacs aka Dj K8oard (TranceSound.net admin/founder)
Links:
Michael Splint official website
Michael Splint @ MySpace
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