1. First of all, Mike, please tell me how did you get started in the music business ?
Mike Shiver: I started DJing back in the year of 1996 at local nightclubs during high school and took it already then really serious. I was DJing every Saturday and sometimes Wednesdays and Fridays depending on various locations. After a few years in the local DJ business I started to traveling around a little bit DJing in other cities around Sweden and started to focus more and more on one style when I was DJing.
At the year of 2001 after my first visit in Ibiza with my former colleague Johan, I decided I wanted to start making music more seriously since I had by that time only playing around for fun in various trackers such as Fast Tracker and Buzz Tracker. So I started to save up some money and by the beginning of 2002 I had my first equipments such as a JP 8000 synthesizer and a small Korg sampler. I spent several months learning Cubase VST32 and to basics with MIDI and external synths. By the beginning of 2003 I had my first track done "Feelings".
I sent it around a few top labels and "Lost Language" called me back when the demo arrived at their desk. Next week it was signed and from there it's been quite some journey from being a bedroom producer to starting up an own record label / company and sorting out a proper studio to record more professional material!
2. What's the most unusual place You have heard Your music ?
Mike Shiver: Ooh hehe! That most be in Swedish national FM radio as you can imagine trance music isn't that common over here. =)
3. If You remember, what was Your very first record You bought and when was that ?
Mike Shiver: Oh jeez... My very first record must have been like an Europe record. Not sure if you know these guys, but they were pretty big in the '80-90's with their rather synth / pop rock. Swedish band for that matter!
4. Are there any songs or artists that You can't stand and You can barely listen to that kind of music ?
Mike Shiver: Not really, I just don't prefer listening to like Metal and Opera.
5. Thinking that You have been clubbing in so many places by now, what's the worst gig You have ever done by now ?
Mike Shiver: I haven't really had any bad gigs except from that it has been a few clubs that haven't attracted that many people to a few of my earlier gigs. I had one gig in Sweden with The Thrillseekers in 2004 which was really potential, but somehow there weren't much people showing up. It was a bit unfortunate, but I felt actually more sorry for Steve as he's been flying all the way from the UK with probably higher expectations. However we ended up having a few good moments behind the decks... and I got to meet one of the few trance artists I have really wanted meet.
6. According to my research lately and not just me, I reckon You have been a bit quiet recently. Is there a reason for that ?
Mike Shiver: Yes, I have focused a lot of my time building my label and structuring up my company to make it work along side my private life as well as I have been out DJing too which has been taking some time off my studio work. As for the last 6 months I have been working real hard in the studio and I am preparing a debut artist album by the end of the year or possibly next year depending on how long it will take for me to get satisfied with the result. However I got several singles lined up during this fall so expect more to come soon! I promise ;)
7. When most people think of Mike Shiver, I don't believe they think "Trance and Progressive" since Your biggest successes have been in the vocals realm.
Mike Shiver: Well, I have surely made a nice impact with a few of my vocal tracks and there are plenty of more coming your way. I have always been a sucker for vocal music, especially since I do enjoy working with vocalists in the studio having a good time and all. I do enjoy a lot of instrumental works too, and if you take a listen to my sets or my radio shows (Captured Radio - http://www.captured.nu/radio.html)... you will be able to hear out what I am playing mostly these days and that's pretty much everything from progressive house to trance. For me it's not about the style, but about the feeling, the melodies and everything else that makes a record beautiful at some point.
8. How do You think, that being based in Sweden rather than United Kingdom or The Netherlands (the EDM boredom) has affected Your career so far ?
Mike Shiver: It is been affecting my DJing a bit since Sweden is not exactly the heart of dance music even thou it's becoming stronger with more growing producers and DJs coming up from here. Being located in the UK I would assume it would be easier traveling around and getting from point A to point B quicker and cheaper. As for flying from Scandinavia there are more limited amount of flight and trains leaving internationally and this is affecting a bit, but not major as I'm still making my way around the world.
9. Coming from You as a Dj, producer and remixer... Do you think there is a reason that EDM, mainly commercial/mainstream, consists of mainly the same sound, through out the track(s) ?
Mike Shiver: I think when there is a buzz going on around a certain style in the music scene, people gets inspired in their own way making music. I'm not saying that people are copying each other completely but there is a distinct similarity in many tracks in the trance scene today for example.
Same goes with other styles as well and when it comes to the more mainstream scene, there is a bit more like trends... same as fashion, you need to keep it fresh, simple yet innovative and interesting for the listeners out there and there just basically are ways and rules when you are making more mainstream music that many producers are following more or less when creating hit tracks as it has proven effects in the sales.
I am not entirely sure if this is the answer you were looking for, but this is my view on it in general. Personally I am not that much into mainstream music when I'm creating it even thou sometimes it has influences. However I want to try keep it more underground to rock the clubs as this is where my true heart lies within the music.
10. Before we are ending this exclusive interview, is that anything You would love to share with anyone reading this interview, especially for TranceSound.net community ?
Mike Shiver: Yeah, well as I was telling you earlier, I've got plenty of new stuff in the pipeline including new releases with Matias Lehtola, a track called 'Captured' featuring vocals from Andrea Britton set to be released this fall. Check out the VIDEO PREVIEW from our studios when making the track; http://www.captured.nu/videos/captured.htm Also a new track with Marc Damon is in progress and it's going to be the follow up to our previous track 'Water Ripples'. Find more information about that track here; http://www.captured.nu/videos.htm
Furthermore I have just finished off a new remix for Darude's new single 'In The Darkness', George Acosta's forthcoming track 'Trust' as well as there are 3 more remixes in the works at the moment. Finally but last, a rather housy track with Sami Saari called 'Like a Bitch' is pretty much done which I'm really excited about, and besides this I've almost finished up a new single for Anjunabeats together with US sing stress Aruna that I'm hoping Jono, Paavo and Tony from Above & Beyond will take on. Otherwise it's most likely gonna see a release on Captured Music.
More info will be revealed soon - so head over to http://www.captured.nu and sign up for our newsletter - check the news and updates section and we will get you all the latest information about me and my music as well as forthcoming Captured Music releases and additional goodies such as downloads and radio playlists etc. Thanks for all the support over the years and I hope to see you around the world! Best Regards, Mike.
Interview made by Cosmin Lukacs (TranceSound.net admin/founder)
Links:
Mike Shiver official website
Mike Shiver @ MySpace
Cosmin Lukacs official website
Cosmin Lukacs @ MySpace
Captured official website
Schulman Management official website
