Could you talk a bit about this new single? It seems like you are continuing to push into some new territory here.

Woesum: This single is my way of revisiting the music that really shaped me as a kid. My older sister used to download tons of trance, house, and Eurodance onto our shared computer. I remember finding a YouTube video of Basshunter making a track from scratch in ten minutes, which really blew my mind and set me on the path to producing music as he made it look so easy. What really stuck with me about all the tracks from that era were the breakdowns—the melodies, the atmosphere—not the club edits with minute-long drum loops. This new single is, in a way, me making the song I wish I had discovered back then.

Do you think there is a connection between contemporary rap production and more maximal forms of electronic dance music—both mainstream and underground?

The answer to this could be an entire book. I absolutely do. At its core, modern rap has been club-focused for a long time. To me the main difference is in the drums and whether the vocalist or the production is the focus of the song. The tracks are made on the same type of software, using similar synths. For example, around 2012, Nexus was the main synth that was used for both rap production and mainstream maximal EDM production, which I think made the soundscapes quite similar to each other. Mainstream rap artists have production that is deeply connected to maximal electronic dance music. And in the underground, that relationship is really clear to me, too. I think that connection is carried on by many of the younger producers today who grew up with a variety of influences, including mainstream maximal EDM artists like Avicii.

Any favorite trance tracks or trance mixes?

Scooter “I'm Raving (Taucher Remix)”—honestly anything from Taucher is incredible. “1998 (Kay Cee 1999 Remix).” Balloon “Monstersound (Pulsar Crew Mix).” Neimer “Two Hearts Together.” Anything from Tony Igy. C.J. Bolland “Camargue.” (Not a trance song, I know, but had a huge impact on me when I first heard it.)

The list could go on forever but the Royal Mix I did with DJ Billybool has some of my favourites in there for sure.

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