After getting a chance to sit down with Trance Hall of Famer Ferry Corsten at Dreamstate San Francisco, it made perfect sense to chat with him following Dreamstate SoCal. On November 24, Corsten revived his System F alias at the all-Trance event. The performance marked the 20th anniversary of the System F anthem ‘Out Of The Blue.’ To celebrate, Ferry chose Dreamstate to treat his fans to a legendary one-time show.

EDMTunes had the opportunity to speak with Ferry following the performance. We talked System F, who’s hot on Flashover Recordings, working with Ilan Bluestone on a UNITY collab, and what challenges he faced creating a movie score. Check it all out below.

 1  Hello again, Ferry! We want to talk about your magical System F performance at Dreamstate SoCal. It’s been 20 years since System F ‘Out Of The Blue’ was first released. You could have picked anywhere in the world for this performance – why pick the Dreamstate event in the United States?

Well Dreamstate, as you know, is THE Trance event in the U.S, and Southern California is probably my largest market in the U.S. (Los Angeles and surrounding cities). It was also one of the first markets where I felt them really embracing my sound [in the United States]. Most of all it was right in November, right when ‘Out Of The Blue’ was released 20 years ago. It was a big wish from Dreamstate, who had been asking me actually since the Gouryella days. They asked me “Hey, do you wanna do System F as well?” And I thought “Ahhh…do I really only want to bring my old projects?” I was a bit hesitant. But when I saw the dates of the festival and how [the release of] ‘Out Of The Blue’ lined up, I realized it was the perfect time.

 2  You were the only one at the festival that had the massive, elevated stage. What exactly went into the thought process there?

You know, man…it’s 20 years of System F. Dreamstate wants us to be there. I didn’t just want to step into the same booth and have the same lights like everyone else. We wanted to give the performance that “Oh my God” feeling, by dropping that curtain, then revealing the lifted stage. It had to be something special.

 3  Can you describe that feeling when that massive (150 feet by 120 feet, at least) “F” curtain dropped and it was just you and the festival?

Honestly, at first, I was like “Holy s***…this is high!” (spoken with laughter). Although I saw the crowd earlier, when I climbed the riser that led up to the stage, that curtain was down already. I had seen it all, but when you actually got up there, then the curtain drops and you are looking out into that sea of people, I was like “Whoaaaa.” Big impact for me, for sure.

But then something else hit me, perhaps a bit of doubt. I know a lot of these people will know ‘Out Of The Blue.” But how many people know “Needlejuice” or any of those tracks from my first album in 2002? It’s a younger crowd. But to my surprise, the response was amazing for all these tracks – I guess people really did know them. Even though they were younger, they still felt that sense of nostalgia, you know? That was very cool.

 4  This was all mixed and performed live. Did you change anything to these tracks, or play them in their original form?

What I did do for this show is reproduce all the tracks, just to update the sound to today. You know, most of those tracks are 18, 19 years old. If you listen to the original recordings, it shows the age simply because of the technology. To make that set stand up against John O’Callaghan, against Gareth [Emery], those guys who are playing tracks produced today, I had to revisit those tracks to make them sound a lot tighter, a lot snappier, cleaner – just as if they were produced today.

 5  So in looking at the different sound, what is the biggest difference between a System F production and a Ferry Corsten production?

Well, a Ferry Corsten production…if you go back and listen to the System F Out Of The Blue album, you can actually hear the early Ferry Corsten sound in there. What you have to understand is at that time, it wasn’t “cool” to use your own Dutch name as your stage name – that was a no-go. So I came up with the System F name, along with many other names, that I could produce different types of music. At the time, it was very normal to have these different sorts of monickers.

But then, as Ferry Corsten, I started diving into that kind of electro sound a little, like ‘Punk,’ ‘Rock Your Body, Rock,’ those types of tracks. But the early System F you can kind of hear has that vibe already, like ‘Soul On Soul‘ with Marc Almond. But as Ferry Corsten, I go deeper into that. I allow myself a lot more freedom. I could make a techno track or an EDM track as Ferry Corsten – it’s just wide open space. System F is definitely more trancey, and a bit more, almost to say, “party” trance. That’s how I look at it. Then you look at Gouryella, which is more spacey, almost on the spiritual tip. You won’t really hear that from System F.

 6  So was this performance a one-time deal, or will we be seeing more System F in the near future?

Well, it definitely was a one-time deal for now – but since Dreamstate the phone has been ringing a lot. I gotta see, though, because if I say yes, then all of a sudden people are demanding new System F tracks, and I don’t know if I wanna go there. We’ll see – might keep it open.

 7  Changing gears, we know you have a big release coming out as part of your UNITY project with Ilan Bluestone called ‘We’re Not Going Home.’ What was it like working with Ilan, and what can we expect from that track?

Great, so great working with Ilan. We’ve been buddies now for a long time, and it’s always fun to connect with him. I’m sure you’ve seen some of his social media, Instagram live stories where we’re just hanging out and goofing around. And that same thing is what happened in the studio. Nothing too serious, but serious enough to make something we are both happy with. He came in with his Ilan/Anjuna-type of sound and mindset but really wanting something like the typical Ferry sound. For me, it was the opposite – I went in with my sound but wanting something Ilan Bluestoney, you know? (laughs) We were just looking for both of each other’s strengths, and I think that resulted in a sort of funky, cool, “in your face” type of track. I’m really happy with it.

 8  You also just recently finished up the movie score and soundtrack for the film “Don’t Go.” What was the most challenging part of working specifically for a movie and what goes into that whole process?

You know, it’s really interesting – that whole project came to light because of Blueprint. That album sort of landed on the desk of the movie director, David Gleeson. He reached out asking for me to do one or two scenes for him. So we had a creative talk to figure out what he wanted, orchestral or electronic, and we found the type of sound he was looking for.

So I went to work. I sent him three or four ideas I was working with. Then he calls me back and was like “Do you want to do the whole score? This is right on the money.” It’s not anything within the dance scene, strictly movie stuff. It was really my first time to write and compose anything to an existing story. Blueprint technically was a story, but no picture. It was made for you to create the own picture in your head. This, the opposite. The picture was already there but needed music according to a storyline. The most challenging thing was lining up those cues, that perfect timing. Matching a character’s internal emotion with an external piece of music. I really learned a lot through the whole process.

 9  You mentioned at Dreamstate SF some more UNITY collaboration names – any update on the next release?

No update on when the next one will be just yet. BT is involved. You know, Gabriel & Dresden. Markus [Schulz], is obviously coming up. Talking to Arty. Talking to Gareth [Emery]. Arty is definitely going to happen. Just trying to find the right timing with Gareth. Originally it [UNITY] was only going to be a project for this year, but it looks like we will keep going with it. It’s always great to do these collabs. With Arty, it’s like we’ve been both nodding our heads to the music and both wanna dance, but just can’t find the space on the dance floor yet. (laughs)

 10  Alright, quick hitters – give us one name signed to Flashover Recordings that the fans need to know about.

I really need to say Dim3ension. He’s been with us for a little while. Just a very talented, open-minded producer from Spain that knows how to make a tech-trance track as well as he can make almost a Gouryella-style uplifting track. He’s definitely a guy to look out for. He’s very talented and super hungry.

 11  Corsten’s Countdown 600 is right around the corner – anything big planned?

You know, we thought about it, but there have just been too many big things going on this year. Between System F, UNITY, building a house (personal life insight) – too much to really provide an 8-hour monster set. Won’t be too flashy, but expect big things from 650.

 12  Last one – give us one sentence to describe what to expect from Ferry Corsten next year (2019). 

Lots of fire.

Boom. With a sell like that, we cannot wait to see what Ferry has in store for us in the coming year. However, we sincerely want to thank him and his team for taking the time to reflect on the year that was! Always professional and pushing the envelope seems to be what drives this trance machine to greater heights, metaphorically and (as seen from his high-rise booth) literally.

Ferry is currently in the midst of an ongoing tour and will be hitting major cities all over the world this month. On January 25th, he is set to make his return to New York to perform at Brooklyn’s Schimanski for what will be an incredible night of trance music. Tickets are still available so be sure to grab your tickets here now before they sell out!

Below is a live video we caught of System F ‘Out Of The Blue’ live from Dreamstate SoCal – enjoy!

The post EDMTunes Catches Up with Ferry Corsten to Talk System F Revival [Interview] appeared first on EDMTunes.

Although it was reported that the celebration got off to a rocky start, attendees were quick to send their sincerest thanks and appreciation for the overall outcome via social media. Among the incredible acts including Astrix, Markus Schultz, Ruben de Ronde, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Vini Vici, and Purple Haze, Gareth Emery‘s impressive Laserface stood out.

With trance heavyweights performing over the course of the two incredible days, the talented artists had to give it their all to ensure that they stood out – and that’s exactly what Laserface did.

The captivating production, in collaboration with skilled designer Anthony Garcia, showcased everything and more than you would want in a laser display. It offered perfectly intertwined colors blended with mindblowing sounds.

The live set has been uploaded to YouTube for attendees to relive the magic and the rest of the world the opportunity to witness the sheer bliss that was unleashed. Check it out below!

The post [WATCH] Gareth Emery’s Laserface At Dreamstate Is What Dreams Are Made Of appeared first on EDMTunes.

The Sequence will feature some premium and high-octance 138bpm action all weekend. Some major acts include Astrix, Neelix, Liquid Soul, and Freedom Fighters. Other high-risers such as Waio, Blastoyz, and Khromata will also get their chance to shine.

The high BPM genre has gained a massive following since its resurgence in 2014. Trance acts have devoted themselves to specializing in this sound, and the younger fans have taken notice. While older Trance mainstays such as Ferry Corsten contend that this genre has been around forever and acts should spread their wings across all of trance subgenres, fans continue to flock to all-Psy stages in great numbers.

Armin van Buuren‘s A State of Trance celebrations also feature a separate Psy stage as well. They recently made their Psy Stage announcement, showing just how popular the genre has become. As for Dreamstate SoCal, new Psy act DayDin had this message for his fans via Twitter:

MESSAGE INTERCEPTED: @DayDinmusic ✨ #DreamstateSoCal pic.twitter.com/iVqJsp9RHE

— Dreamstate (@DreamstateUSA) November 20, 2018

In previous years, Psy acts have cut in-between normal Trance acts, often times providing for a choppy experience. Now, we will see the full power of Psy on display for the full two days, November 23-24. This will be an uptempo party from start to finish, and one you will not want to miss! As we covered in our Dreamstate San Francisco event review, the Psy Stage is a force to be reckoned with.

Check out this playlist created by Sentinel 7 on Spotify, and prepare yourself for the rise of Psy at Dreamstate SoCal!

The post Dreamstate SoCal to Feature All Psytrance Stage for Full Two Days appeared first on EDMTunes.

Needless to say, fans will always have choices to make at a festival. While there are always bound to be conflicts, the three-stage festival seems to have put in their due diligence in splitting up the talent. Stages include “The Dream,” “The Vision,” and “The Sequence.” While many fans are fine posting up at their favorite stage, other fans may have some choices to make each day.

One conflict is Neelix, Ben Nicky or Markus Schulz on Day 1. On Day 2, the 11:00 time slot with Ferry Corsten, Gentech, and Ace Ventura is giving fans fits as well. Gareth Emery has been publicizing the SoCal version of his latest Laserface edition for months:

(1/4) We are making @Laserface_ into the greatest laser show on earth. That’s our mission. Not everyone will “get” it and that’s OK. Good lasers are like a decent glass of wine. Not everyone can identify them. There are shows that just pile up a shit ton of lasers.. pic.twitter.com/3uxd3r70dT

— Gareth Emery (@garethemery) November 20, 2018

Paul van Dyk makes his return to Dreamstate for a much anticipated closing set on Day 1. Fans are clamoring about some epic b2b’s, including Darren Porter vs. Talla 2X2C and Lost In Noise (Indecent Noise vs. Lostly). There are tons of other surprises as the weekend unfolds!

A few tickets still remain for the Trance event, so get yours today! Check out the full set time schedule below, and get ready for a Trancegiving you won’t soon forget!

The post Dreamstate SoCal Can’t Miss Acts and Set Times! appeared first on EDMTunes.

Upon entering the packed green room area, Ferry Corsten talking to Arty and Alexander Popov, this writer was a bit intimidated. With everyone around trying to get a word in, Ferry feels his phone ringing. He picks it up to find the voice of his 10-year old daughter on the other line – today is her birthday. His face lights up, and he tells her how much he loves her and how he wants to be there with her. Then, amidst the chaos of the night, proceeds to sing her “Happy Birthday” right on the phone. With all the celebrity and fame that he has earned, a moment like this still takes priority. Talk about class.

 1  So Ferry…2017 was the year of Blueprint. 2018 appears to be the year of UNITY, featuring collabs with Paul Oakenfold, Dim3nsion, and Jordan Suckley in the books. How do these tracks come about, and what is the main goal?

Well we start with a blank sheet. Jordan actually first sent me a melody line with about a 50% production on it, so I took the melody and worked off of that. We sent it back, forth, back, forth until it was completed. With Paul, I came up with a framework and sent it to him. He said, ‘Oh, I love this,’ and added his ideas from there. The track ‘Safe With Me’ with Dim3nsion was actually supposed to be on Blueprint originally, but we just couldn’t find the right spot in the story for it. We knew it was such a beautiful song, and when we couldn’t fit it on Blueprint, I knew it was going to be a UNITY collab.

It can be tough, though. These days it’s impossible to be in the same place at the same time, everyone travels too much. You have to rely on e-mail and phone calls to get the track completed. But since everyone loves to see artists collaborate, we make it happen for the fans.

 2  What about future collaborations – who else do you have on deck?

The next one [for UNITY]…the next release that is finished, is with Saad Ayub. He’s a Canadian trance DJ, up-and-coming, and he’s got a great sound. But I got Gabriel & Dresden ready, I got BT almost ready, you were just in here when Arty and I were chatting. Markus [Schulz] is coming on, and I’ve been in talks with Gareth [Emery]. I actually have a track in the works with Ilan Bluestone, as well.

 3  We saw the Carl Cox post on social media – anything in the works with him?

(laughing) You know, to be very honest, that was last week at Medusa Festival in Spain. We were just hanging out and thought “What if?” But man, the response for that photo on social media was so unexpected! I was expecting a lot of “boos” from the Techno scene, but it was actually the opposite. Some people said we should start making a techno record together, then a trance track. Carl and I working together would be great…I may reach out to him. I mean if he’s seeing this, takes it serious…I have talked to Carl in the past about a collab which never really materialized. He’s actually, going back through so many interviews I’ve done and been asked who my favorite artist was, I’ve always mentioned Carl. I’ve got the maddest respect for that guy.

Who thinks @carlcoxofficial and I should make a trance record together?

A post shared by Ferry Corsten (@ferrycorsten) on Aug 14, 2018 at 8:24am PDT

 4  You chose to partner with VH1’s “Save the Music” Foundation on UNITY. Why choose that specific organization? Have you seen any of the good your partnership has brought?

It’s still so fresh. I haven’t seen a result yet coming strictly off of UNITY, but the reason why I picked this foundation…I could have chosen something broader, such as UNICEF or contributing to the #metoo movement, which are wonderful causes. However, I wanted to support something near to me, dear to my heart. This organization does everything in it’s power to bring music classes back into schools. I know firsthand what music has done to my life, and so do all the guys that I work with, you know? So, it’s very close to us.

 5  In a nutshell, why do this?

For kids to be able to learn about music, play with music, touch music however they can is important. With all the cost-cutting going on, not just in the States, but all around the world, it’s amazing to play a part in bringing [these programs] back. As long as the proceeds keep helping the cause, we will keep doing UNITY as long as we can. Guys like us…we have a reach on social media. Some people choose to post about the extravagant things they do or places they go. But for me, I look around and say “How can I do something bigger?” For me, I definitely gravitate more towards the latter.

 6  You’ve given interviews where you mentioned how segmented the trance community has become, between Psy, Uplifting, Vocal, Big Room, the list goes on. Are these collaborations helping to “unify” these sub-genres?

Somehow all genres have an overlap. By collaborating, you create something so new and unexpected, which is more and more what this scene is needing. I would love to see [with UNITY] me working with someone that is coming from the 140 bpm type of trance, someone coming with the Anjuna-style, vocal, housey, groovy trance. For me, what makes it so interesting, is what will come out of it. Put together someone who does 140 and someone who does 128, and see what happens!

It might still be too early to see if we are unifying groups, I haven’t seen it yet, per se, but hopefully artists hear the signal I give, the main message – stop staying in your lane. You look at bass music, and you look at EDM, and they are all one, massive movement. That’s why those sounds are so big and popular. Trance is a big movement, across the board we have so many dedicated fans, but within the trance bubble, there is really the “140 camp” versus the “128 camp,” and there’s hardly anything in between. Back in the day trance was just a melodic sound, some faster, some slower, that made you feel good. Everyone was playing whatever, mixing it up.

Now, the 140 guys only play 140, the 128 guys do the same thing. I’m just trying to break that cycle, and remind everyone that we are all part of the same thing. Rediscover the common ground. If you put out a hit at 140, try to find someone to remix it at 128, or at least something different. We don’t have to be so black and white. It’s not about the tempo – it’s about what the emotion of that track does to you. I even get goosebumps from a minimal techno track at 123 bpm and for me, that is trance.

 7  We saw the teaser video – is System F returning at Dreamstate SoCal?

(laughing) For the time being, that is still just a teaser. (We now know the truth)

 8  Final question, and it’s going back to Blueprint – what was the biggest similarity between you and your character, Lukas?

The one thing that is in Lukas is the constant hunger and hunting for some exploratory kind of figure. I’m always looking for something new, my mind is wide open to everything, and I don’t want to narrow myself down to anything, and that’s what Lukas has as well. He’s out to find the next thing, has that same exploratory mind that I have.

To finish things off, I offered Ferry a homemade bracelet with the phrase “Follow You” on it, a track of his that has gotten me out of some dark times. After his set, I grabbed a photo with him – he was wearing the bracelet. It’s the little things like this that make Ferry Corsten so special.

@ferrycorsten Incredible artist. Better person. Thanks for letting me pick your brain about #unity and for an unreal set @dreamstateusa! @edmtunes @flashoverrecordings #trance #followyou #billgraham #dreamstatesf #dreamstate #legend

A post shared by Andy Christopher (@bigrand84) on Aug 18, 2018 at 12:56pm PDT

The post [Interview] Ferry Corsten Sits Down With Us to Talk UNITY, Collabs, and the State of Trance Today appeared first on EDMTunes.

In its fourth year at the venue, the 2018 edition of Dreamstate San Francisco had something epic for all trance fans. The driving acoustics and ample dancing room had purists and shufflers smiling ear-to-ear. They finally added a second stage in the famed Larkin Hall. However, some of the best moments happened when not everyone could be there to witness them.

Here are the top-5 reasons you should feel a little sad you missed out on Dreamstate San Francisco:

 5  The view of the laser show from the top balcony.

Hit me with those laser beams! The view from the top porch was nothing short of breath-taking. You had all the acoustics of the GA Floor, but had a view of the masses from above. When the laser beams hit the foggy air surrounding all the Dreamers, it was a truly spectacular site to behold. As an added bonus, you had the option to sit or stand – for some people, this can be a very welcomed option!

 4  Big sets from not quite (yet) household names.

While the allure of the big guns such as Ferry Corsten, Markus Schulz, John O’Callaghan, Vini Vici, and others caught everyone’s eye, some of the diamonds in the rough came through in a huge way. High riser Davey Asprey‘s set in the Larkin side stage was powerful, intimate, and fit for the main stage. Giuseppe Ottaviani absolutely floored the audience with his huge uplifting sound mixed in with some crafty remixes. Blastoyz took the side room by storm. Lots of names to keep an ear out for in the future. To view some of the highlights, checkout my recap video below, or right here on YouTube.

 3  Markus Schulz dropping two new vocal IDs specifically for the Dreamstate crowd.

As the Day 2 closer, you knew Markus Schulz was going to bring it. He played to a full house and dropped some absolutely beautiful tracks, mixing old with new. However, we now know he has two vocal ID tracks out there, and they are sublime. He led in to each of them saying “This is a track I made specifically for you, Dreamstate – I hope you like it!”

🔥 #UponMyShoulders at #DreamstateSF ❤️ Thank you #SanFrancisco!! @dreamstateusa

A post shared by Markus Schulz (@markusschulz) on Aug 19, 2018 at 11:49am PDT

 2  All eyes on Psy’s rise in the side room.

Day 1 in the Larkin Hall side stage was all about PsyTrance. The loaded lineup included Ganesh, Khromata, Captain Hook, Coming Soon!!!, Blastoyz and Avalon. The extremely intimate room was hot and muggy, giving it an underground club feel. The music, however, made it feel more like you were raving with the devil, and for all the right reasons. Hour after hour of bumping BPMs, track after track of nonstop energy. This room was going off the whole night.

 1  The nostalgia of trance classics – with a twist.

To a certain degree, all of us yearn for simpler times, you know – the way things were. Many of the main stage acts gave us a glimpse back into the golden days of early influential trance music, and it was oh so glorious. Alpha 9 mashing up A&B’s ‘Thing Called Love‘ with his own track with Mat Zo ‘Rebound.’ ATB‘s dubstep rendition of the famous mashup ‘DJ Ease My Apollo Road.’ The capper, though, might very well have been Paul van Dyk dropping his iconic ‘For An Angel‘ in the heart of Day 2. While the music sometimes is all about what’s coming next, sometimes it’s nice to take a walk down memory lane and reflect on what has gotten us here. It truly gave everyone in attendance a serious dose of the feels.

Overall, Dreamstate San Francisco was truly incredible. It offered something for everyone in a world class venue between small moments and massive ones. If you have never made your way to Bill Graham for a show, put it on the bucket list.

Checkout my personal after-movie below!

The post [Event Review] 5 Reasons You Should Have Been at Dreamstate San Francisco appeared first on EDMTunes.