inthemix | Features | Mike Nichol: Shoulder to shoulder with the heavyweights in trance

Sometimes the familiarity that we have with our local DJs, producers and dance artists can obscure the success and respect they’ve achieved around the rest of the world. And this is definitely the case for Melbourne trance DJ/producer Mike Nichol. With massive tunes like Durado featuring regularly in the sets of DJs like Eddie Halliwell, Ferry Corsten, John O Callaghan, John Askew, Aly & Fila to name but a few, it’s clear he’s a tunesmith with loads of international recognition. But then most important support comes from trance don Armin van Buuren himself – he chose his Dream Flight tune as the ‘Track of the Week’ on his A State of Trance radio show, and he’s just released Nichol’s Lost for Words on his Armada label.

“To be honest it came as a complete shock when Armin played one of my tracks for the first time as I wasn’t really expecting him to play any of my stuff. I handed over Durado to him with no expectation, and that move ended up launching my music career,” he says. “His radio show A State of Trance reaches so many people globally, it’s really a dream come true for any aspiring producer to get exposure on such a mass scale… It’s amazing to think back to when I used to only dream of having my music played on such a show, and actually having it become a reality.”

And it shouldn’t be any surprise, because Nichol is responsible for some of the most insane, exhilarating breakdowns and buildups that you’ll hear anywhere in trance at the moment. He may be a local boy, but make no mistake – Mike Nichol has entered the big league of trance producers, and we should expect plenty more to come. ITM talks to the man to mark the release of his new single on Armada Records.

Mike, your first releases were on Trancetribe in 2006, how long had you been going at it before you got your first tune signed? How many tries did it take?

I’ve been producing for as long as I have been DJing: starting off in 1999 playing around on a basic sequencer. At around that time I used to send tunes to Armin, Ferry and a few others with no success many times over, obviously having not refined my sound well enough being at that stage and being perhaps a little young and naive. I started being noticed somewhat in 2004 with a tune called Inception that got some support from label boss of Somatic Sense on his radio show at the time. Somatic never signed it in the end, but Australian label Trancetribe picked up Inception in 2006 along with Centrifugal Force. Paradigm was the start of better things that year.

With the rise of digital only labels over the last few years, do you think it has helped people like yourself get noticed? How do you think they have impacted on the scene?

Yes definitely: labels now can take a bit more risk with releases, not having to worry about the costs involved with pressing vinyl. Consumers can now instantly download the track for a minimal outlay, compared to a one week wait for the postman in times gone by. Digital now of course has the most upfront selection of music. I’m a vinyl DJ through and through. I think its great to watch from a punter’s perspective, but I haven’t bought a record since 2005! I never thought I would say something like that, but the digital age is well and truly here. Funnily enough, my remixes of Andrelli & Blue Imagine and Meridian Emphase are arriving in the post on 12” vinyl shortly for pinup on the studio wall. I still wish for just one totally original release on wax to my name. Just one, would be great!

Arguably the biggest moment of your producing career so far would have to be getting your tracks played by Armin van Buuren on his radio show and live sets. Was it a bit of a shock or were you thinking, “Of course he would play it, it’s a bloody mad tune!”

To be honest it came as a complete shock when Armin played one of my tracks for the first time as I wasn’t really expecting him to play any of my stuff. I handed over Durado to him with no expectation, and that move ended up launching my music career. Subsequently this has led me to some fantastic future international DJ bookings in Europe, and provided me enough following to start my own radio show on www.ah.fm called Unity, and finally led to me signing to Armin van Buuren’s own Armada label empire.

I think Armin does an excellent job in exposing and inspiring new talent. His radio show A State of Trance reaches so many people globally, it’s really a dream come true for any aspiring producer to get exposure on such a mass scale. Listening to that show through the years definitely played a very big role in inspiring my own unique sound. It’s amazing to think back to when I used to only dream of having my music played on such a show, and actually having it become a reality. Surreal.

As for Armin playing my tracks live, I think the highlight was meeting him and standing right next to him on stage infront of a big crowd at the ‘White Party’ in Melbourne in June 2007, as he played Durado. That was an absolutely electric experience! The size of the crowd, whoah, and to hear them cheering to that track was crazy!

Following on from that, you have had your tracks signed to some well-known compilations and labels, a lot of people would probably be very happy if that happened to them at some point in their career, but you are experiencing this with only a couple of releases. What more do you think you want to achieve?

My main focus is to continue enjoying my passion for DJing and production and continue to deliver my own unique brand of electronic dance music to the global community.

These days it seems you need a big hit as a producer to get a gig as a DJ, and so the promoter can put your track in brackets next to your name on the poster so people know who the hell you are. What have your experiences been trying to get gigs as a DJ before and after your tracks were signed? Was DJing important to you then, or now? Or is producing tunes the main priority?

I was more the DJ when I first started. Constantly buying records, mixing for over 12 hours a day, driving the neighbours mad! Production was always there, but wasn’t until 3 or so years into DJ mixing that production became more of a serious interest to me. DJing and producing go hand in hand for me. They are both as important as each other. I get a crazy buzz off doing both! As for getting gigs, production helped greatly. It is the only real way in this day and age to gain global recognition. I think there’s something special for the punter who gets to see their favourite artist, in the flesh, on stage, responsible for their favourite track…

Have you forgotten who your friends are yet with the success you are having at the moment? How many groupies are you currently demanding on your rider?

I’m just the same old, and I hang around with the same friends who are like minded great people, who have always been there from the beginning. And what’s a groupie?

What can you tell us about overseas gigs for 2008? Will you be at any of the big festivals in Europe? Where would like you to play if given the chance?

I have recently signed to an agency, who will be looking after my bookings worldwide. My UK debut will be in September this year at Digital Society in Leeds with Agnelli and Nelson, John O’Callaghan and Thomas Datt. Other Europe & UK dates will follow on the same tour.

So apparently you once climbed up to the roof of a club to retrieve an ancient Coke can… Care to elaborate?

Too drunk to remember the fine details, haha! But its true, I remember the coke can was so old, it was one of those ones you couldn’t crush, even if you jumped on it, from the 70s maybe? Yeah, haha.

Recently there seems to be a trend of trance tracks from a couple of years ago getting new trance remixes which don’t really add anything to the original. What are your views on this? Would you remake a tune if asked, or say no?

I only remix tunes that I like, old or new, doesn’t really matter. No point in just remixing an old track (or any for that matter) for the sake of it.

Do you think there is much room for innovation in uplifting trance music these days? Tracks like Big Sky show that after 10 years the same old epic vocal anthem style still gets it done on the dancefloor, is it important to try and push boundaries with production? Or can you think why bother if the same old stuff is still enough?

I think its best to push boundaries as much as possible, innovation is the key, there’s always room for it. Electronic dance music represents the cutting edge of technology in a sense, that’s always going to bring innovation to the table. Take only the best elements from the past that work, and improve on them…

Finally what are you working on at the moment? What do you have in store for the near future?

I’m looking at sourcing some cool vocals for my next original track at the present. Remix work for the future is steady. In negotiations to mix a CD compilation somewhere along the line soon too…

Mike Nichol’s Lost for Words is out now on Armada, and you can catch hi mat the following gigs coming up…

9th May: Stargarden @ Viper Room, Victoria
16th May: Stargarden @ Viper Room, Victoria
23rd May: Stargarden @ Viper Room, Victoria
23rd May: PHARMACY [POISON APPLES] @ QBH, Melbourne
30th May: Stargarden @ Viper Room, Victoria
9th Jun: Armin Only Afterparty @ QBH, Melbourne