Having just turned 21, Brisbane’s tyDi is one of a select few local DJ/producers to be signed to world #1 Armin van Buuren’s leading Armada record label. And with CDJs and Mac laptop at his disposal, he’s got the world at his feet. First showing promise when he entered the local scene as a teen and smashed a Brisbane DJ comp to smithereens, within five years he has conquered Australia with the rest of the world also in his sights. And this is only the beginning for tyDi, as it’s looking like the party ahead of him will never stop.

Living an idyllic life on the sunshine coast with sun, surf and sand, the nickname of ‘tyDi’ was bestowed on the young Tyson. Having taken up drums from a young age, this instilled him with an unfaltering sense of timing and rhythm, but it was while hanging out with his older friends that he eventually found himself behind the decks. Already interested in gadgets and quirky sounds, electronic music presented a range of options that Tyson had never encountered before. Having loved the piano and the different textures it can bring, Tyson discovered it was the computer that presented him with a far greater palate of colours and sounds to utilise in the creation and production of music, with decks the ideal instrument for presenting those sounds.

Finding that trance appealed most to his tastes for full textures, Tyson quickly immersed himself in the music, although he kept to the more melodic side of the genre. Having taken on his childhood nickname as his DJ pseudonym when he entered the Brisbane ‘Central Battle’ comp, his win meant the persona was now with him for good and by the time he had turned eighteen, tyDi had been accepted into a Bachelor of Music Technology at the Queensland Conservatorium, the state’s most Queensland’s most prestigious music institute. And had also landed a residency at Family Nightclub. Alongside Baby Gee and Syke, trance slowly grew itself a solid reputation in the city, with dancefloors building to the colossal appreciation that it gets shown today.

With a string of singles, mix CDs and vinyl releases under his belt, tyDi’s determination to forge a career in dance music took on greater strength. It was his tune Meet Me In Kyoto that signified a momentous change in impetus. The melodic minimal tune caught the attention of Dutch-based record label Armada, who snapped it up immediately. While his signing to the largest trance label in the world represented a meaningful turning point in his career, Meet Me In Kyoto also signified another shift: his move from melodic trance, to his fascination with finding a fusion of trance and house.

“I don’t think I’m exclusively a trance producer,” Tyson comments. “I will always have elements of trance – but I’ve always been more of a melodic musician than exclusively trance. Electro isn’t the direction I’m heading either as I don’t really like electro – I find it annoying,” he laughs good naturedly “These days, my works are more of a hybrid nature. I’ve been getting more into elements of trance break downs – at a house speed,” Tyson explains. “I’ve noticed my productions have slowed down in the last twelve months. Is It Cold was at 135BPMs, while Meet Me In Kyoto came out at 124BPMs. These days, my productions seem more minimal, though still melodic. I used to fill out a tune with load of drum patterns, but now, I’m really finding that I’m focusing more on quality these days. For me now, less is more. I’m looking at percussion hooks more these days than normal house beats and rhythms. The textures are a lot more thinned out.”

He terms his sound as carrying more a ‘crossover’ vibe now. “It all started with Kyoto – it was a new sound I had been following… I’m writing a more hybrid form that falls between trance and house – a cross-over genre that isn’t ‘shit house trance’,” he smiles, echoing similar sentiments from fellow Family resident Baby Gee. And considering the two have recently been spending some time in the studio together for their collaboration Pineapple, it comes as no surprise Tyson is absorbing some of Baby Gee’s jargon.

If warming up for Tiesto this year wasn’t enough, tyDi recently had the privilege of warming up for Armada head Armin van Buuren at his recent Brisbane show. He reckons he was carefully thinking through the ‘perfect set’ ever since he was confirmed for warmup duties. “This was an important gig to me,” Tyson smiles. “It was like playing for my boss. And besides, this was the chance to play before a huge fanbase of trance lovers. The preparation for this was on my mind a great deal.” And it’s looking like his involvement with Armin and the rest of the Armada crew will continue: his latest track Fool is being released on the label, and tyDi feels he has really nailed his new sound. “I feel Fool is the pinnacle for me,” he says. “It started out as an acoustic tune and morphed into a dance track. It has a great musician called Keisha on vocals – and is just amazing.”

The upcoming Sony inthemix50 is another factor that is never far from tyDi’s mind. While he was triumphantly launched into the top 5 last year, Tyson isn’t necessarily expecting any lofty positions for this year’s poll. “I never do” he remarks modestly, though he says he does appreciate being recognised for his hard work. “inthemix50 is exciting for sure,” Tyson comments. “And I’d really love to get up there, but regardless of where I am placed, I am still going to be working on my music.” It’ll simply be one part of the hectic journey that he has ahead of him. “I feel like the ball’s rolling and it’s only just starting. It’s like I’m standing at the top of a hill with a hang glider and I just have to take that jump.”

tyDi’s debut artist album Look Closer is out September. Voting is open now for the 2008 Sony inthemix50, visit www.inthemix.com.au/50 for more info.