Marco Verkuylen AKA Marco V is a bonafide dance music legend. From the influential tech-trance anthem Simulated to his current studio productions alongside fellow Dutchman Sander Van Doorn, Marco V has never once taken his foot off the throttle. Those lucky enough to be headed to the Telstra Dome this NYE will be guaranteed a breathtaking set full of bootlegs and remixes melding fierce electro, progressive and techno with a sprinkling of trance in Marco’s trademark style.

Never courting headlines but often making them, Marco V got his big break headlining Holland’s Innercity in 2000. Obsessive about his music and his family, Marco V talks to ITM about the rollercoaster ride that has seen this influential DJ/producer circumnavigate the globe over the past decade – just don’t label him a ‘trance’ DJ!

It’s been a good couple of years since the last time you were in Australia. What are you looking forward to the most about coming out to Australia this time around

The weather! Haha. I really like the Australian crowd, it’s been so long since I was last here that I’m incredibly excited to be back. Not just that but I’m also going to be playing at the best indoor party in the world, on New Year’s Eve in Melbourne – it’s just fantastic.

You’re one of the headliners for the Australian debut of Sensation, which has long been known as the pinnacle of dance music events around the world. What do you enjoy most about Sensation events?

Everything about a Sensation party is mind-blowing, from the production to the music to the whole atmosphere. I think the one thing I really like is that everybody is dressed in white, it gives a real feeling of unity on the dancefloor.

Listening to a variety of Sensation sets over the last couple of years there definitely has been a subtle change to the variety of music played at Sensation. What can we expect from you personally at Sensation NYE this year?

I play what I always do, a bit of everything. So that means it will go from tech-house to progressive and techno and towards the end of my set I always play a bit more trancy stuff.

Your track Organic, which is a recent collaboration with Sander Van Doorn, has been a smash hit. Are you happy with how that went down, and what was it like working with Sander? He seems to be the sort of guy you’d see eye to eye with.

Sander is a great guy and we have a lot of fun in the studio. We just finished the second collaboration that’s called What Say?. It was the first time I’d ever collaborated with anyone before so it was a different experience for me being in the studio, having someone else’s ideas to bounce off, creating a sound and then Sander saying “Why don’t we try this” or vice versa. You can tell I liked the whole process because we did a second one.

Congratulations on Coma Aid which already looks like another big track for you already with it registering in the top 10 on the UK buzz charts. Is there any other tracks in the near future worth watching out for?

I am working on a new album at the moment and the second track from that album is on promo now, it’s called A Journey Into Sound, then after that Treviso will see the daylight. Both tracks are getting great feedback and I’m really happy with both of them. I won’t put anything out unless I’m 110% happy with it.

Your mix CD series Combi:Nations has seen a you step in new directions, away from just being perceived as a ‘trance’ producer. What can we expect from you in the future?

The thing is that I never have been as trancey as people seem to think I am. I came up as a new guy at the time when trance was big. Now all the new talents like Deadmau5 are called house, but if his breakthrough was 8 years ago people would called it trance. Talking about me again, I just play what I like and sometimes it is a bit more trance and sometimes more techno or progressive. I follow my ear and the crowd and do what I like, I think as a DJ and a producer that’s the only thing you should do – maybe that’s why I’ve been around so long!

You’ve got a portfolio of successful tracks under your belt, including Godd, Simulated, Indicator, Red Blue Purple and more. In your opinion what do you think has been the most influential track that you have ever produced, and why?

For me personally it has to be More Than A Life Away just because it’s everything that I want in my own productions. Raw vocals, rolling pumping beats and a catchy not cheesy melody.

You’ve also remixed a variety of tracks including Josh Wink’s Higher State of Consciousness and classic tracks such as Café Del Mar and Loops and Tings. Are there any other tracks that you feel that you’d like to remix?

I always wanted to remix Born Slippy but there are so many remixes and bootlegs from this song at the moment that the fun is over about that song by now. I am going to remix Humate’s 3.1 which is a big underground classic from 10 years ago and one that is still one of my all time favorites.

Knowing that you have a young family, as well as a continuous list of events that you play at, how do you strike the balance between getting the most out of your family life and being an international producer and performer?

I always go back home after a weekend of touring somewhere in the world, so most of the times I am away in the weekends, then spend a lot of time with my family during the week. Of course I am in the studio weekdays, but we still have lunch and dinner together and the evenings as well. I think as long as you get your priorities right, strike the right kind of balance and remember what’s important, you can have exactly what you want.

When you first got into electronic music, what producers and artists were of the most influence on you and what you played in the beginning?

When I started, everything was called ‘house’, then later came all the different genres within ‘house’. I never stopped with what I am still doing, I play what I like and I don’t care what style it is. The only difference with then and now is that everybody else played what they liked back in those days.

My all time favorite Marco V set at Sensation would have to be your 2005 performance where you opened with your remix of Café Del Mar. is there anything that you remember about this set in particular?

Yes! I played everything from DVD and this set came complete with its own remixes, bootlegs and productions. To see the crowd goes wild on a DJVJ set full of your own produced stuff is amazing. I love trying new things, and at a Sensation party there’s such a massive emphasis on visuals anyway, the crowd are just really hyped up for something special, something out of the ordinary. To deliver something like that, it was a massive buzz, to see so many people really enjoying and getting off on something that you’ve taken a risk with, pulling out all the stops to give them something amazing, it’s like giving someone a present and them absolutely loving it. It felt great!

Your classic track Simulated appears to be a track that you enjoy playing out in your Sensation sets, is this one of your really favorite tracks to play out to the big crowds? Is there a possibility that you’ll drop it at Sensation Melbourne NYE?

You never know… Haha I’m not going to disclose anything, you’ll just have to wait and see.

Finally, as you perform your set at Sensation NYE, the people of Australia will be already welcoming in the year 2009. What’s in store for the next chapter of Marco V throughout 2009 and beyond

2009 will be all about my new album which I’m planning to release in May and then the tour around the album. In 2009 the 4th Combi:Nations album will see the daylight as well. So it’s a pretty big year for me and I can’t think of a better way to kick it off with than a Sensation party somewhere amazing like Melbourne on the other side of the world from me.

Thanks Marco! You should come to Australia more often, and by that we mean a lot more often.

I will be back in Australia very soon in the beginning of 2009 – you heard it here first!

Marco V plays Sensation this NYE in Melbourne. Be sure to head to our Sensation Festival Page on inthemix for all the latest news updates, interviews, DJ mixes and videos as the big night approaches…