Taking home the coveted #1 position in the inthemix50 was just the beginning for Queensland native Tydi. This weekend he’ll be sharing the stage with some amazing international DJ talent on the Trance Energy tour, fresh off his triumphant mainstage performance at the colossal event last month in Holland. What’s even bigger though is the fact that his debut artist album Look Closer is on the cusp of release. Will it allow him to sustain the massive momentum he’s built up so far?

“What to expect? I guess all I could say it is not what anyone will expect,” Tydi told ITM. “There are 16 tracks which were collectively written across the space of three years… and they are what I would say are the best make for an album that won’t go stale after a few months. I wanted to release an album that would last the distance and has something for everyone and hopefully have done that.”

ITM talked to Tydi in the days leading up to his triumphant opening performance at Trance Energy in Holland last month, chatting about his debut album Look Closer as well as what he’s got in store for the rest of the year. Come with us as we take a closer look…

The opening months of 2009 have been fairly action-packed for you, have you had a chance to relax and take a breather yet?

I don’t often get much of a chance to relax these days, but luckily I have managed to score a week off between my Australian touring schedule and my flight overseas. But even during this week I have still been finishing up some new tunes to bring to Holland.

I’m fairly sure the last six months would have been a rush for you since winning the #1 spot in the inthemix50. Give us an idea of what it’s been like for you?

Basically, I live at the airport, well somewhere between the airport and my studio. It has been pretty crazy – I spend Tuesday to Friday working on new music and remixes. Then on Friday evenings I fly off to a different state. I usually play Friday, Saturday and Sundays, which is always a lot of fun, and generally the crowds have been massive which is a good sign. If I am lucky I am able to score some sleep in between shows and even fit some more production time in on my laptop (or watching episodes of American Dad).

You’ve certainly been playing some massive gigs, not the least of which would have been Sensation on NYE. What were some of the highlights for you?

Well, Sensation was certainly a very exciting show for me, there is nothing quite like looking out at a sea of 30,000 or more people with hands in the air! But in saying that, I have had nearly as much fun playing to a lot smaller crowds. For example, I last year I played at a club in Canberra where the venue could only hold about 300 people, the club was sold out and was so rammed that people barely had room to move. It is these kind of shows where I really get to experiment and trial new music. Then in the summer period I was touring the country for all the big festivals. Things have been pretty exciting for me lately!

The trance scene has exploded again over the past two years, but your sound very much falls on the more progressive side of the genre. Are you happy to be labeled as a ‘trance DJ’? do you feel like it gives you enough room to move musically, or are you concerned about being pigeonholed?

People can label me whatever they want – as long as you enjoy the music! I can see why a lot of people call me a progressive DJ, but I can also see why many say I play trance – in actual fact I usually play both styles in my sets! Everything that I write tends to be very melodic and carry quite a lot of emotion – that is the more trance element in my style. The other side to me is the kind of production I have done for my upcoming album and also my warm up shows, this is more on the progressive house tip. I guess it does not really matter what category I fall into, it’s all electronic music. There are so many sub genres to dance music these days, the names don’t mean much to me. I play and write music that moves me.

The first Trance Energy tour in Australia over Easter itself has generated plenty of excitement. It really does feature a cutting-edge lineup, and it looks like we’ll be getting the real deal. What are you expecting from the tour?

I am expecting a pretty full on weekend of amazing shows with very little sleep. I will have just recently played at the Trance Energy in Holland and will be just as pumped to showcase my new productions in my own country. This is the type of event that truly lets me play whatever I want to, I am so excited!

Shortly after the tour you’ll also be unleashing your debut artist album on the public! Give us a rundown of what we can expect, and how much will it vary from what we’ve heard from Tydi already?

What to expect? I guess all I could say it is not what anyone will expect. To sum it up quickly there are 16 tracks which were collectively written across the space of three years. I probably wrote near to 40 tracks to come up with this selection and they are what I would say are the best make for an album that won’t go stale after a few months. I wanted to release an album that would last the distance and has something for everyone and hopefully have done that.

We understand that you went into the studio with Sameer from Poxymusic during the final stages of completing the album. What did he bring to the table in terms of helping you realise your vision for the release?

Sameer worked on a handful of tracks with us in the final stages. The main objective here was to bring a fresh set of ears in for a couple of the tunes in particular. I got to the point where I had been working on these tracks for so long that I needed a different scope and 2 of the tracks in particular have really surfaced due to borrowing ears of such a great producer.

Your tune Russia from last year made a big impact, and it fit in really well with a lot of the other genre-bending trance that was getting released last year. Is Russia a good reflection of where your head is at musically?

Russia did really well for me, its one of those tunes where I was not really thinking about the style or any rules – it took me 4 hours to write! This track was at a house tempo, but it has a brain eating techno bassline and a melodic trance riff. Since then I have written all sorts of music. Recently I remixed Adam K & Soha’s Long Distance and turned it into a progressive trance tune and it hit the top of the Beatport charts within the first week, so it’s always surprising to see what DJs and fans are into. My latest single Is It Cold has been sitting in the trance charts for a while now and it’s totally different again. It’s great that people are up for different music these days and makes a producers life so much more rewarding.

Finally, give us a bit of a rundown of what you’ve got planned for the rest of 2009!

Too much! I have just finished a new trance tune with amazing vocals from a girl named Audrey Gallagher _ the same singer from the trance hit Big Sky last year. We have been gradually working on the new single and it is ready to play in Holland now. Coming soon I have my debut artist album Look Closer, a mix album for Armada and I have just remixed Without You Near by Markus Schulz. Later in the year I have some huge shows overseas to squeeze in before the next summer. Life is good and I am appreciating every minute of it!

Tydi’s debut artist album Look Closer hits the stores on 24th April through Generationext and Stomp. Catch him this weekend playing Trance Energy around the country…

Thu 9 Apr – Sydney, Hordern Pavilion & Surrounds
Fri 10 Apr – Melbourne, Calder Park Thunderdome
Sat 11 Apr – Brisbane, The Met
Sun 12 Apr – Perth, Belvoir Amphitheatre

Check out ITM’s Festival Page for loads more Trance Energy content, and for more coverage on Tydi’s performance in Holland last month check out the links below…

> inthemix.tv at Trance Energy in Holland, Part 1
> inthemix.tv at Trance Energy in Holland, Part 2
> Trance Energy Holland – Event Photos
> Amsterdam Walkabout With Tydi & Marcus Schossow
> Trance Energy Holland event review