No even yet out of his teens, Swedish DJ/producer Stana has already made impressive steps in helping shape a new underground sound. It’s a style that incorporates elements of techno with hardstyle, hard trance and acid, and it’s known to the world as ‘techstyle’. Stana finds himself palced alongside other leaders in the sound that include Thilo, Evanti, Kamui, Sybase and Kidd Kaos.

Since his first release Listen to Me on Darksquad Records in 2008, he’s captured the attention of the hard dance community and now he’s coming to Australia for the first time. ITM talks techstyle with Stana ahead of his Melbourne show tonight.

Hello Stana! As a fresh, young talent, how does it feel to have released your own music and become recognised around the globe?

Hello there! Releasing is absolutely a great feeling of course because after producing for several years in the dark, it finally feels like my music has reached light. It’s a wonderful feeling to see people listening to your music everywhere.

So for those out there who dont know much about techstyle, or Stanastyle as you like to call it, describe your sound to us.

Well I don’t usually like to put names on the styles, hehe pretty ironic considering that I put a name on my own style. ‘Stanastyle’ can be described as funky electro flow, mixed with a bit of a harder Tech. But it is better and easier to just say, “judge for yourself”.

Who would you say influences and inspires you?

Everyone that knows me knows that I keep a Ferry Corsten poster over my bed. I think Corsten describes a lot of how I think and where I get my influences from. I like difference like things that stands out both in music and in general to be honest. A lot of my inspirations have come from people I hang out with like friends and family if not in music that is but I think every artist would feel the same. DJ Thera has been a huge inspiration for me this past time and other then that I always get inspired by the Swedish superstars like Adam Beyer or the Swedish House Mafia all the time.

The digital revolution in our world has enabled DJs and producers to become exposed much faster than in the past. Do you think this has accelerated your success?

I’ve got the digital revolution to thank! I don’t think that I would be where I am today without it. It’s amazing how it has changed everything in my atmosphere so fast. I think that this is an opportunity that everybody should take and especially in music!

I’ve watched a few videos of you DJing, and you put on an astoundingly energetic and fierce show. Is this the effect that your music has on you?

Well thank you for the compliment, and yes without a doubt! I always feel like I am home when I am on stage it feels right every gig. I love connecting with the crowd and the best thing to do that is by using the music energy when I am on stage and my God how I love the energy! It’s one of the reasons I do what I do.

Your motto is “I’m a Tech Maniac, are you?” Have you had lots of responses at gigs when you yell it out to the crowds?

Haha actually my crowd has always responded positive so I guess I just try to keep them energized all the time. Once I’m on stage I try to make my crowd into tech maniacs as well you see!

Musically, where did you begin and what lead you into techstyle?

Started back in 2003 when I visited my cousins and they listened to some hard trance that was very popular in Sweden back then, so I fell for the style at once. Then a couple of years after, I started to listen to more melodic trance and started producing trance and hard trance when I was about 15. When I got 18 last year and started to visit my first club parties I got more interested in the tech scene combined with electro and trance. I guess I started to be a more serious producer after that and worked hard on developing what I finally released.

You’re still quite young, do you have plans for your future?

Too much plans to be exact haha. I would like to open my own label in the upcoming years and release a lot of new exciting stuff. Going to play some various places in the near future and I hope to keep it going with tours like these next year I’m planning. I am just going to keep releasing a lot of music and just keep it going.

How does it feel to have landed gigs in Australia? It’s basically on the opposite side of the world for you, what can we expect to see?

I’m super thrilled actually! I have a lot planned for Australia and I know it’s going to be a big experience for me and I am going to share this with the Australian crowd! I always say that the Stanastyle aims mostly to surprise every time, so just simply prepare to be surprised.

Other than playing at gigs, are you planning to do anything else while you’re down under?

I’m a bit of a sightseeing kind of guy and I’m often fascinated by the countries geographical and historical sides, so Australia is going to be perfect to sightseeing. I’m also planning to do another thing that every tourist that reaches Australia does, and it’s to visit the Zoo and watch the beautiful country and enjoy it every bit. Have to see some kangaroos!

Catch Stana playing Resistance at 3D Nightclub in Melbourne tonight, Friday 19th June.