MR.BLACK – Tranceformation

By starrymag | June 21, 2023

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) Trance as the core, with fusion of elements from different genres.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) From everywhere, I can get inspired by food, travels, cultures, places, shows, people and obviously other artists. My head and imagination is working 24/7. [laughs]

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “The Machines.”

A) “The Machines” was a record I started writing back in 2021. I didn’t want to have a certain formula of same breakdown, same drop. I wanted to create a story with long melodies building up and create an atmosphere of “Machines” and “Future.” I’ve been working on multiple versions until I managed to properly capture what I had in my mind. I’m also the one doing the vocals on it. [smiles]

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I love this track, like every track on the album, and I see the crowd really going wild on the drops. I’ve been playing this in all my sets while I’m on tour and it does magic on the dance floor.

Q) Describe your songwriting process.

A) It really depends. Sometimes I have an idea in my mind to write a song about a certain concept – like “The Machines,” so I’m trying to characterize it with sounds, vocals, colors, FX, etc. and then I’m moving into writing it. Sometimes I have a certain vocal and I’m building everything around it. Other times I have a melody in my mind, so I start writing the melody first and then move onto building the entire track. Other times I have a reference in my mind of, “Oh, this song could’ve been much better if it had these types of elements and sounds in it,” so I start by creating a new track with a reference of something I was inspired by. The creative process is always different, depending on the mood and what I’m going to do in the studio.

Q) What are some themes you explore on your album Tranceformation?

A) Tranceformation blends all the worlds and musical genres that inspire me. You can hear the psy elements, techno fused kicks, trance leads and breakdown with breakbeat elements, mixing between classic flavors that I grew up on in the early 00s and the more modern sounds that represents my catalog, as I wanted to “transform” the old and good into the new and modern.

Q) Which are your personal favorite tracks from the album or maybe ones that challenged you creatively?

A) It’s like picking between your kids – I don’t have one favorite, every track tells a story. Each track challenged me differently in a sense that it’s “hard” for me to judge my own work. It’s super easy for me to give feedback about other people’s music, but when it comes to my stuff – moreover my debut album – I’m going back and forth with questions in my head, testing it live, trying to figure if this is the right version, if I need to work on it more etc. So, the entire process challenged me as I want eventually to be proud of what I put out to the audience.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) It’s hard to pick, as I’m a person who always loves to absorb the culture in every place I go. Therefore, each place I visit is unique and the love I get from the audience is always amazing. So, I feel extremely connected to the places, whether it’s Japan or Thailand, US or Germany.

Q) Have you already been performing songs off Transformation live and which ones seem to be a standout for live audiences?

A) I’m constantly touring, and I’ve been playing Korea, Thailand, Japan, Croatia, Germany and the US, so I’ve been playing quite a lot my tracks and I can say that “Tranceformation,” “Flight 303,” “The Machines” and the 2023 version of “Party People” are killing it!

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) Tiësto, Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk (although they are no longer active) and of course David Guetta. He’s one of my biggest inspirations and a true legend. He’s always up to date, fresh and definitely re-inventing himself time after time. He’s an example of how you can do multiple projects, and everything still sounds solid and working.

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

A) Not something in particular, but I like listening to Depeche Mode, Royksopp, Queen, Daft Punk, etc. – Always love to be inspired.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) It’s divided into two parts – there’s the part of ‘what you need to do in 2023 as an “artist” and the other part, which is connecting from a true and natural place on a personal level.

Sometimes you need to speak about your activities in order to “maintain the hype.” This is something that my management often takes care of.

The other side is my personal side of connecting with my audience one on one and just being “available” to them. I try to treat my fans in the most respectful way I can. I’m always responding (or at least trying) to everyone, sharing insights, giving feedback to artists on their music and this is my way of thanking and connecting my audience with me. Without the fans I’m nothing so it’s important to stay connected and just be thankful and appreciative.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Simply THANK YOU! As I said, without the fans I’m nothing and the support of my music and during my shows is something that I don’t take for granted. I feel blessed.