After recently being crowned #5 Best Producer, #3 Best remixer, and #1 best new face at this past December’s UK Trance Awards 2007, and #8 in this past January’s 2008 MixMag’s Breakthrough DJs of the year APN had a change to catch up with longtime APN member and New York native: Sean Tyas.

Artist: Sean Tyas
Real Name: Sean Tyas
Aliases: none
Website: http://www.seantyasmusic.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/seantyas

Interviewer: Ross Baker (rb2k1)

Q: Hey Sean, thank you for doing an interview with APN. How and where do we find you at this present time?
A: 7am, waking up to start a new week back home in my studio in Switzerland.

Q: So tell us a bit about yourself. Just some background info.
A: Well I’m from Long Island, New York, got my start basically by being a club-kid raver for years, then decided to simply try making some dance music on my own. Ended up, in lieu of the long story, moving to Germany first in 2004 to work for someone there, and after receiving a far better offered setup in Switzerland, I jumped ship quick and moved right over here.

Q: How, Why, and When did you get involved in electronic music?
A: Depends what you mean by involved. I got “into” it at age 11 back in 1991 when I got my first mix cassette tape with a bunch of mixes of O’Fortuna. From then on I was glued to the “so-called” Techno sections of the cd shops. I just loved this electronic sound. I didn’t really try getting into production at all until 2000 or 2001 with Impulse Tracker on DOS.

Q: What do you enjoy most about music production? Least?
A: Most, making patches and melodies. Least, arranging!!

Q: If we walked into your studio what would we find and how much time do you spend there on any given day?
A: 10-11 hours a day, but never straight. I take really long breaks, and anyone that has Xbox Live probably sees me online playing odd games all the time.

Q: Who do you look at as an icon or symbol within the edm genres?
A: Well the obvious ones, PvD, Tiesto, Armin, Ferry, Cox, Digweed, Sasha for DJs. Then you have the groups like Daft Punk, Orbital, and Underworld, which have brought electronic music to a WAYYY larger audience than only in the club. Everyone knows these names. Mostly because these were of course some of the pioneers of the type of edm that we are into today.

Q: If you could collaborate with any artist out right now who would it be?
A: Lately I’ve chaged my answer because I’ve been asked it before, but now, it’s Moby. He’s a madman on the production front, even if I walk away learning one thing from him, it’d be damn well worth it.

Q: You have had quite a rapid rise to the top, what were your big breaks and what advice can you give to bedroom producers looking to make the breakthrough?
A: Don’t stop, read your manuals, don’t settle for anything you’re not 100% happy with, and make exactly the type of music you want!

Q: Being a New York native and one the few successful American trance producers in a genre dominated by European producers and labels, have you met any obstacles or adversaries along the way and how did you overcome them?
A: Moved to Europe, problem solved. Nah, well the internet makes the world a much smaller and less regionalized place. It’s a massive help. And illegal downloads, though annoying on one hand, can be a massive acceleration to people getting exposed to your music.

Q: How have you gone about developing your signature Sean Tyas sound?
A: Just a couple years of constantly trying to sound the way I want. I think I’m 95% where I want to be production-wise. Though in 08 now, I want to evolve a bit more and develop some techniques I’m still very new to.

Q: Your discography includes a number of Remix works, how do you usually go about taking on any given remix?
A: If it’s a vocal remix, first get them time compressed, then start laying out the bassline progressions and chord changes. If it’s just a melodic instrumental remix, then basically the same for the main melody. I usually spend a couple of days only readying different elements like midbasses or percussion, and only get started arranging when I feel like I have enough elements to do a full draft arrangement.

Q: Are there any particular artists you’ve really enjoyed working with or remixing for?
A: It was an honor when I was asked to remix Tranquility Base – Oceanic for Anjuna. That had always been one of my goals and to get the email with the request for this gave me goosebumps. And true to Above&Beyond style, the melody was just sooo nice to work with, very simplistic and open, leaving lots of ideas possible.

Q: What can we expect to see from you in 2008? Do you have any special tracks in the works right now? Will we ever see a Sean Tyas debut album?
A: Looking to try new things for me which is already far overdue. Way too much offbeat basslines going around now so it is time again to put that element to sleep, and instead focus possibly on the less is more approach to trance. More attention to detail and the actual full mix. This allows for a much more dynamic mix, and for example, the work I did on the Dave 202 - Rain Against Her, was really nice because all the elements had tons of room to breathe.

About the album, absolutely, but I want to wait for the right time. I think many artists really jump the gun with doing a full album, doing it way too early. I really want to “deserve” to do it, and plus I want 100% ONLY new tracks on it that no one has heard. That then, will be the start point of the following 8 months or so of remix work from me. So essentially I’d ready up these album versions, then go and make the club versions as time goes on soon after that.

Q: You work closely with Discover, one of the biggest trance labels in the UK. Do you feel that the fact that you can recognize a Discover track as soon as the bassline comes in restricts producers on the label or is it its biggest strength?
A: Easily answered, it’s both really. Its great cuz its become its trademark, the loud pounding kick and usually offbeat bassline. But we all get pigeonholed relatively quick. But as many will notice especially from the most of my latest remixes, I’m peeling back on how much I use the offbeat, going back to more complex rolling patterns. In the end its far more rewarding.

Q: Your DJing has taken you all over the world, what has been the most exciting destination for you so far?
A: Buenos Aires , Argentina. Anyone that has played there will tell you, it’s the BEST CROWD you can possibly play for. They are so into it, and show up in DROVES for big events.

Q: What are your top 3 favorite tracks at the moment? Of all time? Top track of your own?
A: At the moment, in no order: Thomas Bronzwaer – Titan, Doppler Effect – Beauty Hides in the Deep (JOC remix), and Talla2xlc vs Sean Tyas – Heart to heart (Tyas remix) (SHAMLESS I KNOW!).

All time: Binary Finary – 1999 (Gouryella Mix), System F – Elevate, Fire & Ice – Souvenir de Chine

My own: hmm, my favorite remix I did was Bubblefish – Stars of Ibiza. Just a pure happiness track and with so much extremely dark dance music these days, I really have been enjoying the happier brighter tracks lately, so I’ve even been digging it up more lately despite that fact that its already old. My favorite original I’ve done is probably Mirella, though it’s BEGGING for a facelift as the production on that one is surely showing its age.

Q: Having been a long time active member on APN is there anything you could tell our readers about our community and your involvement here?
A: This is hands down the most useful site for all of us in that its focused to making club records. Many other sites you will get a lot of bullshit tips like to compress a kick drum when the person who says it is making rock music but not making that devoutly clear.

Q: This year has really seen you stamp your mark on the trance scene, what have been the highlights of the year for you?
A: The main highlight would probably be playing over at the ASOT 300 party in Holland. I really liked it because people really flew in from all over for the event, and it was surreal to have them all in one place. The vibe was electric.

Q: I am sure the highlights will continue on into the years to come. Thanks again for doing this interview with APN, you definitely have many supporters on this site so we wish you best of luck with your future career!
A: Thanks Ross, an absolute honor and pleasure!

хороший диалог. пацан уверен в себе, это хорошее качество.