DJ Ron: Do you approach remixes differently as opposed to original productions?
Darude: I guess so, I mean the hardest part is already done, namely the actual
composing. Remixing somebody's track is like someone giving you bread and
butter and your job is to add the other ingeidients to make a great sandwich
to your own liking. :)
DJ Ron: How do you react to remixes of your own mixes?
Darude: If they're good and compliment the original version I love them. It's an
honour to get a 'name' to remix a track of mine and give his/her perspective
to it.
DJ Ron: Is there an artist you would like to produce with? Why?
Darude: I'd like to have a go with someone like Madonna because she's had a looong
and great career, almost everything's she's done has been a success so it
would be a huge challenge to get there aswell. I also think that my style
combined with someone like hers would do some serious damage in the clubs
around the world.
DJ Ron: Have you heard the different vocal mashups with "Sandstorm" ie "Dive into the Sandstorm" which was featured on a Masterbeat compilation? What do you think of them?
Darude: I haven't heard that but many others, though. If it was released without
clearing it first (like I think the situation is here since I haven't heard
about it) I don't like it at all. White labels and bootleg remixes of my
stuff I understand and even some of them I like but when someone's trying to
make money with something that's not originally theirs I think it's not
really fair and not cool at all.
DJ Ron: Do you tour as a DJ or a musician - ie do you spin records, play your songs live, or a combination of both?
Darude: I mostly perform live but I've started to spin more resently. They're both
so much fun but in a little different ways; when deejaying you have all the
tracks in the world to choose from and that might make it easier to adjust
the style and the mood to the crowd but on the other hand if you succeed in
taking the audience to a little journey with just your own live tracks and
they're with you the whole way that's maybe even better.
DJ Ron: Do you DJ the same style that you produce?
Darude: Pretty much, yes. Uplifting trance, hard trance, hard house, a little bit of
breaks
DJ Ron: What's the first record that you ever bought?
Darude: Vinyl: Guru Josh - Infinity
CD : KLF - The White Room
But I had hundreds of c-tapes of stuff recorded from the radio way before I
got my first turntable and cd-player.
DJ Ron: You gigged your ass off with that last album, what's the hardest thing about playing so many live shows on a tour?
Darude: Getting in bed late and waking up early. Sometimes the motivation is a bit
hard to find but it's all good when I get to do the sound check and get to
feel the bassdrum kicking again.
DJ Ron: Did you ever play a gig and think to yourself - wow I can't believe they know me in this small town?
Darude: Yeah, I guess. First time around in US I think I thought like that in every
city, small or big :)
DJ Ron: What are your biggest records you play at club gigs right now?
Darude: A couple Finnish ones: Dallas Superstars - Helium, K-System - Speedfreaks,
Modulation - Spirits, Beatpusher - Murto....