RS: Which software do you use - Logic, Protools, Digital Performer.. ?
Ian Nieman: Well, at the beginning of Widelife we were using Digital Performer with MOTU interfaces. Mainly because that was what our friends Barry Harris and Chris Cox of Thunderpuss were using. Near the end of Widelife I decided to buy a Protools HD system. It is extremely powerful and works well with what I am trying to do. Many of my friends are using Logic, and I have been tempted many times to use it for sound design as it comes with such an array of synths and a great sampler built in. I am learning that it isn't the tools that you have but the way you use them. I used to believe that in order to sound like 'X' you had to buy 'X.' Now I realize that it is ok to buy 'Y' and make 'Y' sound the best you can. It is all about the ideas not the gear.
RS: You've done a lot of music production outside the dance world lately - which begs the question - what happened to Widelife?
Ian Nieman: For me, Widelife's success happened very fast and I never really appreciated and understood the opportunity at the time. It was very surreal to have people calling and loving what we were doing while I never felt it was really happening. Living in Canada, I never truly experienced the impact of what I was a part of. "I Don't Want U" was a big success in the U.S. club scene in 2002-3, but it wasn't even known in Toronto. I guess because of that, it was really hard to be inspired by what we were doing. Reading in Billboard that a song I wrote and produced went #1 really never registered fully. Because of that, there wasn't a lot holding us together in my mind. I felt that it wouldn't matter to anybody if we were together or not. I think after Queer Eye, we both realized that we had dreams that we couldn't fulfill by staying together. Capitol Records offered us a development deal as I mentioned, and we just couldn't get it together personally for the better of the group.
There are many times that I wish we could have worked it out, and wonder where we would be now. I think Rachid and I together wrote some amazing songs. Rachid is extremely talented and I am very thankful for the friendship he gave me during some very tough times in my life. I will always look fondly on those times and the relationship we had.
RS: What are you working on these days - dancewise?
Ian Nieman: I recently signed a new record I wrote and produced to Nervous. The song is called "He'd Never" by Liquid Sunshine and has been remixed by Hani, my good friend César Murillo, and myself. I am very proud of that project because it is the first record I have released since Widelife, apart for the songs I placed on Queer As
Folk. I hope it is well received and allows me to rejoin the music scene which I have been missing for the past 2 years.
I am also excited for the future, as I have found some wonderfully talented singers over the last 6 months. In the next few weeks I will be working with an undiscovered singer from the UK. I see good things coming from that. I also have a great song that I am looking to gear more towards dance radio. I am also making plans to collaborate with Jody den Broeder who has been a friend of mine for many years.
RS: Where do you see the sound of dance music going?
Ian Nieman: I am hoping that dance music continues to go mainstream. I truly miss the days when dance music was about a catchy melody with an uplifting beat. I hear less and less vocal records and more drums and dubby-type effects. I am inspired by seeing records like Cascada doing so well in the U.S. and love the sound that is coming out of labels like Positiva in the UK. I don't think dance music will ever die as it is music for the soul and gives people a reason to look forward to the weekend and socializing.
