Interview op TotaalFM

   

?Interview of the Month: Eric Abbot.

TFM interview of the month: TotaalFM Resident Eric Abbot..

1. TotaalFM: Eric, first of all, thank you for making some time to have this interview. It has been a little while since you have been playing new shows at TotaalFM, what have you been doing?
Eric:

It has indeed been a while since I was able to upload some new mixes. The reason is my girlfriend and I bought a new house in April 2008. It is a newly build one and we received the keys in march 2009. My gear has been boxed for say one and half month, I really felt sorry for them. But they now have a fresh home, they have more space in a new room, so I?m sure they feel happy now. And so do I because since end of April I?m spinning again!




2. TotaalFM: How did you get involved in dance or trance music and when?
Eric:

I have always been a fan of dance music, I think it started in my youth where I discovered music in general. I had a buddy in the city where I grew up, who had two turntables and a Gemini mixer. I often spent some time with spinning his records. Of course at that time it sounded like crap, but hey everybody has to start somewhere.
Since then until this very moment I have been listening to dance music. I have never been someone who went to dance parties a lot, but I have gone to all 3 parts of Tiesto in the Gelredome (of course, I had to since I live in Arnhem) and I think that has encouraged me to do more with dj-ing.




3. TotaalFM: People are always talking about styles and sub styles, even categories. Where would we see you if you had to pick 1 and why?
Eric:

I have recently posted a message on the forum in which I ask for advice on this subject, so this is an interesting question. My first mix that I ever made is the Institutional Essence, named after theory used in the Mastherthesis of my girlfriend. This mix is the true style of mixes I like to make and so records I like to spin. It is trance, but very relaxing (low bpm), with a lot of emotions in it. It combines with very progressive tunes. The tracks I download on beatport for these mixes often have the category progressive house & trance. So in this case I would define my style as progressive trance  .I have experienced with some harder trance, but although the banging is nice to hear on parties, I like it less to spin myself.
A year ago, in January 2008, I went with friends to Awakenings in Klokgebouw Eindhoven. There is where I discovered the techno music. I immediately loved it and I can explain why. What I find in the progressive trance music and in the techno music is the ongoing effect, tunes that never stop. I love continuation of tunes combined with repeated electronic sounds. Hard to explain, but I hope it?s a little clear.






4. TotaalFM: Nowadays, to make it as a professional deejay you also must produce. Are you looking in that direction to?
Eric:

This is where I wish a day would exist of 48 hours instead of 24. I would really love to produce. And without being arrogant, I think I would be good in it too! But there is just no time. I have a busy job as advisor in spatial planning and have always a lot of things in my mind that I want to do. I sometimes hardly find the time to make a mix every week. This is the reason why I also stopped with Trance Taztic on TFM. There was just no time to produce 3 hours of mixing every week.
I have installed fruity loops once, and discovered the program. Technology has developed in the past years, I was used to Fasttracker back in the days . Anyways, I soon saw that figuring out the program and starting with producing would cost me a lot of time. You just can?t start producing out of the box. You need to read articles, buy a book, and the go for the right equipment and step by step build up your knowledge? maybe, in future. I hope.. Because I do see that to become a more famous and professional deejay, producing must be part of your skills.





5. TotaalFM: Who are your ?hero?s? and who would you like to work with for 1 time? Playing a set together or maybe producing something together?
Eric:

There are not really heroes that I like to work with. I admire all producers that find the drive to produce new tunes over and over. The same for the dj?s around the world that spin records in the clubs, night after night. As on my current stage of spinning, there is no wish to work with a specific dj or producer yet. I do follow a bunch of specific producers to check out the records they make.




6. TotaalFM: You did play at the first Luminosity event ever. They also invited you for the second to do a back 2 back set but you refused, why?
Eric

My first live experience was indeed the Luminosity party in the Poema?s, Utrecht. An awesome first party for Luminosity and a rich evening for me. I?m still thankful for the opportunity they gave me. Luminosity continued with their parties, and indeed, they asked me to do a back 2 back set for the second event. And I refused.. yes I refused. 2 simple reasons made me make that choice. First of all, I do not have much experience in live performing and I my opinion experience is what you need to be able to do a back 2 back set. Second is that the use of back 2 back set didn?t feel right to me that as a way to give new dj?s as much as opportunities to play live as possible. Playing live alone is already a though job, it is even harder together. So I would rather see new dj?s pick up their live experience by a full set alone. But hey, I?m no organizer of parties, so what am I talking about?


7. TotaalFM: Howe did you get involved with TotaalFM, how do you feel about it and what should become better in the next times to come in your opinion?
Eric:

I was active on the site of puretrancers.com, where I also sent in a demo for a contest. It was on these forums that ArCee contacted me and asked me if I was interested to play sets on the radio. I immediately was enthusiastic, and, still am. It is a great way for me to make sure I?m spinning records enough (a set has to be made every week) and a nice way to get and stay in contact with the scene. I think TFM is doing a great job, taking a lot of time and effort of the people behind it. But it is worth it, I have the idea it is a well respected radio station. For the future I think TFM needs to focus more on their listeners instead of the dj?s. The new website is a big step forward in this. I personally would love to be able to communicate with the listeners of my radio shows. Now there is hardly any feedback on it, and I?m sure that feedback would encourage me to make even better mixes.





8. TotaalFM: How important do you think radio is for upcoming deejays, but also already well known deejays?
Eric:

To start with the well-known deejays, Tiesto?s Club-Life is an excellent example. Although I have stopped listening to it for a while ago, it is a really nice radio show. For well-known dj?s as Tiesto it is the opportunity to bind the fans and to spin some of the latest new found records. I think the fans see this as an opportunity to follow their idol. Of course, I will never forget Tiesto spinning a part of my mix ?The Institutional Essence? in the 15 minutes of fame. Still get goose bumps hearing it. For upcoming deejays, radio shows are an important ?tool? to get known in the scene. I think a lot of people would rather tune in to radio stations these days, then download mixes from unknown dj?s. And the audience that can be reached is enormous. So yes, I would advice all upcoming dj?s to find a radio station where they can bring their mixes on air!




9. TotaalFM: Finally, where, do you hope, will you find or see yourself in about 3 years from now? Any dreams, hopes or ideas you want to come true the next years to come?
Eric:

I have just one dream: playing for an outrageous crowd and just have those goose bumps for a full set. Maybe.. maybe in near future. We will see!


Thank you very much for your time Eric and we hope to hear some new awesome sets again at TotaalFM.com.
Eric Abbot plays ?Monk Sessions, every Friday from 20.00 ? 21.00 hours (cet) at TotaalFM.com.

Next Month TFM deejay interview: Ernesto & Bastian..