A mere day before returning to the A State Of Trance stage in Utrecht for its 950 edition, Jorn van Deynhoven has unleashed the first single of his forthcoming album, ‘The Future Is Now’.
We caught up with Jorn to discuss the album, and most importantly, his comeback. Read on!
Shivani – Hey Jorn! We are so glad to have you back and healthy. Firstly, how have you been? Can you tell us a little bit about how you are doing now?
Jorn van Deynhoven – To be honest, I am not healthy, that’s a fact. I have to live with a handicap that you can’t see, till the rest of my life. Sure, I feel much better than I did 12 months ago, but I am not healthy. I am able to sleep for 1-2 hours during the day, to have energy till midnight. It’s a completely different lifestyle I have right now, but I am doing it without any rush or stress. I am genuinely happy to be alive.
Shivani – You definitely must have been looking forward to Valentine’s day this year! It marked the release of the first single from your debut album! How did the collaboration with Sue happen? What was the idea behind the track?
Jorn van Deynhoven – I have been listening to her music since years, and she was always on my bucket list, since the beginning of my career in fact. Back in the days, I remixed a song that had her vocals, and I was so impressed by her timbre that I definitely hoped to have her collaborate with me. For “The Future Is Now”, I asked her if she is up for singing a cover version for my artist album, and she said yes!
She sung so well, that we decided to release this track as the first release from the album. That’s how “I Need Your Lovin” was born. To have it out on the same day as Valentine’s Day sums up the whole track, that’s perfect timing isn’t it?
Shivani – Why did you pick the phrase “The Future Is Now” as your album title? What inspired it?
Jorn van Deynhoven – “The Future Is Now” is a story about my new life. I have the possibility of a 2nd chance at life, this 2nd chance changes everything in you. And one of them is to live here and now, not in the future. Most people say that they will do things in 30 years, not now, but for me, I want to do things now, and not in 30 years.
And when you listen to the track, you can hear the first part of my life, a huge break, and then the second part of my life. These tracks tell a story of how I managed this with emotional strings and a guitar slide, etc.
When you listen to it, you will be able to understand why I chose the title, “The Future Is Now”.
Shivani – You got back on the ASOT stage after quite some time. How did you prep for your set? And how excited were you to hit the stage again?
Jorn van Deynhoven – For me, it’s always a pleasure to play at ASOT. I grew up with this show, as an artist, and in my last few years, I worked my ass off as a producer and DJ to meet the standards. Apart from Armin van Buuren, I am the only artist who has played 9 times for ASOT, that’s unreal. There are so many DJs, and they have picked me 9 times now, and I really hope that I get a chance to play the 10th time, at ASOT 1000 – that’s my biggest wish. Am I resident? Haha!
For the show, I planned to introduce a lot of energy, 1 hour of energy and pumping beats. I didn’t care if I played as the opening DJ, from a health perspective, it’s better for me to play early instead of playing at 5 am in the morning. I have played plenty of times on the mainstage, prime-time, or late but it doesn’t matter. I am happy and that’s what counts.
Shivani – You went back on the stage after quite some time, especially after all you’ve been through with regard to your health. We are more than happy to have you back! What were your thoughts before getting back on the stage?
Jorn van Deynhoven – 18 months ago, I thought: that’s it, I’ll never be back on stage. You can’t imagine how I feel to be back on such a huge event. A State Of Trance is my life and I am really thankful that Armin and Ruben give me this chance to show my passion towards trance music. I play music for the people, and I think the people know that, and they support me in every way. I found my way and it’s great to see people who follow me wherever I go.
Shivani – What did you love the most about working on “The Future Is Now”, considering it is your first album?
Jorn van Deynhoven – It was a big pleasure for me to work with the singers and songwriters, without any stress, in a smooth way. It was a new experience for me, and I think at the end we all enjoyed the collaborative working process. We are all proud of the result, and I can’t wait to share our work with the audience. It’s also wonderful to work with a strong team in my record company. Everyone is professional oriented, and I love to work with such people.
Shivani – What does 2020 hold in store for you?
Jorn van Deynhoven – First off, my artist album – The Future Is Now. Then we will release club mixes throughout the year, and work on an album world tour.
Later this year, I am planning to start work on a new remix EP. Some remixes will see the light too, because I worked out a few, while creating the album.
Watch out for it, and think about: The future is now, not in 30 years!
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