T.H.E Interview: Mike Saint-Jules

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With of one of the richest label histories in electronic music – stretching back over an astonishing 600+ single releases and 19 mix-comps, its credo is enshrined in its name. In Trance We Trust’s list of former compilation mixers includes hall-of-famers and revered underground legends alike – Bobina, Johan Gielen, Misja Helsloot, Cor Fijneman and Mark Norman to name but a handful. Its singles discography reads more like an A to Z encyclopaedia of trance music’s producers and remixers. Today In Trance We Trust releases their extraordinary twentieth mix-comp. Commemorating this landmark is a job too formidable for any one DJ… So they’ve hired 3! In a first for the series an In Trance We Trust compilation will field a disc trilogy, mixed by a troika of the scene’s most steadfast trance quartermasters – Menno De Jong, Mike Saint-Jules & Sneijder!

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T.H.E – Music Encyclopedia managed to catch up with Menno De Jong to talk about what went into the making of the 20th edition of the legendary “In Trance We Trust” compilation!

T.H.E – How has the reaction to your latest CD been?

Mike Saint-Jules: Pretty good actually. I’m really surprised on the amount of responses I’ve gotten especially the ride up to the actual release.

T.H.E – How long did this CD take to make from start to finish, recording-wise?

Mike Saint-Jules: It took me about a full week to get the tracks together and mix it. I wanted to listen to the CD mix in a few places outside of my studio to make sure the feeling could be captured anywhere. Seemed successful!

T.H.E – What kind of ‘sound’, production wise, did you have in the back of your mind, prior to entering the studio?

Mike Saint-Jules: The sound for me in this mix was to start a bit dark and Progressive for a little while. Then build it up gradually to the uplifting Trance near the end of the mix.

T.H.E – How pleased are you with the final outcome? (sound – production wise)

Mike Saint-Jules: All the tracks were mixed differently, thus giving a different master per track, but the guys at Black Hole did a good job on mastering the CD mix as a whole, so I was very pleased with it. I really wanted to make sure all the tracks had a good flow from one to the other.

T.H.E – Please inform us about your favourite songs from the compilation!

Mike Saint-Jules: Anske’s “Gravity” is one. It really sets the theme for my CD mix which is best described as “Space Trance”. Another one is my collaboration with Eco called, “Azure”. It took us a while to get this one finished, but I’m glad it’s on the CD. Showcases a unique sound that most can appreciate.

T.H.E – Are there any ‘crazy’ behind the scenes anecdotes from these sessions that you can share with us?

Mike Saint-Jules: Sadly there wasn’t any!

T.H.E – How would you describe the sound of your new CD to any potential new fan?

Mike Saint-Jules: It’s a “Universal” sound in which I go across the board in Progressive and Trance. I didn’t want to have limitations in genres. Luckily, there was mostly two or three that I compiled in this mix.

T.H.E – Who are your influences and heroes? (music-wise)

Mike Saint-Jules: Over the years, Andy Prinz (under Astura), Ferry Corsten, Alex M.O.R.P.H., and Lange were my influences when helping to create that MSJ sound. It’s still a work in progress to really nail that sound for me, but these guys helped me create ideas by listening to their older works. Also Casey Keyworth (Breakfast) was someone who was also an influence early on as we did some collaborations a number of years back. I learned alot especially from him!

T.H.E – Before we wrap up, would you like to share something about the 20th edition of “In Trance We Trust” which hasn’t been shared yet?

Mike Saint-Jules: I think everything has been said already about this CD. The one thing left to say is that it wasn’t easy to come up with the final tracklist. I went through almost 50 or so tracks (including non-exclusive) in order to get this end result of a tracklist. I narrowed it down to about 20 and then did a trial and error in the mixing to see if the tracks fit. I did 3 different tracklists before I found this one. If you look closely to the final tracklist, there’s two tracks that are in my opinion, classics.

T.H.E – Any message for your fans in India?

Mike Saint-Jules: Thanks for buying the CD! I hope you guys enjoy it and hopefully one day I can perform in your country!

Check out the continuous mix of “In Trance We Trust 020” mixed by Mike Saint-Jules below!

In Trance We Trust 020 – Mike Saint – Jules by T.H.E – Music Encyclopedia on Mixcloud

Connect with Mike Saint-Jules:

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Purchase “In Trance We Trust 020” here.

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