How did the residency at Godskitchen initially come about? It must be something that you're particularly proud of..
It came about through my old manager and long-time mentor Guy Ornadel. With a management company and agency that look after Above & Beyond, Paul van Dyk, Eric Prydz etc. You can imagine they've got quite a bit of clout in the scene and some fantastic contacts. They have a strong relationship with GK and we had a meeting when they were looking for a new trance resident. It really is as simple as that - 3 weeks later I was filling in for DJ Remy when he was ill, warming up for Armin - talk about being thrown in at the deep end!
How do you set out to bring something new every time you play there?I don't consciously think "I must bring something new" each time I go back to play there, but my sound is constantly evolving anyway, so as long as I'm not regurgitating the same set then I feel like I am bringing something new...
Which have been your favourite festivals over the years? Are there any others that you want to play in the future that you haven't reached yet?As mentioned earlier, Globals are of course understandably my favourite. I'd love to play at some of the American festivals and European ones more though, like Sensation, Energy...they're on the to-do list!
You can hear a variety of influences from outside of trance in your music, which other genres, scenes and their artists would you say have affected your own sound most?Why thank you, this is something I really do try and emulate in my music, since I have been brought up on such a wide variety of styles. There really are no specific artists though, it can be anything from Take That to Coldplay, Christopher Cross to Sara Bareilles, Busta Rhymes to Avant, Jan Hammer to Calvin Harris...influence and ideas for me can sprout from absolutely anywhere and that's what makes music so diverse and fascinating to be a part of.
Who would you say are three big artists to watch out for in the coming year?Keep your eyes firmly peeled and ears pinned upright for the likes of Porter Robinson tearing things up stateside, Timur Shafiev - another young Arty out of Russia, and James Dymond - the UK's very own next big thing!
What can you tell us about your upcoming shows and releases in 2012, which are you looking forward to?Any exciting collaborations and remixes to speak of?I'm looking forward to finishing a follow-up with Audrey Gallagher this year after
Breathe On My Own last year. We will be doing some live PAs, starting with April in Prague. I have a new release with Meredith Call (of 'Winter Kills' fame) coming up on Garuda shortly and debuts in America & Indonesia are pencilled in the diary already. For UK fans, I'm due back at GK in March. 2012 is shaping up nicely at the moment!
Click here for more information on releases and gigs on the Mark Eteson website.Go to page 1 2