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Interview with hugely influential trance artist Lange
Reported by josie
/
Submitted 25-04-06 20:56
A key figure in the trance scene that exploded in ‘98, Lange, aka Stuart Langelaan, is a member of an enviable production élite. He has gained global recognition while retaining a highly respected, underground status. Also producing as Firewall, LNG, Vercetti and X-odus, Lange signed his first UK record deal with Additive Records in 1997. Since then he has had 20 UK Top 40 hits, 6 of which have reached the Top 10.
His colossal anthem ‘Drifting Away’ reached no. 9 in the UK sales chart in 2002 and led to Lange performing on Top Of The Pops and the Pepsi Chart Show. More club-orientated tracks have been released under his Firewall, LNG, and Vercetti guises: Firewall ‘Sincere’ was a monster hit on the A State of Trance label, and the glorious Lange – ‘Sincere For You’ featured the vocal talents of Kirsty Hawkshaw.
Lange has more recently made a name for himself as a dj, reaching no. 51 in the DJ Mag poll, and playing prestigious clubs both here and abroad. A mysterious figure... Lange here gives HF a rare interview. Trance fans... enjoy.
You’ve given very few interviews.
Yeah I haven’t gone that mad on the press front because I haven’t had a manager. I’ve been around quite a few labels as well, plus I’ve been on my own label recently so if I don’t do the press it doesn’t happen. I’ve actually got a press guy now though.
Do you think that’s the reason why you don’t play in the UK more?
Yeah. But also there’s less trance clubs and less trance nights now to play at in the UK. Gatecrasher used to be week in, week out, then a lot of them went monthly. Plus there’s a lot more competition now. I’d definitely say most of my work’s been international.
Whereabouts have you been getting gigs?
All over… Australia, New Zealand, most of Asia, China.
And they know your tunes?
Yeah I think so! Trance is pretty much a global sound, if anything it’s bigger in most other places than the UK now. In places like Asia things are really starting to move, but yeah you have to travel quite a way to get the work.
Other djs I’ve spoken to have said when they play in Asia the girls go crazy.
They must be much better looking than me! But they’re definitely a different crowd. It’s all new to them… that’s what makes it really exciting to play some of these places.
Do you think British clubbers have got a bit blasé?
They’ve been spoilt for choice haven’t they? But I love playing in the UK, you can’t beat a good night at Crasher or Passion or Gods… we’re certainly one of the best countries at clubbing I’d say. All these new places are hearing what we’re used to hearing for the first time and going through what we went through back in ‘99, 2000 when it was all kicking off.
Did you used to go out clubbing?
Not really, I wasn’t a clubber. I was into the music but I wasn’t into going to clubs and doing drugs. I’m a big fan of alcohol but I’m not really a drug taker.
How did you get into writing trance?
I decided I wanted to be a sound engineer and did an HND in audio and video systems. It turned out to be a very boring course — just electronics with an hour in the studio every week, but I stuck with it. When I finished that I thought, ‘I really want to make a go of this’. I was really getting into the music side as opposed to just the engineering, so came back from Uni and worked in a Spar. I worked part time living at home with the parents making trance music… I must have been the only person making trance music in Shrewsbury.
What were your influences?
Um… the early Platipus and Perfecto stuff, Oakie. I’d always being into dance… I remember early ‘90s hearing all this weird music on Key 103 when I was a student, and Signal Radio in Stoke you could get from Shrewsbury. All the old-school stuff, it was crazy rubbish really but I was really into it.
What was the moment when you thought, ‘I’ve made it’?
I’m still waiting for that one! No… giving up the Spar job for one thing! I was lucky… once I actually started getting some results and having a record out, six months later I had the Sakin record go in the chart. Listening to the charts on a Sunday night and hearing it go number 4, was probably the moment I thought ‘I’ve made it’. Having Jules play all my records as well — he was playing them week in week out — that was pretty good. He made my career without a doubt, and he was instrumental in me having such a quick rise.
Do you think it’s harder these days for people djing and writing music in their bedrooms?
Yes, very much. Back then it was difficult because I was saving ridiculous amounts of money to be able to buy a mixer, and now you can just buy a computer and software and get a good start. The problem with that is that everyone can do it, so you’ve got the extra competition. Also records are selling fewer copies and labels are pickier, so it is more difficult to make an impact… unless you’re going to come up with something completely different.
What current stuff do you really rate?
At the moment I’m really into the techy stuff — people like Sander van Doorn. I didn’t like some of the earlier stuff with the stabby, hard riffs, but tracks like Purple Haze — ‘Rush’… it’s really deep and proggy, and as a producer I can hear that it’s really well produced. Also Marco V… he’s always been an unusual one for me in that his productions in the studio can sound quite plain and mono… but they absolutely do the business in a club. His recent one ‘False Light’ is amazing.
What’s your favourite out of your own tracks?
That’s a difficult one. I quite like LNG — ‘Intercity’.
I really liked your Vercetti tracks.
That wasn’t a massive seller on the label, I was a bit disappointed with it. You could say they were quite Marco V influenced — quite a controlled track with punchy percussion. They were both deep tracks and not very obvious, which is probably why they weren’t very sellable. Tracks that the djs are into and the producers are into and the reviewers are into, aren’t always the ones that sell that well.
‘Back on Track’ is my latest tune and it’s had massive support from PvD, Armin, Ferry, Marco V, lots of plays on Galaxy FM from Andy Durrant — like 8 plays or something — and yet hasn’t sold massively. It’s just sold as well as everything else I think. It’s because it’s a little bit different.
When things don’t sell so well do you think ‘oh well I’ll abandon that alias’, or do you not care?
I wouldn’t abandon an alias, but I’ve reduced doing too much stuff under different aliases, because with the djing you want your product to be out there with your name stamped on it.
They do allow you to explore different sounds though. What about ‘Drifting’, it’s an anthem, but these days we would think it’s quite commercial.
Oh it’s very commercial, it sounds cheesy now. It was big back then but I had to move on from that sound. I took a decision a couple of years ago, partly because when I was djing I wasn’t liking what I was producing as much as I’d hoped. I mean ‘Drifting’ original mix wouldn’t really be something I’d play in a club. As a radio record I still listen to it and think, ‘yeah it’s great’, but when I started djing I was getting into the cooler stuff, so I decided to go that way.
You’ve remixed for some huge names.
Yeah I’ve been lucky.
Again, no one really knows though, you’ve really been behind the scenes.
Yeah I was very behind the scenes until I started djing, but it’s down to press. I haven’t had anyone out there ensuring I’m getting lots of interviews. Maybe I underestimated the importance of press, I always thought the music would speak for itself.
Did you still get offered big remixes?
Not so much anymore. I still do get asked for remixes, but I kind of retired from remixing a couple of years ago. They eat up your ideas a little bit too much. But then sometimes you remix something just because you like the track.
The djing that you’re doing, is it something you want to do, or is it something that producers have to do?
I really enjoy it, especially the international gigs. They’re fun because you get to see new places and you get to meet people. You don’t meet people when you’re in the studio at home. Djing is the popstar bit of it!
Visit Lange’s website at www.lange-music.com/2006.htm
Passion Classics presents Absolute Lange — Saturday 29th April 2006.
Main Area
LANGE
Marc West
Andy Bagguley
www.passionuk.com
Infoline: 0871 2200097
Photos courtesy of Lange. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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Other Features By josie:
It's the Generation game featuring Agnelli & Nelson, The Thrillseekers and Lange
Peach at Heaven: Reviewed
The Gallery at Turnmills: Reviewed
The International Indoor Festival at SeOne: reviewed
The double ender: interview with trance legends Darren Tate and Mike Koglin
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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