May 15, 2013 NYC
UP CLOSE WITH BEN GOLD
1. How did you end up producing and djing?
A holiday to Ibiza when I was 15. I was into heavy metal when I was in my early teen years, bands like Gun ‘N’ Roses & Metallica, so the trip to Ibiza was life changing. DJ’ing came first, and production followed a couple of years later.
2. Musical inspiration?
Bands like The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk have all been inspirational, both as a fan and as a producer. I studied piano all through my school years, which has been very useful when in the studio.
3. With your versatility in mind, do you have any plans outside of the trance, progressive house sub-genres?
Due to touring, studio time is limited some what, especially over the summer, so writing music for the Ben Gold brand is priority right now.
4. Can the NY Trance family expect you back this year? Having just performed at Miami Music Week, what are your plans for the U.S. this year?
I love NYC. Playing the Gareth Emery show on Governer’s Island last summer was a highlight of 2012. Will I be back there this year? You’ll find out real soon! My USA tour schedule is getting busier and busier. I have some big debuts this year. Keep an eye on www.bengoldonline.com for all my tour dates.
5. What it’s like to be part of ASOT 600?
To be apart of any ASOT event is huge for every DJ. They are arguably the biggest trance event on the planet, which offers live stream of audio and visual so you’re actually playing to the world, as opposed to just the people in front of you. Its a great opportunity to premier new productions and play some exclusive material that no one else has.
6. Do you prefer vinyl or laptop?
Neither. But vinyl if I had to choose.
7. Preference between vocal and instrumental tracks?
I play mainly instrumental tracks in my DJ sets, but always feature a handful of selected vocal tracks. They work well to break up the set, plus the girls love a vocal track lol
8. Insomniac just announced they’ll be bringing the Electric Daisy Carnival to the UK for the first time, can we expect you there? Or is your heart still set on EDC Vegas?
I am playing at least one EDC this year, but I can’t announce anything at the time of having this interview. That aside, I think it’s a great move by Insomniac to bring EDC to London, and to host it at the Olympic Park. We have a strong festival season here in the UK, so this will bring something fresh and exciting to it.
9. Being signed to Gareth Emery’s GARUDA label, can we expect a collaboration in the future?
I have already collaborated with Gareth on a track we called ‘Flash’. There are some plans to collaborate again…
10. Do you have any future releases or notable tour dates coming up you’d like to share with your fans?
This summer is shaping up to be the busiest yet on both the DJ’ing and production front. I’m back in Ibiza this summer, main stage performances at big festivals right across the globe and a double CD mix compilation. That’s all I can share with you guys right now 🙂
By: PZhuklevich (@Narikonyc)