Justine, how was it to remake such a classic and epic song for the world to hear again? The finished product must have been very exciting!
When you are asked to be involved in something that already has ‘legs’ then it’s a given you get excited. Of course trying to do justice to something on which I was asked to stay as close to the original as possible can mean you don’t really get to make it as much your own as you’d like, but it also means that the fans relate to it more easily and that’s prettyimportant. If people don’t relate to what you are doing then you might as well be sitting at home watching re-runs of Jerry Springer and knitting tea cosies.
When Markus contacted you to remake such a monumental track what was your first thought?
My first thought was to be flattered to be asked. Amazingly, even though we’d already done a track together, I hadn’t met him except in passing at an Armin gig. We’d never really spoken before and it was great to hear him so excited about the project. He has an infectious good humour. It was a pretty strange co-incidence that I ended up asking Sacha (Collisson) to record the track for me in his studio as, unbeknownst to me, he had co-written the top line on Perception for the original Cass & Slide version. It’s a small world.
We know Markus’s take on redoing songs from the past especially such a huge tune, what is your opinion of doing song covers?
I’m not a fan of covers unless you can really bring something new and exciting to them, which Markus has obviously done if the success of this track is anything to go by. For the most part I won’t get involved in work that I haven’t written or co-written but Markus is charming and very persuasive.
Dance music fans around the world anticipated this release since the reveal of the track list for the album were you excited to see the worlds reaction?
Of course you hope that what you do will be successful and in that I’m no different from any other artist. I’ve been so busy with my head down, trying to finish my album, my book and a side project with Boom Jinx that I have become somewhat of a recluse. This means I miss quite a bit of what is going on in the dance scene. It isn’t ideal but sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to dedicate to following all the things you’d like to.
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Listen to the tracks from: Markus Schulz - Do You Dream Album
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Many other vocalists in the EDM industry name you as a huge influence, who has influenced you musically over the years or any other singers that you enjoy purely for the listening factor?
To be named as an influence by other vocalists is immensely flattering. I think that I have been really fortunate to work with some very talented people in this industry and so I share the praise with them. My influences have come from places I am sure would surprise people. I adored ELO to the point where I had everything they ever recorded pretty much. Obviously this was not cool but then I’ve never really minded liking uncool stuff. If it speaks to you then go with it. They had such a wonderful sense of harmony and melody, as did Supertramp and then Jellyfish. The Police were also on heavy rotation in my bedroom. These days I can’t help turning to Imogen Heap for a dose of her quirky sultriness but frankly the list could go on and on…..
Is there any production that you favor the most out of all your works, or one that means the most to you and why?
To call them my works is to deny the vital input of so many others. A track is seldom just one person’s baby and although I can get very attached to the songs (as most writers do) they are hardly ever exclusively mine. Having been lucky enough to form an alliance with Tony, Paavo and Jono and create OceanLab I have had some of the best moments of my life in that studio in Old Street. This means that so many of the OceanLab tracks are full of wonderful memories for me and so it is hard to pull one apart from the other. If you were to push me on it I’d say ‘Breaking Ties’ has a special place in my heart because it was a very personal experience that I shared.
In terms of remixes I have only really fallen head over heals with one, and it was the Floris de Haan remix of Satellite. He approached it with such extreme sensitivity that it brought something special to the track that hadn’t been there before.
When you look at the EDM scene now compared to the start of your career is there anything that you would have done differently?
No. I don’t believe in looking back. Onwards and upwards.
What are your other interests besides music are there any secret hobbies or activities you do or have aside from singing?
Well the secret ones shall remain secret and other than singing I ……er …… write songs?
What would be the biggest lesson you have learned over the years when it comes to working in this industry?
The greatest lesson I've learnt during my career, and in life in general, is to be the motor for your own journey. If you let others drive, you might end up somewhere you never wanted to be.
We know how precise and seamless your songs are, when you are working in the studio, are you your biggest critic?
I am, much to the frustration of the producers sometimes, but the seamless quality that you identify is really down to them. A huge thank you to them all.
