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PAUL VAN DYK • biography • |
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In 1999 the English "DJ - Magazine" readers voted Paul van Dyk as the "Best Music Maker", ahead of Fatboy Slim (2) and Paul Oakenfold (3). At the Music Awards in London he received the "Best international DJ award", "Ministry of sound - Magazine" elects him as "Best international DJ" and his regular 6 hrs Set at Gatecrasher is, among 50 other Parties, voted as "second best club night ever" by the readers of the English "Muzik - Magazine". His singles "Another Way" spent 6 weeks at number 1 in the German Dance - charts; „Tell me why” reached number 7 in the UK Sales charts. In the annually list "The Top 100 DJ´s worldwide" of English "DJ - Magazine" he is moving up continuously (place number 4 this year). In September 1999 "Mixmag - Magazine" elects him as "Man of the year" and "Muzik - Magazine" names him "The leader of the Trance - Nation". Paul van Dyk himself isn’t so happy about it. "Leader”? "I wouldn’t call me a leader,” he says. "Of course a man making music is standing in publicity. But the very main thing for me is the music. |
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don’t want to lead people, I want to tempt them, want to create a new
world for them, just for that very small moment, when they are losing
themselves in my music. I want to inspire them". And this is working on both sides: "I mean, simply spinning or producing some tracks without feelings, without communication, without inspiration, this isn't enough. My music grows up with the reactions of the listeners, there's communication between us. And Trance ? "I don’t create trance - music. I really don’t like to give a name for music, don´t like to categorize it. If I have to, I would call my music "Electronic Dance - Music". For me, this is my language. A universal language,
understood by people of every nation in every part of the world. |
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| Born at 16.12.1971 in Eisenhuettenstadt, he grew up in communistic East - Berlin. So he got at least a theoretical entrance in the capitalistic world. "We were able to see Westside - TV and hear to western radio - stations. We recorded the music and replayed it at our parties, because in the east we hadn´t something like a clubculture. In those days I listened to the radio - show of Monika Dietl. I was really captivated by the music of "The Smiths" and "New Order". It (the music) was very strong and emotional. Then in 1989, as the wall came down, a broad Club culture started up in whole Berlin. „Mainly they played that hard Detroit - Techno. I liked this energetic spirit, but something was missing. I looked up for something else.“ That search should never leave him. |
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Stemming from two old turn-tables the first mixtapes with his idea of music were originated, and only a bit later, in march 1991, just this idea of music was played for the public in the very known Berlin club „Tresor“. At the same time Paul started making music. Thus his first production „Perfect day“, together with Cosmic Baby as „The Visions of Shiva“, was published in 1992. „I was pleased like a little child by holding my first own record in my hands!“ Paul remembers. „Perfect day“ was published by the Berlin underground label MFS, and was introducing a career, which aimed without any pauses for the peak. In 1993 Paul did the clubhit of the year with his remix of Humate „Love Stimulation“. The year after his first album „45 RPM“ was published, meanwhile he was spinning at the legendary E - Werk. The next years Paul earned great respect by remixing renowned artists such as Inspiral Carpets, Sven Väth, Curve and New Order, until his second album „Seven Ways“ broke down every existing reservations: The issue was followed by national and international interviews and DJ - sets and Paul was capturing the Top - 100 - Sale charts. Even the English media commended the record and the readers of the renowned „DJ“ - Magazine voted it at number 1. |
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Until it was closed, Paul was spinning furthermore in the Berlin E - Werk with Sasha, Nick Warren, John Digweed or Dave Seaman. The belowing singles “Beautiful Place”, “Forbidden Fruit” and “Words” with remixes of Salt Tank, Quattara und Curve ground his success with various places in the German and also the English dancecharts. In 1998 his first album “45 RPM” was re-released, the single “For an angel”, which was newly remixed, attacked the dancecharts and dancefloors worldwide; It was two weeks number 1 in the English and four weeks number 1 in the German dancecharts, as well as in the American, Australian, Dutch, Belgian and Scandinavian charts. But not only as a producer then also as a DJ he is a welcome guest. Whether there are 500 People or 1,5 millions, Paul likes to play. „As I began my career as a DJ I discovered that there is a really deep communication between a DJ and people. I learned to observe the different vibrations, learned how to move the crowd, and how to create atmosphere“ Paul remembers. „Because while spinning an interaction takes place between the people and me. I never come into a club and spin just a ready set. For me every time it’s a very new experience, and nobody knows in advance how it will end. |
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Now he does that experience regularly just as resident - DJ in New York “Twilo” or at “Gatecrasher” in Sheffield, as in his hometown Berlin. In 1999 Paul left his former label MFS and started up, together with his team, the new label „Vandit“ - Records, on which Paul's records were released as well as material from new and innovative artists. In England Deviant - Records are taking care of Paul's charges, whose idea was the 1998 appearing Triple - CD „Vorsprung Dyk Technik“. Combining 33 tracks, it the most exhaustive collection of Paul's remixes. It contains both the classics like Humate “Love Stimulation”, Joe T. Vanelli “Playing with the voice in Germany” as the clubhits Binary Finary “1998” and Paul's own Chart single For an angel“ . A year after it's release in Nov 1999 „Vorsprung Dyk Technik“ is declared „Silver“ to mark 60,000 UK sales. In summer 2000 Paul published his third album „Out there and back“ which entered the sale charts of Germany and England immediately. The singles „Another Way“ and „Tell me why“ climbed to the top of English and German Dance charts.. |
In the same year Paul completes his work on „The Politics of Dancing“ which is a mixture between an artist album and mix-CD because Paul reworked each single track until he finally compiled and mixed them
„Remember the beginning of the 1990s? We all said that this was as much a political movement as it as a cultural one. It wasn’t just about dancing. There were things growing around it like interior design, fashion design and graphic design -- so many things that are related to this whole movement, which is now a global youth culture.
Since the early days of humankind, dancing was always an expression of feeling good and making someone feel good is the main intention of DJing. I don’t see the point of playing a record that makes people stand there, look at you and say ‘Mmm, very interesting’. It’s not the music I play or the music I make; my music can be found on Politics Of Dancing -- and I am proud of it.”
„The Politics of Dancing“ is the first compilation, which has been released within one day!
Still working and searching for new defiances Paul produces the soundtrack for a Mexican movie called „Zurdo“.
It is the first time that he is concentrated on producing tracks, which reflect the contents of a film.
Zurdo has been published in early spring 2003!
Today Paul's diary is fuller than ever before:London, Tel Aviv, Mexico, New York and Singapore. Between all of that Berlin is always waiting for interviews, his own label, his studio and of course the family and friends.
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„It isn't the success or which place I take in the sale charts that is important for me. The most important are the people; family, friends and everyone, where I changed something with music in their lives. I am really pleased, when someone is telling me: Hey, by hearing your song something in my life changed!“ Paul says. „I never made music for being trendy or making the fat money. I make music for myself, it (the music) comes directly from my stomach and my music springs from an intense feeling. And every track has it owns little story.“ Little stories, taken from every day life, can also be found on Paul's current album „Reflections“. The magic behind these tracks is to blow up borders and to pulverize clichés while being multi-faceted at the same time! „I’ve tried to bring something across and that is the consciousness of responsibility which we all have towards our planet.“ „Nothing but you“ from his current album „Reflections“ became a significant Clubhit and entered the charts immediately. The most surprising track on „Reflections“ might be the second single „Time of our lives“ which evolved from the collaboration between Paul and rockband Vega 4.They presented this song live in concert during Paul's record release tour 2003. „Time of our lives“ climbed on top of German and English dancecharts! . |
| „Reflections“ became manifested in media control charts on position 8! This year is also very spectacular. On February 5th Paul opened up the „Rock the Vote“ campaign in Los Angeles and he is the first representative from the Genre of electronic dance musicscene. Over the past years this right was only reserved to artists coming from rock or hip hop genres like Mary J. Blige, Lenny Kravitz or Bono.. The American organisation “Rock the Vote” attends to freedom of expression. They want to make people go to election and to clarify politically. This year Paul was voted as „Second best international DJ“ by the readers of the English „DJmag“ and at the Dance Star Music awards 2004 he won 3 awards in the following categories: „Best international DJ“, „Best use of music in a TV commercial“ and „Best event“.! Additionally his third single release “Crush” of his current album Reflections came out on 29th of March! |
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