Exclusive Interview: Andrew Bennett

Andrew Bennett has a really impressive story behind his success. He was already a well respected DJ in Germany since 1997, when in 2004 he went to a party in Amsterdam where two very famous top DJs were playing, namely Armin van Buuren and Markus Schulz. Andrew gave them both a CD with his tracks on it. On the following day he got a phone call from both of them to licence some of Andrew’s tracks on Armin’s legendary label “Armada Music”. Since then Andrew has not failed in putting together fantastic productions and remixes. Andrew Bennett latest release ‘Roadtrip’ is out now on Beatport. The track will see its worldwide release on iTunes at the end of the week.

I had the opportunity to interview Andrew. And asked him about his new track, his biggest successes, christmas and al lot more. Enjoy!

Interview:

Hi Andrew, How are you doing?
I’m fine, thanks. I’m in my studio right now working on some tracks for summer 2013.

Who/what inspired you to become a DJ/Producer?
I started playing piano at the age of 8. I come from a very musically family and I was always into music. At the age of 16, I started DJing and producing came naturally then as I always wanted to play my own tracks.

You started DJing at the age of 16. At what point did you realize that you could make a sustainable career in the dance music industry?
That’s difficult to say. I was already touring through Germany every weekend at the age of 18 and I played also gigs in Denmark and Ibiza at Space, which is one of the most famous clubs in the world. After school I started studying law, but I was so into music, that I did not spent much time on studying. 🙂

You recently released a new track called “Roadtrip” . How does it makes you feel to see what this track does to the people on the dance floor?
Everytime I produce a new track, I’m excited to see how people will react to it and of course seeing a crowd going crazy is a great feeling!

“Roadtrip” was produced in your home base studio near Hamburg, Germany. What kind of hard and software did you use during the production of “Roadtrip”?
I mainly used software for it. I’m a big fan of all UAD plugins – they sound amazing if it comes to compression, equine and mastering, but I also used some SSL hardware to get the final sound and pressure.

How did you get your first gig? And how did it go?
At that time one of my closest friend’s brother was a big promoter in Germany. He was listing to one of my tapes, yes, at that time you did not listen to music in your car via CD or USB, and he liked my music and technically skills so he asked me to play at his partys.

How do you prepare your sets? Are there any rituals you go through?
Not really, I update my USB sticks with recordbox, but I never play the same set twice. Track selection comes intuitive and depends on the crowd and venue I play.

A lot of DJ/Producers have a recognizable sound. How would you describe the typical Andrew Bennett sound?
My sounds is very energetic and made for the peak time. I always try to create a certain tension with my music, a special vibe.  Something that catches you.

What do you see as your biggest success so far?
That’s a good question… 🙂 I did so many tracks and played so many clubs and festivals over the years and also remixed artists like Tiesto or Armin van Buuren, but personally it’s always a success when you see that one of your tracks is receiving good feedbacks and played by a lot DJs.

If you could perform at any place in the world, where would it be and why?
It does not depend on the venue it’s about the people and the atmosphere. So wherever there is a great crowd, I enjoy playing my music.

What is your favorite track of 2012 so far?
2012 had lots of good tracks. One of my favorite peak time tracks is definitely Axwell’s remix of Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl’s – In My Mind. Besides that the track, that catched my most is Kölsch feat. Toels Abrahamsen – All That Matters. Such a deep and beautiful track! Timeless!

What can we expect from you in the near future?
I’ve already finished about 8 tracks, which will be released in the first half of 2013. Next up is my collaboration with UK based Paul Thomas called “Datfunk” on Diffused Music and after that i release and EP on Diffused. I’ve also done some more collaborations and projects besides of that. So there is a lot to come the next months.

How will you celebrate Christmas this year? And what do you hope to find under the Christmas tree?
I’m very traditional, if it comes to Christmas celebration. I’m always with my family. We have a big Christmas dinner and of course a Christmas tree. Typical German – haha. I don’t expect anything under the Christmas tree, so I’m more surprised about anything I get. I made my own Christmas present a week ago. I bout a new MacBook Pro, so I’m happy!

Thank you so much for being with us Andrew!
Thanks a lot for the interview and for supporting me!

Interview arranged courtesy of Hammarica PR  – www.hammarica.com