Exclusive Interview: John 00 Fleming

John 00 Fleming is one of few artists in dance music that has preserved underground respect whilst enjoying commercial success during a career spanning two decades awarding him the sort of experience that most other DJs can only dream of. As a key proponent of trance music since the genre’s inception at the dawn of the 1990s, John has watched the music go through many changes, but he has never lost sight of the original underground ethos. With the release of his second artist album ‘One Hundred Ten WKO‘ on March 4, 2013, John is about to send out a timely reminder that trance is something you can truly get lost in, at home and on the dancefloor.

I had the chance to do an exclusive interview with John and asked him about his new album, career, biggest successes and al lot more. Enjoy! 😉

The Interview:

01. Hi John, How are you doing and where are you right now?

I’m enjoying some time in my studio in the UK. The past few weeks have been pretty hectic nonstop touring around the world.

02. Your second artist album “One Hundred Ten WKO” will be released on March 4th  2013. How would you describe this album?

It’s an artist album! This album is about me truly expressing myself as an artist musically, after all it’s an artist album. It’s not a marketing tool, so don’t expect any big vocal hits. I’m not about that, and have no care for that. I wanted this to be an album where you press play and not skip through the tracks.

03. Can you explain us the meaning behind the album title “One Hundred Ten WKO”?

I’ve always been fascinated with the connection between futuristic synthesized music and astronomy, especially in the Trance world. So I’ve kept this theme going with my own album. One hundred ten WKO is what I would call a star if I discovered it. This is my new star.

04. With this album, you wanted to prove that the old form of trance has survived and is moving forward. Can you tell us why you wanted to prove this?

I wouldn’t say I’m using my album to prove this, a couple of days hunting in records shops will find many different flavors of Trance.  I think your wording ‘old form’ of Trance just shows how the meaning of genres have been warped. They no longer say what they do on the tin. The best way for me to describe what I do is keeping to the original ethos of trance, and that also meant moving forward. Old form suggests remaking old sounds. True trance guys are always experimenting and moving forward.

05. What has been your biggest inspiration during the production of this album?

To keep experimenting with new ideas. To try new things and excel my skills in the studio. I’m in no rush to make pop hits and have pressure to have tracks in the charts, so I have no rules.

06. What kind of equipment did you use to produce this album?

My trusty Apple Mac Pro, Logic sequencer and my ears.

07. What was the hardest part of producing this album?

Getting the CDs pressed. We do this for my dedicated fans, wow you forget how much work is involved to get CDs pressed, printed, registered and distributed. With digital, it’s just a click and it’s in the shops.

08. How long did the production of this album take from start to finish?

This album took me around 3 years in total. It would have been much longer if it wasn’t for my good friend Airwave helping me out. I was finding it very difficult trying to find studio time due to constant touring.

09. Which track on “One Hundred Ten WKO” is your personal favorite and why?  

Each track has a special meaning to me. As in real life, we hear tracks that take us back to a moment in time with it a flood of memories. My tracks where written with certain things happening in my life, the moods of them represent where I was at emotionally while writing. It’s impossible to name just one, as all these are very important pieces of my life.

10. What can we expect from you in the near future?

I’m still writing many tracks, I feel at the peak of my recording career. I’ve always admitted that I’m a DJ first and my production career has been a very long 18 year learning curve. I feel now it’s time for me to flourish as a producer.

11. What do you see as your biggest success so far?

To still be standing behind the decks touring after 25 years. We’ve seen so many musical fads along with DJ’s come and go, yet I’m still here and going stronger than ever.

12. Who/what inspired you to become a DJ/Producer?

Sounds like a cliché answer, but I simply love music. Some people dream of doing something they love for a career. A dream is just that. In life things don’t come to you, you need to make them happen. I loved music, so I made this happen.

13. If someone would make a movie about your life, what must be in it?

The truth about this lethal industry and to expose what actually happens. People would then understand my rants–there’s not too many honest people in this business, and no one likes cheats.

14. Thanks a lot for your time John! Is there anything you would like to say to your fans and our readers?

Keep up the great job supporting wonderful sites like this 🙂