DeathPosture Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Interview with Turbo Trance Records: L'Elf & Stella Nutella Made on 10-31-02 with Emmanuel and Hanna by Mars 1) How & when did your Turbo Trance adventure start and where are you based ? Turbo Trance started in 2000 when I met Fred @ Neuromotor, I decided to leave the label I was managing (Monolithe records) and created my own label to produce new french talents ! Turbo Trance records is based in the sound of France (Around Marseille) but the Turbo team is dispatched in different countries: Triptych (Paris/France); Stella Nutella (Amsterdam/Holland); Mumbo Jumbo (London/UK); T.I.T. (South of France); La Sainte Aise (Genève/Switzerland). 2) How did you choose this name ? I dreamt of this name, maybe strange but true !!! 3) Could you describe us the style of trance you want to favour to be released under your label? Do you favour a particular country in the musical orientation of your label? The style I want to favour is "Trance", of course oriented Psy-Trance but if we like something more progressive, we don't hesitate to release it, we don't like stickers "Full on", "Progressive", "Hard Psychedelic", "Mushroom Music", blah blah !!! All good Trance is OK even if I play Psy-Trance. Of course, I try to help my country, France, releasing french artists but I like also Trance from other countries, No border lines !!!!! 4) Could you give us a general survey of the main artists who currently release stuff under your label? I began to release some tracks of Neuromotor, Hyper Frequencies, Psyside, Silicon Sound then changed and work now more with a funkier style, Triptych wich is an exclusive artist of Turbo Trance is present on all our compilations and will release his albums on Turbo Trance records. Since some months Mumbo Jumbo joined us and are present on all our productions too, They will produce their first album with us, I'm really proud of it, I like this style so light and fresh, more groovy and funky but always Psychedelic ! 5) How do you see the future & growth of your label? What new records will you release? I hope a nice future for Turbo Trance records, we are working really hard to give a good image of our label to the Psy-Trance public and of course a good quality of releases ! I want to continue to discover new artists mixing with bigger names as Etnica, Tristan, Wizzy Noize, Bus... I don't want to favour the big names because it's better for our selling but just for their good productions ! In the future, we plan to release the Mumbo Jumbo album (december 2002), a new compilation "Unbreakable" (January 2003), the Cameleon (Bamboo Forest and Ninja) album (february 2003), the Triptych album (March 2003) and many more... 6) What artists would you like to work with? I would like to work with Saïko Pod for their very funky and deep tracks, Dick Trevor for the same reasons, the others ? already released !!! 7) Is there another particular label you appreciate a lot for its musical orientation? I like very much Transient, Dragonfly, Flying Rhino (R.I.P.)... Actually, I like the english style, they know how to make a "groove". I'm a little bit bored of Full on style even if it's a really good style ! 8) Your new compilation 'Amazon' was released a couple of weeks ago. It's compiled by Stella Nutella. Please tell us more about this collaboration. Did you enjoy making it ? L'Elf: I met Stella Nutella one year and half ago, she was leaving Organic records, I proposed her to integrate Turbo Trance records, I liked her music,his really good DJ technic, her woman feeling, She agreed, that's all ! Today I know that my choice was good, I like to work with her, she's really professional, she knows what she wants, and she's really funny. For the collaboration about Amazon, I wanted to give her the responsability of a compilation, as I liked what she did as DJ, we spoke a lot of the way of this compilation, she contacted the artists (almost all her friends), she proposed me a track listing, we decided which one are better than the others then we added the artists of Turbo Trance records: Triptych and Hyper Frequencies. For me it was more easy than for Stella (Ahahah !!). Stella: Yeah its true... Manu left all the dirty work to me! I had to spend alot of time hassling all my friends for the best tracks and the best deals, and then stand behind some of them in their studios with a whip, making sure they finished the tracks in time! Harder work that id thought... I also thought a long time of a good name... It came to me on the beach in Brazil actually. I read lots of stuff about the original Amazon warriors and yes, they were really both strong and fair and cool! 9) WHAT ?? I see no AtomstrixProjnnection in the tracklisting ???...so maybe you have a relevant definition of 'Good' music ? )) L'Elf: As I told you, I'm now a little bit bored of this style even if I think that's it's very good music ( that I play sometime) but each label who wants to have good selling are releasing this kind of Music, I want to take another way and show that all the Trance is good, some labels are enough good to release Astrix, Alien Project... We'll see what's happ in the future... Stella: I think all music can be good for the right occasion (well, almost all music!) and in this case I wanted to make a compilation that takes you on a trip... around the world and back... haha. There are a few different styles, a few of the tracks are maybe too original for some people but I think they are all really good and they fit together. People who miss the Israeli tracks can easily find them elsewhere... 10) Please present yourselves : [names/ages/nationality/location/whatyouwant] L'Elf: Emmanuel / 26 yeras old / La Fare les Oliviers (a little village hidden in the south of France)/ I want more professionalism in the Trance. No more ! Stella: Hanna (but Stella has been my nickname for many years) /27 years old / Swedish / Living in Amsterdam / I want Peace on Earth and pure Love in peoples hearts. No less! 11) How long have you been involved with the trance scene - what drew you closer to this particular genre of electronic music. Your musical background and journey through music - how it effected you and your relationship with music today ? L'Elf: I started my career in 1993, with the creation of the Magic Tribe and the organization of some Trance-sounding underground parties. Besides, I became resident of the first cyber-café in the south of France. Forerunner of the Psychedelic Trance movement in the south of France, i contributed to the development of this music. In 1994, I was remarked by « Eléolite Management » which will become « International Epsilon Booking Agency » later. In 1995, I left Epsylon to integrate into the Monolithe Records label for which I bacame the representative DJ of the Psytrance division. In 1997, I took its artistic management and contribute to the first productions with the release of my first EP (Phase One). In 1998, I coproducted Phase Two, second maxi 45rpm that I remixed with T.I.T. That remix was released by Krembo Records in 1999. Present at the biggest Trance events, I started exporting the UTP sound (my live project with T.I.T). In 2000, I left Monolithe rec and decided to create Turbo Trance Records with the discovery of the Neuromotor live act. Then I founded the « Turbo Team » and asked several DJs to join me : Gill (Hyper Frequencies), TIT (UTP), Ananda, Jessy. After that Psyside, famous live act from Paris, joined this crew. From that moment, Turbo Trance Records started its quest. In 2001, Walhalla already produced on several Psytrance labels (Moon Spirits records, Sub Machine records, Ketuh) integrates the label as well as Stella Nutella, a Sweedish DJ-Woman with an international repute. In 2002, Triptych, that is Charles a.k.a. Walhalla, became an exclusive Turbo Trance Records artist and creates at the same time the BPK project of which the album will be released soon. Then it's Mumbo Jumbo -another project of Cosmosis together with DJ Kuma already signed with Transient and Phantasm- turn to come and complete the label crew. I am also an editor for some newspapers dedicated to electronic musics, like Teck'Yo, specialized into the Psychedelic movement in France, of which i take care of the Psytrance and Sounnd Traveller parts ! Today I'm one of the main DJs representing french psytrance abroad. Stella: I was always interested in music, played the violin when I was little, and always loved electronic music. But it was hard to get hold of in my home town in the north of Sweden where everybody was listening to AC/DC or pop. I first heard psychedelic trance when I was living in the French Alps in 96, some English friends had some great tapes we used to listen to and this attracted me to London. After Id moved there later the same year I got straight into the underground party scene, It was great! In London everybody and his dog is a DJ so it was natural that I got the idea to try spinning as well, especially as i was a bit alarmed by the lack of women behind the turntables. Started playing in 98, first in Tyssen street and other venues in London but soon after also internationally... didnt have time for my job or college course anymore -this was my new mission! Nowadays Im travelling loads and have played some amazing places all over the world, and all the gatherhed impressions are now being put more and more into music production! I have made tracks with a few different people and Im really loving it. Want to get more serious and spend more time in the studio the coming year... 12) No matter how good you play, isn't it too hard for - a woman (Stella) - or a DJ far from the capital (l'Elf) to be considered seriously on this scene ? L'Elf: I prefer to stay far from the capital to work with the label, far from the problem and the stress of a big town, I work very well from my little place in the south of France, always sunny, close to the sea... Today it's easy with Internet, everywhere is very close ! I speak more with Mexican promoters than Parisian promoters. In France the Trance scene is actually very quiet, no too much parties because not enough promoters and police problems with this new "fucking" government ! I play each week end in other countries and almost never in France ! Stella: GOOD QUESTION! Well id say its really 50-50. There will always be some morons around who think that just because youre a girl and you look good this is the only reason you get bookings. There is sometimes competition and jealousy from other djs and Ive had some pretty bad experiences with this, especially in some more "macho" countries. (No-one mentioned, no-one forgotten...well what goes around comes around!) Thankfully there are also lots of nice, intelligent people out there who really appreciate good women djs and who understand the need for more female energy in dance music! 13) I guess you have been partying a lot recently...what are your current favourite groups and tracks ? L'Elf: Currently, I like Mumbo Jumbo, Cosmosis, Bamboo Forest, Biotonic, Triptych, Zen Lemonade, Altom, Ninja, Dick Trevor (all projects), Hopefiend... Ambient: T.I.T. !!! My actual favorite tracks are: Wizzy Noize / Aqua Blue; Triptych / jana; Mumbo Jumbo / jax back Stella: I just went to a nice Iboga party here in Amsterdam and they have some cool groovy sounds...also been hanging out a lot with another great musician friend who is very productive at the moment, Synchro. As for my favourite track... well its definitely one that me and my friend Stanley made last week, we have just started this new project and it is feeling great! The track is called "so mature", it is a happy morning affair that I will be playing out soon... Im so in love with it, listening to it over and over again! 14) When & where was your best party ? And your worst one ? L'Elf: I just come back from Mexico where I played a couple of dates. Maybe it was one of my best parties this year... I played in the front of the Pacific Ocean for the sunrise, the feet in the sand (No comments !). I like Mexico, each time I rediscover this country and this public so nice ! Tribe of Frog parties in Bristol & Ibiza were really good !! But I had a lot of other nice parties, difficult to tell all ! For the worst, I prefer to keep it secret for the promoter (shame on him !) ;-) Stella: Best one I played this year was VOOV... what an Experience! The worst one was one in South of Italy where everybody including myself got seriously ripped off by wasted mafia promotors. Eeks! > 15) Do you organize parties with the Turbo Trance label ? L'Elf: Of course, we had a Turbo Trance label tour in 2001 to present the label in France, it was a big succes ! After that we had a label tour in Mexico and USA during one month and half with Hyper Frequencies and Triptych, a lot of fun during this tour !! We also had a lot of Turbo Trance label parties around the world (Mexico, Portugal, France..) We'll have some other Turbo Trance label parties in Switzerland, UK, Holland... coming soon and worlwide label tour in 2003. 16) Are any of you planning to write you own music ? Or maybe together with another artist ? L'Elf: I used to make music with T.I.T. under the name of UTP signed on Krembo records and Monolithe records some years ago. Now, I have a new project with Triptych that we'll release our album in 2003. But I don't have the time actually to make music, Turbo Trance records takes all my time, taking care of my artists and playing all the week ends too ! I would like to write music with Stella, a woman has always some nice ideas ! Stella: Im going in the studio as much as I can, it started a couple of years ago when i did a Cubase course in London and realised how fun it was. Its really fun to work with different people, you can really feed off each others ideas... and yes, me too I cant wait to write music together with another girl! 17) What do you think about the psy-trance scene globally? How do you think it's evolving? Do you think it should become more popular or more underground ? L'Elf: Today the Psy-Trance scene is very big, a lot of new talents, a lot of labels, it's not like ten years ago, when I bought all the productions released (CDs & Vynils), today it would be impossible (even if I would be rich !). I think that it can become very popular but we need more professionalism from everybody, promoters, labels, artists... The public is bigger and bigger each year, you can check: this year around 15 000 people at the Boom Festival and 15 000 at the Samothraki Festival in the same week, it's incredible ! Stella: the scene is growing in a nice way I think, and yeah sure it is going commercial.... personally I really like the big events where you get to hear more than one music style! As for small underground psychedelic parties, they will always continue to exist Im sure ...nothing beats the vibe you can get in those type of parties! 18) What do you think of the MP3 revolution ? L'Elf: Actually MP3 and copy are really bad for the music ! Today, a lot of labels are closing or will close soon because the selling are going down. The people don't take conscious that they are killing the Trance copying the Cds and downloading it on the net ! If it continues like this, they will destroy the scene, no selling = no money for the label = no money for the artists = no more music = no more parties = no more fun ! I spoke with a lot of labels, and all told me that their selling are going down of the half ! It's crazy, we need to do something, stop copy ! The public, is growing up and the labels are going brankrupt, it's not normal... Stella: MP3 format is very practical if you need to send or store music but yes, Manu said it all... PLEASE try to buy the music you like otherwise eventually all psytrance musicians will start to make house music to survive. Its something alot of hippies arent aware of.. they think that "music should be free"... well maybe in a perfect world it could be! 19) Finally, do have anything else you'd like to say? L'Elf: I would like to thank all my team: Stella Nutella, Triptych, T.I.T., Mumbo Jumbo, La sainte Aise, without them, nothing would be possible ! But also all the good promoters around the world, and of course you who support us on all the dancefloors of this little planet ! Thanks to the Psynews.org crew, keep the Psy-vibes !!! Stella: Thanks to Manu (L'Elf), He is a star and a total sweetheart! A huge smile to all party friends around the globe....... keep groovin' and I hope to dance with you soon again. You can have more infos about Turbo Trance Records at http://www.turbotrance.com ! L'Elf Stella Nutella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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