Are the CD releases an extension of the show? Or maybe a best-of-breed selection, after finding some of the tunes that are really popular from week to week or from playing out live?
AVB: I had 84 tracks I wanted to put on this latest double compilation but I couldn't do that. Lots of the tracks on the comp weren't even played in my radio show when the CD was already out there. Because there were so many great records to choose from, I chose for two themes for this edition for A State of Trance.
Yeah, this latest release takes a little bit of a different direction from the previous ones. What was the inspiration for wanting to differentiate out these two halves of the set?
AVB: CD 1 is called “On The Beach” and CD 2 is called “In The Club.” I'm really happy with the result. I hope people will buy this CD and take it with them on their holidays this summer because it has been made with the summer of 2006 in the back of my head. Especially CD 1, it has loads of summery records with a Balearic vibe, you know, vocals, guitars, pianos. Perfect for on the beach! CD 2 is more of a banging trance CD with the latest uplifting trance that has proven to be the biggest of my recent sets. But the most important thing of the CDs is the story, even a big hit record on the CD is less important. I spend a lot of time thinking and planning the mix.
The "On The Beach" portion is still pretty upbeat, but also has a more casual vibe, like it's something you could listen to just while spending an evening at home. Is that blend for a mix something you often have the opportunity to try out live, or do you generally have to keep things more club-oriented?
AVB: It totally depends on the mood of the night. I like to play harder, more clubby sets, like CD 2. But these sets would go better in a big room with a lot of people at 3 in the morning. I do play more intimate sets around the world as well, like early in the evening. The variation is the coolest thing about my job.
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