FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Mind the flying Dutchman

Mind the flying Dutchman

DJ Richard Durand continues in 'Search of Sunrise' with a trip to Bangkok

It seems like Levels is still in celebration mode, even though the club’s first-anniversary bash was a week ago. This week, trance fans are in for a big night as Holland’s hottest DJ of the genre, Richard Durand, is scheduled to set the dance floor on fire on Wednesday.
In Holland, where the trance scene is equally inspiring and competitive, for a DJ to gain the spotlight and make a name is considered a terrific start. For Durand, the recent years have been even better than that. He emerged onto the scene with electrifying remixes of Tiesto singles “Lethal Industry”, “Flight 643” and “Break My Fall” that almost immediately sent him to stardom. 
“I think I was about 18 when I went to a club in Amsterdam for the first time,” Durand tells us. “I was immediately captivated by the music – not just the trance music but also the atmosphere. 
“Then, after four years in the army, I went into music professionally in 1998. I really felt that the best in music had beautiful melodies. I think trance is a logical consequence of that.”
His dynamic package of trance, techno and tough electro led him to rework the Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up” and Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars”, which brought him into play lists of globally famed DJs such as Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Judge Jules and Eddie Halliwell.
Based in Amsterdam, Durand finally laid down his studio debut in 2009 on Magik Muzik / Black Hole Recordings. “Always the Sun” officially put Durand’s career firmly in the fast lane with crossover hits “Into Something”, “No Way Home” and the title track, which clocked up to two million YouTube hits. 
In 2010 Durand was the second DJ after Tiesto to mix “In Search of Sunrise 8: South Africa”, the eighth instalment in the best-selling compilation series founded by Tiesto in 1999. Editions 9 (in India) and 10 (Australia) followed, earning critical acclaim and commercial success. “In Search of Sunrise 11: Las Vegas” was released last month, a collaboration with Hungarian duo Myon & Shane 54.
“This year I’ve been very busy,” Durand says. “I have two weekends off to visit some friends. I’ve been busy with ‘In Search of Sunrise’ and I was on the road a lot. But that was also very nice – I’ve been to a lot of new places, which was super-cool.”
Next week Durand is gracing Bangkok on his “In Search of Sunrise 11” tour before heading back to Europe to play the summer festivals.
“It’s very cool to come to Bangkok because there’s always good atmosphere there. I will definitely be testing a few new tracks and new remixes, but will of course run my much better-known work.”
 
 
       Level up
_ Richard Durand performs at Levels on Sukhumvit Soi 11 on Wednesday. It’s free admission.
_ Find out more at 
(082) 308 3246 and www.LevelsClub.com.
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