Trance Krush Interview : Andy MacDougall (Andy Tau/Trilucid)
Over the last few years Andy MacDougall has been releasing successful Trance and Progressive releases on several high profile labels under the pseudonym Andy Tau and Trilucid.
Andy MacDougall has gained regular support from top DJ's and had his stylish tracks featured on ‘Trance Nation mixed by Andy Moor’, ‘Gatecrasher Anthems mixed by Paul van Dyk’ and ‘Trancemaster 7001’ aswell as many more.
Andy MacDougall is also the A&R for ‘Infrasonic Progressive Records’.
In-between his busy schedule Trance Krush caught up with Andy upon the new release "Radiance" by Trilucid & Alex Collings on Flashover Recordings.
Trance Krush: Firstly, how did you start producing Trance music? Was there a certain Song or DJ that swayed you to this part of EDM music?
Andy MacDougall: I first got hooked by dance music around 1992 by artists like The Prodigy and the KLF. Around 1997 I started going clubbing and found my second home at Gatecrasher in 1999. That club had a significant influence on my music taste and from there it seemed a natural progression to try producing my own tracks. I started out with a piece of software I found on a pc magazine, called Madtracker and then moved on to Cubase a few years later.
Artists and DJs that had, and still have, an influence include M.I.K.E, John 00 Fleming, John Digweed, Paul van Dyk and countless more.
TK: As well as the production side of your Trance you also DJ live, what current Trance tracks have you noticed are getting the best reaction on the dance floor?
Andy MacDougall: I actually haven't done a Trance set in a while! Since I moved down to London I have been writing and playing a lot of house and techno, due largely to the influence that friends and colleagues down here have had. I have a few gigs coming up this summer though including one at Digital in Newcastle next month (13th April). A few months ago I began the groundwork for a semi live show. I like the idea of improvising on the fly and integrating my skills as a producer more into my live work. It will be a long evolution to get it to where I want it but it is a challenging and interesting project.
TK: Has your Production of Trance evolved over the years?
Andy MacDougall: I've always had quite an eclectic output, mixing genres and experimenting with different sounds, for example, the first two tracks I released as Andy Tau were driving Trance and Psy infuenced prog. I think the same is true now, I take a lot of influences from Techno and Progressive House and integrate them into the Trance that I make. My production has definitely become more polished as well, but that's a natural progression that all artists experience. I definitely still try to get that euphoric sound that got me into Trance in the first place, and I think Radiance is a good example of that old school feel but with a more modern twist to the production.
TK: Do you have a favourite vocal Trance track? Which vocalists have you enjoyed working with for your production?
Andy MacDougall: I do love a good vocal Trance track! It can add an extra dimension to a tune, and if done right give a tune a very wide appeal but still keep a bit of underground credibility. I think Gareth Emery and Matt Darey both make fantastic vocal Trance, both of them have a great ability to make songs in the more traditional sense, but still keep a dancefloor happy.
I've worked with some great vocalists and I'm currently working with a couple of new singers (one was the wedding singer at a friend's wedding!). Sophie Tusnelda has a fantastic voice, really haunting and totally unique and we've worked on quite a few projects together now. Two have been released: Trilucid - Bring You The Sun on Infra Progressive and very recently Tau feat Sophie Tusnelda – Across the Sky on Afterglow. I love working with her and we've got at least five more projects on the go spanning dub infused breaks to Trance.
TK: Has where you’re from and where you currently live had an influence on you as a producer?
Andy MacDougall: Definitely. Living in Leeds had a massive influence on me in my teens and early 20s. Being in the middle of all those Trance loving cities (Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle and so on) was fantastic. I used to go to Gatecrasher religiously between 1999 and 2003, what I and many others consider to be the heyday of that club. The music, venue and vibe made that place one of a kind. Over the same period I spent a lot of time in house clubs, particularly in Leeds. Back to Basics had a massive influence on my music tastes and that deeper house sound that they pushed is now very much at the forefront of what I do outside of my Trance sound.
London is one of the most pioneering cities when it comes to music and club culture and living here for the last 5 years has had a huge impact on what I do now. I still love Trance but I tend to go out to Deep House and Techno nights, or to live gigs by artists like Pryda and Amon Tobin. All of those disparate sounds get integrated into my music at some point and in some way which I guess is why I have quite a varied output (to be honest, I'd never really analysed it until this interview so thanks for asking such a good question!)
TK: For the people who don’t know you also are involved in the A&R side of the music world, What do you look for in a track when deciding new releases for ‘Infrasonic Progressive Records’?
Andy MacDougall: I think there are three key things to look for, great production, a great hook and a considered arrangement. If a track has two out of three then we work closely with the artists to get all three things spot on. For example, we got a track that has an awesome hook and great production, but at 6 minutes long, of which 3 and a half minutes was the breakdown, the arrangement was a mess! We've now sorted it and signed the track and it is excellent.
TK: Your track ‘Departures’ was remixed by a selection of great producers, the Yuri Kane remix especially stands out with its beautiful atmospheric vibe, what remixes have you enjoyed the most to work on?
Andy MacDougall: Yuri did such an amazing job on Departures, it is still one of my favourite tracks. I've been really lucky over the last few years to have been remixed by some fantastic artists, Juventa, Dan Stone, Sequentia, Rozza & Daniel Kandi, Wellenrausch and so many more that it's hard to pick a favourite!
I loved working on the remix for Matt Darey last year, the vocal is beautiful and I enjoyed taking the feel of the track in a different direction. Matt is an extremely nice guy too, he helped me out a lot with the remix, particularly cool as he was always a hero of mine in my formative years!
I really enjoyed working on Loaded by Solis and Sean Truby last year and also Sunset and Neil Bamford – Belissima was a highlight in 2010. I was in such a good mood when I made that remix and I think that is reflected in the result! More recently, the remix I did for Leolife – Arrow was a highlight, one that was overlooked but I love it anyway.
TK: If you had to choose one trance track that has had the most of an impact on you, what track would it be? (as difficult as that might be to answer!)
Andy MacDougall: Wow, that is a tough question! Well a couple of tracks spring to mind, Silver Bath by Push, I remember when he played it at Gatecrasher and I still get the same rush I got then from listening to it. A Break in the Clouds by James Holden is one of the most amazing productions I've ever heard, and the whole track takes you on an adventure. More recently I think anything by Markus Schulz is quite outstanding. Probably my favourite is his remix of Bittersweet Nightshade. I know that's three tracks but I couldn't pick one out of those!
TK: Lastly, what are you’re future plans?
Andy MacDougall: I currently have a few new projects under way. I'm spending a lot of my time engineering for djs and singers which is something I'm really enjoying.
I have also started making music for the advertising and tv industry, a project that is again very rewarding and has allowed me to experiment with a very wide range of styles.
Over the next few months I've got some big trance tracks coming out on Infrasonic, including remixes from artists like Mike Shiver, Store n Forward, The Flyers and more. Djing will definitely feature a lot more regularly in my schedule this year, I've been offered a residency at a London night for the deeper stuff and a few gigs are coming up in the Summer. Along with the new live show I've been working on.
I also have a new label called Superlifter that is seeing it's first release on the 28th March, we will be releasing the deeper and more experimental side of dance music.
Finally I'm going to continue doing what I've always done and keep striving to make uplifting and interesting trance!
Can I also just say a huge thankyou to everyone who has listened to and supported my music over the years, and thanks to Trance Krush for interviewing me. Cheers!
