invisioner | Trance producer

Hungarian born producer Sunny Lax aka Levente Márton has been synonymous with the dancefloor since his debut release ("P.U.M.A"/"Cassiopeia") on Anjunabeats in February 2006. An instant hit, "P.U.M.A." was supported by Above & Beyond, Paul Van Dyk and Armin Van Buuren, making his presence across the scene well and truly felt. Taking influence from a variety of music, and indeed life, Sunny Lax has become an experienced and versatile producer - enjoying a productive 2011 indeed. Having made waves with his Anjunadeep debut "Big Fat Kiss" (as Levente Márton ) earlier in the year, he has since gone to remix Above & Beyond's anthem "Thing Called Love" , and also Super8 & Tab's "Free Love" for "Empire: Remixed" LP. We caught up with the man to talk about influences, future plans, and "Free Love"…


You began producing at the early age of 13. What motivated you to start in the first place? What were you listening to prior to this?
"I was a geek in those times, and so it began with a CD attachment from a geeky PC magazine. There was tracker software on the CD with a lot of demo music, and I just tried it. My music taste has transformed since this time from the rap and R&B stuff to electronic music. At first, the German Line reached me with a Dream Dance compilation. Actually there were just a few real trance tracks on this; the compilation was dance really, but I liked it."

Did you have a musical upbringing, or was it largely inspired from your own interest?
"I never learnt music, but I have never felt at a disadvantage. I think your own experiences are worth more than somebody just showing you things. And music is an ART not an exact science. You can learn the main rules but some rules just restrict you. And then we have to step over the limits."

What does it mean to hear DJs like Armin Van Buuren, Paul Van Dyk and Above & Beyond playing your tracks?
"It was always my dream, so it means my dream has come true. It’s certainly a fabulous feeling. I remember when James Grant sent me an e-mail saying: “P.U.M.A. was played in ASOT as Tune of the Week and Paul van Dyk also played it in his show.” I just wrote back something crazy like “WOOOOOOOOOW. OMG, I can’t believe it!!!!!!” or something like that, and the answer back was just: “Welcome aboard!”"


Your inspirations include Coldplay, Moby and Vangelis, who are far from the world of trance. Are there any trance DJs or producers that you particularly looked up to as you were going through your teenage years?
Certainly trance DJs have also inspired me. Mainly the biggest like Above & Beyond, Armin, PvD, Tiesto, ATB. There are some nice albums by these names still in my cabinet, and they are dear to my heart."

With regards to "Empire: Remixed", you revised and transformed a striking, downbeat track, into an uplifting trance anthem. How did you approach the remix?
"It wasn’t so difficult. The original track is 68 bpm, which is exactly half of a good uplifting track, so it works pretty well with my 135 bpm. Also I wrote a chunky groove underneath, and a whole new track with new chord progressions. That was the hard part, because I loved the original chords, but I tried to write something similar in mood with more party vibe. I didn’t plan to write an uplifting track but somehow it came."


Who would you say has had the most influence on your career? Personally or professionally?
"Life has the most influence on me. Every good and bad thing can inspire, but my sweetheart is my muse, and she is also an artist; a photographer. But she also has very, very, good hearing. She always checks my tracks before I finish them. And she always has some instructions."

Is there anyone in particular that you would love to collaborate with?
"It would be great to do something with Mat Zo."

And finally, what should we expect from you five years from now?
More music, and I think more vocal tracks! And I hope to make my own album. Lately I’ve been focusing on my sound designer side, so there’ll be more sample libraries and sound-sets!"

Sunny Lax's remix of Super8 & Tab feat. Jan Burton "Free Love" is featured on "Empire: Remixed", which is released on Anjunabeats on 22nd August. To pre-order on Anjunastore click HERE.

To pre-order on iTunes click HERE.

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The iTunes special edition of Super8 & Tab's "Empire: Remixed" album is now available for pre-order on iTunes HERE.

Featuring remixes from global big hitters like Gareth Emery, Kyau & Albert, 4 Strings, Rank 1, and Lange, “Empire: Remixed” iTunes Special Edition also includes the sought-after Adam Nickey remix of “Irufushi” and Alex Kunnari’s “Mercy” remix – as well as an exclusive DJ mix from Super8 & Tab and Mike Shiver’s Garden State remix of “Empire”. A standard iTunes edition of the album will be available nearer the release date.

For those that favour physical product, we also have a strictly limited run of 500 signed copies of the standard album - each signed by Super8 & Tab. Pre-order your copy HERE.

Super8 & Tab "Empire: Remixed" will be released on 22nd August on Anjunabeats.

Tracklisting
1. Slow To Learn feat. Jan Burton (Maor Levi Club Mix)
2. Black Is The New Yellow feat. Anton Sonin (Protoculture Remix)
3. Perfect Day feat. Alyna (Gareth Emery Remix)
4. Free Love feat. Jan Burton (Sunny Lax Remix)
5. Good Times feat. Betsie Larkin (Lange Remix)
6. Eternal Sequence (Jaytech Remix)
7. My Enemy feat. Julie Thompson (Rank 1 Remix)
8. Empire feat. Jan Burton (Kyau & Albert Remix)
9. Mercy feat. Jan Burton (7 Skies Remix)
10. Bliss (4 Strings Remix)
11. Perfect Day feat. Alyna (MRSA Remix)
12. Irufushi (Adam Nickey Remix) [iTunes Special Edition Only]
13. Mercy (Alex Kunnari Remix) [iTunes Special Edition Only]
14. Empire (Mike Shiver's Garden State Mix) [iTunes Special Edition Only]
15. Empire: Remixed Super8 & Tab DJ Mix [iTunes Special Edition Only]

For all the latest audio updates check out the Super8 & Tab "Empire: Remixed" flashplayer HERE. Read full story

This summer Above & Beyond are hosting a series of stages across some of the biggest electronic dance music festivals Europe has to offer - celebrating the release of their second artist album "Group Therapy". To get you in the mood we have caught up with some of the artists who will be performing on the Group Therapy Stages to find out more about what they will be playing and what you can expect to hear from them.

Firmly established as Anjunabeats best selling artists behind Above & Beyond, Super8 & Tab rose to the AAA List of the trance scene with last year’s “Empire” album. An 11 track journey that ranged from reflective downtempo moments to peak-time anthems, “Empire” left Mixmag “blown away on first listen” thanks to its diverse offerings and hit top 10 in the US and Finnish Dance Charts – completing Super8 & Tab’s transition from innovative trance architects to accomplished album artists.

In the 12 months since, Super8 & Tab’s star has continued to rise further still – becoming the highest ranked Finnish DJs in the DJ Magazine Top 100 DJs poll. Still topping the Beatport trance chart as standard, the Finnish duo now broadcast their SuperTab Radio show on 79 FM stations worldwide and have remixed everything from Above & Beyond’s classic “Can’t Sleep” (which features in this video) to Creep's single “Days”, which featured the haunting vocals of The xx’s Romy Madley Croft.

If you didn't already see them at Tomorrowland, Global Gathering, or Dance Valley can catch Super8 & Tab on Above & Beyond Group Therapy Stage at SW4. Click HERE for tickets.

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| Music, News

Nate Raubenheimer aka Protoculture has been stamping his presence all over the trance scene for the best part of a decade. With three highly acclaimed artist albums behind him on the psy-trance influenced Nano label, Protoculture is now setting the trance scene at large alight with high profile remixes of tracks like Grace's timeless classic "Not Over Yet" and, of course, Super8 & Tab's "Black Is The New Yellow" - which will bring his magic to the “Empire: Remixed" album.

Ahead of its release, we catch up with the well-travelled Cape Town Native to find out about his influences, the Super 8 and Tab remix and the (busy) future of Protoculture…

As a child, you played around with jazz and classical piano music. Do these styles have much of an influence on your work today?
"Yes. I think everything you do has some kind of influence on your work. I don't think I draw specifically from jazz or classical these days, but I'm definitely from a more traditional musical background, which does have an impact on the way I do things. I've been tinkering around with a piano since I was about 6 years old, and got my first computer with music software at age 12."


You’ve played all over the world. Do you get a chance to relax and take in your surroundings, or is it all work?
"I do try, but a lot of the time things do tend to pass you buy. I always try to take a little time to experience a new place. I'm know I’m very lucky to have a job that takes me all over the world, so you want to try and make the best of it. Although places I've been to a number of times before do tend to be more about getting straight down to business."

Looking back at your first release, “Superhighway Samurai,” has the approach that you take to writing changed much? How has your sound evolved?
"Yes, definitely. For a start, the technology has changed such a lot since then. I remember putting that track together with a Waldorf XTk, and Cakewalk 2 or something like that. These days I'm based in Cubase mostly. I think the approach to writing a track for me is far more focused as well these days. Back when I did “Superhighway Samurai”, it was very much trial and error for me, a lot of experimenting and learning, and rather innocent songwriting."


Who has been your favourite artist to work with in the past and who would you like to work with in the future?
"I've enjoyed quite a close partnership with Max Graham lately. We really get along very well, and have a lot in common. He's been quite instrumental in my move from the more underground psy-trance scene to progressive trance, and he introduced me to guys like Armin van Buuren and Markus Schulz. As for future collaborations, there's a ton of artists I'd love to work with like BT, the Crystal Method, Simon Posford, Hybrid, Charlie May and a ton of others…"

Have you noticed much change in the Cape Town trance scene over the years?
"Yeah, trance used to be abundant in South Africa in the '90s, but it kind of took a turn for the worse, for me at least, in 2000. I was heavily involved in the outdoor psy-trance scene after that. But in the last two years there's been a big resurgence of trance in South Africa. We've had a ton of big names like Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten, Armin van Buuren, Marcus Schulz and others perform there recently and it’s looking really promising for the future of the scene in SA."

How did you come to remix Super8 & Tab’s “Black Is The New Yellow?”
""I had actually just released the remix for M.I.K.E's "Art of Love| a few months before I got the request from Anjunabeats, and Super 8 and Tab and Above & Beyond had been dropping it in their sets. When I was asked to do the remix for “Black Is The New Yellow”, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to do it, as I'd been a big fan of the original as well."


What’s next for Protoculture?
"Lots! It's been an awesome year for me so far and it has just inspired me to work even harder on new stuff. I've got some new singles coming up soon, as well as some remixes and collaborations on the cards. I've also got a pretty busy tour schedule for the next few months but I'd like to hopefully also sit down and start work on another album at some point as well."

Protoculture's remix of Super8 & Tab feat. Anton Sonin "Black Is The New Yellow" is featured on "Empire: Remixed", which is released on Anjunabeats on 22nd August. To pre-order on Anjunastore click HERE. Read full story

We can now announce set times for today's Group Therapy stage at Global Gathering:

Mat Zo 17:00-18:30
Super8 & Tab 18:30-19:30
John O'Callaghan 19:30-21:00
Gareth Emery 21:00-22:30
Gabriel & Dresden 22:30-00:00
Above & Beyond 00:00-01:30
Sander Van Doorn 01:30-03:00 Read full story