This past Friday, Mark Sherry played “Lost in Trancelation” at Bikkuri Lounge in Orlando. This would be the last stop on his US tour and I couldn’t turn down the chance to see this legend. Mark Sherry has been wowing crowds everywhere with his perfect music selection and out going personality. Along with many other accomplishments Mark Sherry also just reached a milestone episode 450 on his Outburst radio show!
I had the opportunity to interview Mark Sherry before the Orlando show.
Tory: What was your inspiration in becoming a Producer/DJ?
Mark: I have been fascinated by drums and synths since a very early age (my mum was also, well drums at least)… and my parents bought me a keyboard for my Christmas when I was 7 years ago. I then started going to piano lessons around 10 years old and from there I progressed onto playing keyboards. After that, in my teens, the whole rave scene kicked off and I was introduced to dance music at my local clubs… that was me, I was absolutely HOOKED and wanted to become a DJ/producer!
Tory: In 2015, which set or sets would you say was your most memorable?
Mark: I had a lot of debuts last year, playing for events and brands that I’d never played for and also loads of cities that I hadn’t been to. One of my favorite gigs was obviously playing at ASOT700 in Utrecht and also holding my first ever Outburst events with the Esscala team in NYC! I also loved doing a lot of gigs for man of the moment Mr. (Gouryella) Ferry Corsten in Space Ibiza and Tomorrowland etc. There were too many amazing gigs from last year to mention to be honest!
Tory: For 2016, are there any specific clubs or festivals that you would really like to play?
Mark: I’d love to play at Creamfields and also Dreamstate of course!
Tory: With all of your amazing original tracks and remixes, which would you say are your favorites?
Mark: My recent favourites have been my remix of Max Graham “Evil ID”, my remix of Giuseppe Ottaviani with Aly & Fila “Brilliant People” and also my “Pillars of Creation” and “Acid Air Riad” releases, these are definitely my most requested tracks.
Tory: In the scene today who would say is your favorite trance artists are? Also who would be your favorite non-trance artists?
Mark: Well the ones that have been really doing it for me recently have been Alex Di Stefano, 2nd Phase, Tempo Giusto and David Forbes obviously.They are all on FIRE! I’m also loving the fact that Ferry Corsten & Richard Durand are making a big comeback in the trance scene, due to them making real and proper trance again, it’s a very good sign that things are changing for the better again!
Tory: If you could pick any artists right now to produce a track with, who would be your choices?
Mark: Alex Di Stefano… and I’m already making a collab with him. 😉
Tory: When producing your own music, what production software is your favorite?
Mark: I have used Cubase since I was a teenager… unless something absolutely incredible comes along to challenge the practicality and flexibility then I’ll never ever change to any other DAW to be honest, I love it!
Tory: For all the aspiring producers out there, what advice would you give to them?
Mark: To work your absolute arses off and to stop worrying about everyone else around you is doing… and that also includes ignoring all of the backstabbing, bullshit and negativity that comes with the scene sometimes. Surround yourself with positive people that you can trust, whether that is friends, family, management, agencies etc… focus on your own shit and no one else’s… and most importantly spend as much time as you can on your own sound and being different from everyone else!
Tory: As we all know you have a huge following. Are there any fan interactions that you have had that stand out the most?
Mark: Not really anything that I can think of at the moment to be honest, I wish i had a more exciting answer lol. I just really appreciate all the stuff that my followers give me and also make like flags, banners, t-shirts etc etc. It’s all very much appreciated!
Tory: What would you say are your all time favorite tracks? What moves you so much about these choices?
Mark: Some of my biggest ‘WTF’ moments in a club are when I heard the following tracks for the first time: Energy 52 “Cafe Del Mar’ (Three ‘n One Remix)”, Westbam “Wizards of the Sonic (Matt Darey & Red Jerry Remix)” and Mauro Picotto “Lizard”. All true classics and will never get sick of hearing them!
When entering Bikurri Lounge it has a very warm atmosphere and a lot of perfectly placed lighting. This is a smaller venue which makes the atmosphere even more enjoyable because the club goers were all there for Mark Sherry. The two supporting acts were Robb Blak and Suzy Solar, which were stellar. Both of these artists painted a perfect trance picture leading up to the main event. When Mark Sherry took the decks you could tell immediately that this was going to be an amazing night!
Mark would begin to take us on a two and a half hour journey that would reach almost every imaginable point of pure trance bliss. The track selections for this set were profound and kept getting better and better. Not only is Mark a mastermind behind the CDJs, he also loves playing with the crowd and interacting with every person he could. A few times he left the DJ booth and joined the fans to enjoy the music blasting out through the speakers.
The set was everything that any trance lover could have asked for. There was so much energy during this set. Mark played anything from deep and dark to uplifting and everything between. Some of my personal highlights throughout the set were “Here Come the Drums” and his remix of Markus Schulz “Remember This”. If you have not had a chance to experience Mark Sherry live then you must. Some how he combines every aspect of joy and happiness into his set, after the music shuts off it just leaves you wanting more. This was one of the most memorable events I have gone to recently and I cannot wait to see Mark Sherry again live!
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