A Sit Down With DJ Leon Bolier

Nowadays Leon releases stuff on labels like Armada Music, Blackhole Recordings, Spinnin Records and Sweden-based Captured Music. He uses different guises for different styles, this resulting in progressive, trance, Techy and even Electro influenced releases on those various labels. His releases have been caned by the worlds big DJs, like: Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Sasha, John Digweed, Paul Oakenfold, Marco V and many many more.

 

“First of all, the idea, then – the quality of its execution. “

 

How time you need for produce a theme how My Precious, Pulsar or Passionate? What do you think for to compose this great songs?

I don’t think that much then, it’s just playing around with my keyboard, make up chord progressions and add a melodic layer to it..

In recent years, you have performed a lot as a DJ. Is there still a place where Leon Beaulert really would like to play, and why in this place?

I like every city I visit, it’s very useful and interesting life experience. The only difference is where I perform – in the forest, in the canyon or on the beach, regardless of the country!

What is your set up for producing music, such as Ableton, live instruments, etc…

Right now I am using Cubase 8 with a lot of plugins – somewhere in this studio I still have a Nord Rack 2x, Virus TI, Dave Smith Mopho, Roland MC303 etc laying around but I don’t really use those no more – tho I should use those more often I realize now while answering this question. I am on PC here, and sound card wise I use the Fireface 800. Guess that covers it all.

How did you become part of Armada Music?

Through Armin – he made his publisher (Maykel Piron) contact me for a publishing deal when Maykel was still working for Warner/Chappel Benelux. Soon after that Maykel, Armin and Dave Lewis decided to start Armada Music.

Who are your biggest role models and why?

I don’t have any big role models – just people that can cope with backlashes, people that fight on their own, people that follow their path, no matter if its a big superstar musician or the paperboy next door. And people that care about each other, without thinking of cash or benefits.

What sets you apart from other producers/dj’s?

First of all, my productions I guess. The effort I put into those productions made sure I created my own style – whether the productions are Housy, Techy or Trancy, I guess you can hear those are mine. In my sets I always play new exclusive own productions that were made for the dance floors, accompanied by other tracks that compliment the flow. I guess that’s how you can point out a set by me.

You produced “Dark Star with Sied Van Riel. What happens when 2 Dutch men meet in the studio? What made this collaboration so unique?

Sied and me have become friends over the past years – and we share a certain amount of easy going and bullshit humour. Being around in the studio with him always means: having fun, and at the same time producing music – and the both of us are very determined in what we want to hear in a Bolier vs. Van Riel collaboration. It should showcase both of us as an artist, and when we finished the track we really felt that was what happened!

What is the EDM scene like in The Netherlands currently and how has it progressed the past couple years? What changes have you seen?

Very mature, in a good way. Dance music has been around since the late eighties, and you can see people from that generation still going to parties here, while at the same time every day new kids join the house music movement. The changes I have seen here is that dance music has diversified genre wise, it has been professionalized in all its forms (from event organization, to labels, to management and everything in between) and last but not least it’s still growing bigger by the day!

“Eden” is a very beautiful track that you produced together with current trance Balearic superstar Roger Shah. The typical Shah guitar sounds are not present. Did you guys actually make this in the studio or were sound files sent back and fourth? How did the production of this track look like? Shah made the atmosphere and you for the harder beats?
This one was made over the internet as well – the first time Roger and me really had a good chat was in Eden, Ibiza last year – hence the title. We both worked on the chord progression and the melodies, and then went on producing our own version. In Roger’s version you can find the typical Shah guitar sounds, though I included guitar sounds as well.. maybe those are Bolier guitar sounds.

What do you do in your free time?

I have a rest with friends and family! This is the best activity in my spare time, because I’m very busy and, sometimes, I do not see them for quite some time.

Questions? Comments? We want to know:@djfollower