Trance Awards

My Trance Story

Graham Gold

Where did you discover trance?

Well really back in Israel 1994, when it was called Goa Trance. It was totally alien to everything I heard before, and to be honest, was a bit of a headf**k. But if you look back at records from 1992 there were "trance mixes" e.g. on Latour's "Blue", but they weren't trance as we know trance now of course!!! So I guess you have to fast forward to 1996 to get to the start of the trance explosion - though of course a lot of people would argue '98 was the year it all happened. But it was '96!!

Who has been your biggest influence?

Without doubt, it was PVD and BT. Paul told me I was the first UK DJ to ever fax him to say I was playing his music, as back then, whilst you were on all the UK labels promo mailouts, you weren't on the European ones. So every time I bought something in Tag or wherever, I would fax the label to let them know I was playing the tune on the radio (Kiss100) and in the clubs. So when I eventually hooked up with PVD, he had a lot of respect for me, and we have been pretty good mates since (well, he always plays my records so...). And of course the other big 3 - Tiesto, Armin and Ferry. I went to Holland in 97/98 to hook up with Ferry and his then manager Dave Lewis (who now looks exclusively after Armin) with a view to looking after his UK diary. Also at the meeting was a then fairly unknown Armin, so Giles and I (Giles was my business partner in the Good As label, and now owns Kasbah in Ibiza) agreed to take Ferry, Tiesto and Armin on for the UK. To be fair Giles looked after their bookings, but Armin, bless him, still says thanks for help launching his career - and right now, with him being at No 1, I feel a bit chuffed, after all it was 10 YEARS AGO when we first hooked up! Currently its people like John O'Callaghan, Sean Tyas, Stoneface & Terminal, DJ Shah - the list is endless but you can see where I’m coming from whose productions always get listened to first, and thankfully, in this ridiculous world where its all about producing and not about DJ'ing that decides if you get booked, they are all great DJ's!

What moment would you live again if you could?

Peach at Camden - any of the birthdays with Oakey, Tiesto, Ferry or Armin - there was never a better night in the world!! But I have also had some fantastic parties all over the world - Israel and Brazil come bloody close!!

Where in the world is trance-central?

Hyper space!!! I guess its one of those nights that never stops that allows you to play ALL genres of trance in one night-from progressive through uplifting to tech-trance to psy, and then do it all again, and again, and again!

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