4 Strings' Carlo Resoort & the World's First Trance Nation

Ferry Corsten , DJ Jean, DJ Jurgen, Rank One… All have emerged from Holland in the last 3 years, turning the tiny European nation into a powerhouse for worldwide trance. And by sensibly ignoring Britain's typically fickle trendsetters, the Dutch have continued establishing their reputation for delivering high quality, often accessible dance music, that continues to crossover to more and more pop charts. Mezz caught up with one of the country's newest stars, Carlo '4 Strings' Resoort, who first popped up outside Holland in 1997 with a co-production with Rank 1 (Silmarillia).

Mezz: How long do you usually take to finish a track-
4 Strings (Carlo): "I'm not somebody who makes music in one day, some tracks can take two or three weeks, that's why I don't release many tracks per year, usually just four. Maybe I'm just a perfectionist, but I'm always changing them and improving them to enhance the final quality."

Mezz: What inspires your musical ideas-
4 Strings: "I've also always been inspired by old movie soundtracks from the 80s and TV serials such as 'North & South'- I've always liked melodies written in minor chords, with that down and melodramatic feeling. That's been my style for the last few years and it's working."

Mezz: What was your journey into making dance music-
4 Strings: "Making music started as a hobby with two friends of mine, and I also knew Pete from Rank 1, who started out 9 years ago. I bought a synthesizer, built up equipment piece by piece then set up my own studio 6 years ago. The inspiration then was the beginning of house music in Holland. The old skool music then was very simple, but very melodic with drums. I didn't have any piano lessons, it was more about the feelings I had."

Mezz: At what point did making music cease to be just a hobby-
4 Strings: "One year ago. I was working in central heating, which I started after leaving school. I used to install central heating in all kinds of buildings. I decided to quit last year because the music was doing so well and I had a hit in England with Alena ('Thanks to the Space Brothers, anyway') but that was the thing that prompted me to quit."

Mezz: Fellow Dutchman Ferry Corsten has become a worldwide star over the last 2 years, is he someone you bump into very much-
4 Strings: "I see him now and then because Ferry Corsten is a good friend of my friend Rank One, who lives nearby. He's very busy recently, and it's going great for him, I think. His only problem is that he makes too much music in the same direction."

Mezz': Have you always limited yourself to just three productions a year-
4 Strings: "Actually I haven't made many tracks at all, I did some a few years before which were less commercial, though they later started selling in different countries."

Mezz: Are you planning to DJ in the near future-
4 Strings: "No. No, I tried it once but I believe my 'feeling' is just in studios. I don't want to play in clubs because of what's the biggest problem for most producers - your ears. When you play as a DJ your ears get damaged and mine already are."

Mezz:" Do you still go out dancing-
4 Strings: "Not much anymore, I still go out to see Rank One performing but not much more. I used to go out a lot but not to hear trance music but rather music that was between techno and club. That's the music I like to dance to."

Mezz: Are you bothered by the criticism trance sometimes attracts in the media-
4 Strings: "Not really. Like in Holland, people have loved trance for years, and although some suggest it's no longer happening they're wrong. It's still going strong and I like making it. Every month you hear comments like 'trance is not that big anymore' then every time you hear a new trance record it sells as many copies as Elton John. The music's changing a little, anyway, with a disco edge coming in which I also like."

Mezz: How important is the UK Tags

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