Exclusive interview with Tyler Michaud for TranceSound.net

April 3, 2011 Posted by Cosmin Lukacs in Interviews

Interview with Tyler Michaud

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To all EDM (Electronic Dance Music) minded people, Tyler Michaud is an artist that needs no introduction. Being one of the artist of the moment, having running his own music company called New School Recordings and so many tracks released during the last decade, Tyler is an extraordinary person that floats from an electronic spectrum to another, from Electro to Progressive and from Trance to Techno nowadays. Hailing from United States, he has that special sound that makes him so special. Working with the likes of Tiff Lacey, Moonbeam, Mat Zo, Colleen Kelly, Interstate, Marcie, Shawn Mitiska just to name a few and with major labels such as Black Hole Recordings, Vandit Records, High Contrast and so on. This interview is a glimpse and a small brief information about him as a person and as an artist overall.

1. Whose music are you a big fan of ? Who exactly influenced your style ?

Tyler Michaud: I’ve always been a big fan of music that is unique and interesting. My earliest inspirations came courtesy of Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, and the industrial metal movement in America. After that, I discovered electronic music starting with Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk, Oakenfold, & Armin Van Buuren.

2. I am asking you this because your music style has evolved a lot lately. What was your style before compared to the one you are making nowadays ?

Tyler Michaud: My style is constantly evolving, otherwise I get fed up and extremely bored with what I’m doing. As long as I am always doing something new and exciting, I am satisfied. My earliest style was mostly straight up trance and progressive music. Now I am incorporating elements of experimental, progressive, electro, trance, techno, rock, industrial, cinematic, and anything that really excites me or gets my blood pumping in the studio.

Lately I have been moving away from the more completely DJ-oriented tracks. The 1 minute intro and outro of just beats no longer excites me, and I feel that tracks should be interesting throughout… If you’re a skilled DJ, and you want to play a song, I feel that you should be able to construct a feasible transition on your own, not rely on the producer to water down their song with pointless intro and outro elements. Even though I produce electronic music and started my career with DJing, I would consider myself much more of a musician, than a DJ these days.

3. What were your original plans for attaining success in this EMI (Electronic Music Industry) ? I always wanted to know.

Tyler Michaud: My original plans were to try and sign with all the biggest trance music labels in the world, which I feel I accomplished by releasing my music on such labels as Vandit, Black Hole, Spinnin, Armada, and more. But nowadays I realize it takes much more to have a truly successful career with music. You need to have your own brand, your own label, and your own successful business. Nowadays I’m realizing more and more that you cant rely on any one particular label to give you all the promotion you need for a career. There is a very specific and meticulous way of going about creating your own brand and spreading awareness through your productions, events, performances, merchandise, give-aways, etc. I am still learning and discovering new ways to expose myself to a greater audience every day.

4. You are also running your own label – New School Recordings. This should be a huge advantage point, am I correct ?

Tyler Michaud: Having your own label and owning the copyrights to your music definitely gives you a major advantage in this industry. If you look at some of the most successful DJ acts of the past few years, most of them have their own labels, and this also helps fuel the promotion of their own careers. It also builds networking and connections with many new like-minded artists, labels, and licensees. I have to say that I have really enjoyed participating in the business side, and growing my label from nothing to what it is now.

5. You’re a busy person I may say, but outside of music, what exactly do you fill your spare time with ?

Tyler Michaud: Recently, what little spare time I have has been filled with concerts, stand-up comedy shows, friends, books, and video games. I don’t have much free time, but when I wind down this is what I like to do! I’m beginning to realize I’m kind of a loner. I’m not the type of dude you’ll find over at the local pub.

6. Coming from you, how do you view the current conditions of the music business ? Growing, decreasing ?

Tyler Michaud: In terms of electronic music, I see things certainly growing, and in a HUGE way, especially among young people! In the USA, festivals are popping up all over the place, and awareness is continuously spreading. I couldn’t be more happy with the way things are going. My only wish is that more electronic musicians concentrated on making unique, quality music, instead of replicating songs that they think will top the Beatport top 10 charts and get them DJ gigs.

7. With so many releases under your belt, your next album is due out when ? Is there going to be one any time soon ?

Tyler Michaud: I don’t have any album due for release right now, but it has been a thought in my mind for the last few years. I don’t feel as if I’m ready to deliver the quality of production I would want for my first true artist album. But trust that when I do, it will far surpass anything I have ever released, and will encompass the true feeling of an “artist album”, not just 9 or 10 DJ-friendly club tracks.

8. What is your next single in the making ?

Tyler Michaud: My next single will be ‘Tyler Michaud ft. Tiff Lacey – London Sky’, watch out for it within the next few months.

9. Your track “Junkie,” alongside Interstate featuring the voice of Jessy Greene. How did this unique union even come to fruition ?

Tyler Michaud: This collaboration was an interesting one. I actually received the vocal for remixing back in 2007 from Mark Lewis of Interstate, but the track never really went much of anywhere. I was cleaning out my harddrive one day and found it, and thought it would make an excellent track for Vandit. So I completely re-produced it, sent it over to PvD, and a few months later, it was released. I’m very satisfied with the way things turned out with it.

10. How does this special track in particular differ and or else compare to previous Vandit’s releases ?

I’d say it definitely has a more unique edge to it. Vandit has a very specific trance sound that they have championed throughout the years, and I’d like to consider myself one of the main contributors on the label that is doing something completely different, but still within the sound that the label can appreciate and release.

11. Another track coming from you with Moonbeam and the angelic voice of Tiff Lacey has been released on Black Hole Recordings. What was the inspiration behind this track ?

Like many collaborations, I started up the backbone of the track, by doing strings, leads, and baselines, I then requested the vocal from Tiff Lacey, and the Moonbeam guys finished the track which was afterwards named “Openhearted”. I guess you could say the main inspiration behind the track was my own self boredom, and looking to create good music with like-minded producers.

12. Are there any producers that you would like to point out at this time ? Someone that you are keeping an eye on ? Perhaps someone from New School Recordings ?

I always have my eye on Trent Reznor, who is currently working on soundtrack music for David Fincher (director of Fight Club, Social Network, etc.) as well as his new group ‘How To Destroy Angels’. It is a very exciting time!

In the electronic music industry, I’m really liking Pendulum, Mike Foyle, Moonbeam, & Deadmau5, who are all doing unique things to keep creating awesome sounds, and progressing the industry in a major way.

13. Besides working on your productions and remixes, I know over the course of the last couple of years there has been a radio show hosted by you, showcasing all genres of electronic dance music and really anything goes. Care sharing some further details on this one please ?

New School Radio is my monthly outlet to perform all the music that I love in the form of a DJ set. And yes, genre-wise, really anything goes. I’m constantly expanding the radio show, and trying to reach as many listeners and stations as possible.

14. From luscious Progressive to dirty, X-rated Electro style, the show has a major exposure I must say. Advertising these kind of music genres, is this what New School Recordings is all about ?

This is what New School Recordings is all about! I have never wanted to place any genre-constraints or a specific trademark sound on the label. I find labels that do that have a good run, but eventually dry up. Constant evolution is key.

15. One more question and I am done. Is there a personal note to our readers or something that you would like to be remembered of ? Besides your music of course.

In the words of Ringo Starr: “Peace and love, peace and love.”

Tyler Michaud