What’s In Markus Schulz’ DJ box?

What’s In Markus Schulz’ DJ box?

11 August, 2009 | 6.02AM

• Written by: Kirsty Kane
• Filed under: Music News: dj box, markus schulz

A titan of the dance music world, Miami-based DJ Markus Schulz is not your typical trance superstar.

Known for deeper sets that combine elements of progressive house and tech trance, Schulz’ penchant for darker music came to fruition this June via a new album ‘Thoughts Become Things’, which he released under his progressive house moniker Dakota.

The album has received rave reviews in the music press, and it has proven the German-born artist to be a trance DJ unafraid to take risks.

“I’ve been throughly impressed by how good the reactions have been,” says Schulz, who was happy to learn the album will be featured in a forthcoming issue of DJ Magazine.

Purely instrumental, the album combines driving melodic cuts like ‘Chinook’, with intense deep trance moments like ‘The Doorway’ and ‘Roxy ‘84’.

Schulz admits that although he’s considered a trance DJ by many, his heart prefers black. “I like them [euphoric trance and dark progressive house] both, but I tend to play the darker stuff,” he says.

“The last DJ who truly inspired me was Danny Tenaglia at Space Miami in 2001, where he dropped PPK ‘Resurrection’ and Armin van Buuren’s ‘The Sound of Goodbye’ in the middle of this massive progressive set and it proved to me that music is not about different genres, but about how you program it,” says Schulz, who is never one to be tied down to genres.

With Dakota’s LP set to blow up, we decided to peek into Markus Schulz’ record box to find out which tracks he carries around with him.

Favorite set opener?

Dakota ‘Johnny The Fox’ (Barnes & Heatcliff Remix)

Barnes and Heatcliff’s remix of ‘Johnny The Fox’, taken from Dakota’s ‘Thoughts Become Things’, is a tension builder with sweeping melodies and soaring chords.

Euphoric and pumping, it’s Markus’ favourite opener of the moment.

Secret weapon only you have a copy of?

BT Vs. Sasha ‘Remember Magnetic North’

Schulz is a big fan of this unreleased bootleg of Sasha’s ‘Magnetic North’, taken from the British producer’s 2002 album ‘Airdrawndagger’. He even played it on his worldwide syndicated radio show Global DJ Broadcast.

Featuring the female vocal from BT’s 1998 hit ‘Remember’, Jan Johnston somehow manages to make Sasha’s breakbeat tinged cut appear larger than ever.

Trippiest record?

LOLO ‘Trampoline’

The fun ‘Trampoline’ is a soaring dark trance cut, featured on Ferry Tayle’s recent ‘DJ Sessions 09’ mix compilation on Bonzai Music.

Arenas have been destroyed by this 4am blinder.

Killer vocal track?

Rex Mundi Feat. Susana ‘Nothing At All’

Trance up and comer Blake Jarrell also named Rex Mundi’s ‘Nothing At All’ in his recent DJ box feature, which suggests the cut is destined to be one of the biggest vocal trance tracks of the year.

Bassline weapon?

M6, B.E.N. ‘Interplay’

The driving and throbbing bass on Element One’s remix of M6 and B.E.N. ‘Interplay’ is one of Armada’s big hits of 2009.

Moving from a strong trance breakdown to driving bass heavy techno beats, it hits you right in the gut.

The record that will never leave your box as long as you live?

Cass & Slide ‘Perception’

Featured on Sasha’s hugely popular ‘Global Underground 013: Ibiza’ mix CD, Cass & Slide’s ‘Perception’ is a 11 minute beast of a track that came at the peak of progressive house’s popularity.

10 years on, the track’s hypnotic rhythms, shimmering synths, and repetitive melodies still fascinate.

Oldie that everyone else has probably forgotten?

FC Kahuna ‘Hayling’

British duo FC Kahuna ruled British leftfield music for a while, with their Fatboy Slim backed acid house, broken beat, and electro.

Their seminal single ‘Hayling’ will go down in history as one of the greatest Ibiza chill out moments ever realised.

Get out of jail card?

Rex Mundi Vs. Ronski Speed ‘The Perspective Space’ (Markus Schulz Mashup)

When Schulz feels the heat, he’ll pull out his Mashup mix of Rex Mundi ‘The Perspective Space’, a guaranteed crowd pleaser, thanks to Sir Adrian’s repetitive vocals giving the track more than enough oomph.

This will probably be considered an anthem in years to come.

One more tune of the night finisher?

Rank 1 ‘Airwave’

A classic from the glory days of trance, Rank 1’s magnificent ‘Airwave’ conquered all of clubland in 1999, and if needs be, Schulz will pull the track out of his bag when ever he’s feeling nostalgic and wants to end the night on a high.

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