With ‘Cathedral’ having just hit promotion and ‘Twilight of the Night’ featuring exclusively on the album, things look like they’re gearing back up for your Dakota alias too. What plans are afoot in that area? Will we be seeing a new album soon?
Markus: We have the 225th release on Coldharbour coming up, and traditionally for every 25th and 75th release we like to dedicate as a Dakota release, so that will most likely be next, and include Twilight of the Night.
Cathedral was more of a spontaneous decision, but when the track was completed, it was only natural that it should be christened as a Dakota production.
Doing the Dakota tracks is a lot of fun for me personally, simply because there isn’t necessarily that element of pressure to deliver attached. The problem is however that when it becomes an album process, suddenly that pressure from labels, management and so on is intensely cranked up, and right now I’m not sure if I am in a position to fully commit to doing that.
Don’t worry though, the alias is a lot more active than everyone realizes. Many of the IDs that filter through the solo sets are Dakota tracks that haven’t been released. Most of them don’t even have track titles!
One of your two mixes brings both Giorgio Moroder and Sia to the tracklist of the compilation – a genuine first (and possibly only!) for a ‘Trance Nation’. How did your mix of ‘Deja Vu’ come about and what line did you go down with it?
Markus: This is one of the big exclusives on the compilation and an incredible honour to feature them. Thanks to a connection within my management, I had the privilege of collaborating on an original with the pioneer Giorgio Moroder for his album, entitled Timeless. When you think of the bonafide legends who have contributed to the scene of electronica, few have done more than Giorgio. So you can imagine the pride I feel to be able to include his name on a compilation.
While Timeless was going on, I simultaneously had the chance to remix the title track of Giorgio’s album, Deja Vu. This of course wouldn’t be the first time I would remix Sia, having done one for her track Buttons many years ago.
Her vocals on Deja Vu are incredible, and it’s one of those tracks that will captivate you from first listen. It’s full of beautiful layers of grooves and melodies, and is a vital piece of disc 1 one on the compilation.
Hopefully the remix reflects well on the original!
More details about Coldharbour artists revealed next page
