Interviews

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[Last update: June 29th 2023]

They don't like interviews as they believe their music should do all the talking. Yet, the Rank 1 gents have been courteous enough to answer more than a few questions over the years. Here's a list with interviews. There are a few in Dutch, I'll try to translate those in English as soon as I get the chance. Until then, you'll have to do with the ones I listed here. Enjoy the read!
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Barend & Benner interview Benno de Goeij for "Bandje, Besta Je Nog?"
2023 | June 27th | by Barend & Benner


[Transcription by Razormane:]
Presenter 1: RANK 1!!!!
Other Presenters: Woooooooh!
Presenter 1: Bennooooooooo!
Benno de Goeij: Good afternoon!

Presenter 1: Benno, good afternoon, such cheerfulness! For the ones that are thinking "de Goeij, de Goeij... Wasn't that the Feyenoord goalie??"
Benno: Yeah, I've heard that one before.

Presenter 1: We have an absolute legend on the phone here, this is insane. Just to indicate what you are capable of: what are the things you are responsible for in your career, you don't have to mention everything but could you give us some examples in a nutshell?
Benno: Oof, well it really is a lot... If I look back I think I've made, co-produced about 500 tracks in total. The most famous one I think is the Rank 1 remix we did for Cygnus - Superstring, Airwave, Such Is Life... Those were the heydays of Rank 1 so to speak. But next to that I also did plenty of other things.

Presenter 1: Actually you are the musical mastermind behind the phenomenon known as Armin van Buuren, right?
Benno: No, no, no!

Presenter 2: Yeeeeees!
Benno: No, no, no!

Presenter 1: Let the man answer the question himself! [others laugh] Yeah, come on!
Benno: You know what's fun? With Armin I just have this really fun bond on a musical level. We can write music together and that started back in 2008. And it just works amazingly well! But it's not like I am a sort of ghostproducer for him because he makes his tracks by himself and I have nothing to do with that [Armin's own input]. When we are in the studio together we have this sort of magic between us... It's kind of like.. 1+1=3!

Presenter 1: Let's talk about Rank 1 for a moment. An absolute Trance Titan with worldwide prestige to them. But obviously that had an origin somewhere. How did it come to be?
Benno: Yes, so Rank 1 is a duo I formed with Piet Bervoets who was the music partner I started out with. If I recall correctly, at the time we had many projects for many labels going, all with different aliases and titles. So at some point we were sitting down with someone, Dick de Groot, and he wanted us to make another track and so we did. I think this was The Citrus Juicer, the very first Rank 1. And from there on out we carried on as such and within no time it became really big, really fast! Airwave followed up pretty quickly...

Presenter 1: But what is "really big"? Because you guys were at the forefront of that infamous Trance wave, weren't you?
Benno: Yeah but back in the day I didn't see it as a big deal. Not at first-

Presenter 1: You could only see the first two lines of people in front of you [other presenter laugh] or something like that?
Benno: Hahaha! You just make some music and at some point your music becomes succssessfull but you aren't really aware of it at first. I mean, I wasn't present at all the venues where that track was being dropped, you see? But at some point, in the States, eh no sorry not the States, in England, Airwave would really blow up and that's the moment I realized "Oh... This is kind of special I think!"

Presenter 2: Was it always your goal to become a DJ/producer or did you initially have a different plan to earn your money?
Benno: Well, it was kind of a coincidence really... I ran into Piet, he said he made music. This was at a birthday so I asked him how he goes about it. I myself play the piano so I am very curious how you work. He told me to drop by sometime so I did. So I came by and started jamming those keys and he was like "eeeh let's do a little less of that" but it didn't take long for it to sound like an acceptable track to be dropped. And from there on out it kind of took on a life of its own. Curiously, Trance wasn't that popular yet at the time, so yeah it was kind of happened at the right time!

Presenter 3: And back then you were still attending school or what were you up to exactly?
Benno: What was I up to back then? I think I was still studying at the HTS [polytechnic education] but I quickly dropped out from there! [presenters laugh]

Presenter 1: Yeah but of course! Worldwide... From Texel to South-East Sulawesi, you've spun pretty much everywhere I would say?
Benno: Well, I have to say PIET is the one that would always spin tracks, but we did do Live shows together.

Presenter 1: And why was that, didn't you feel comfortable on top of a podium or?
Benno: Weeeeeell... Yeah maybe that's a part of it. But in a very distant past I used to DJ as well and... Well I suppose I could tell you about it now. I stopped doing it back when we performed in Tokyo. That night we would do a live performance and we would do a b2b DJ set and during that set I accidentally took off the wrong needle, the needle that was on the track that was playing. And that was the moment I decided "I am never doing this again"! [presenters gasp]

Presenter 3: That sounds like a nightmare!
Presenter 1: But Benno... Yeah, it is a nightmare but I also made that mistake like 80 times. Just keep going!
Benno: Hahaha yeah but you see! A real DJ keeps going, and someone who is like "I am more of a producer guy" will quit. And so I quit. But I do have to add, the live performances are something we kept doing a lot after that anyway and it's really cool to play your own music inside of a large hall full of fans... It's just fantastic.

Presenter 1: Legends worldwide, amazingly put together, made a lot of beautiful stuff... The big question "Do you still exist, wee band?" in this case is "Rank 1, do you still exist??"
Benno: Well, actually we do!

Presenter 1: That's great!
Benno: I say "actually" because we haven't released that much anymore in recent times. Piet still spins every now and then but... Coincidentially, last week Armin, Ferry, Ruben de Ronde and I did something really cool together and made the A State Of Trance Anthem for 2024 which will take place in the Ahoy... And that will once again feature the name "Rank 1"!

[Abrupt end to clip]
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Team Kidson interviews Piet Bervoets from Rank 1 (30 Years Of Techno Club)
2014 | December | By Team Kidson
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In Conversation With @rank1official On The Release Of The 21st Century Remix of the Classic 'Airwave'
2014 | September 18th | by Party Time Magazine

http://www.partytimemagazine.com/Blog/Post/2053/In-Conversation-With-@rank1official-On-The-Release-Of-The-21st-Century-Remix-of-the-Classic-%27Airwave%27-
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Gold Pass For Rank 1
2014 | June 20th | by Afra Naushad Ali Khan
http://verse69.com/gold-pass-rank-1/

Piet Bervoets, one-half of the acclaimed Dutch Trance act, Rank 1, gets tongue-rolling for a rare backstage interview. This one goes into dance music news’ golden archive!

Afra: You’ve had some pretty massive hits in your tune bag over the years. What does that kind of success mean to you?
Piet: The thing is you do what you like, whether it’s making music or playing as a DJ. It’s wonderful if people buy your music because they like it and come to your shows. God bless us DJs.

Afra: You and Benno have your music duties very clearly defined. Benno takes care of production duties while you get to famously be the globe-trotting DJ. Do you ever feel like wanting to swap places when you’re bored?
Piet: No, it’s never like that. But Benno sometimes talks to me about deejaying and I talk to him about producing. So it’s very decided, but still mixed up.

Afra: You’ve been in the music business so long…
Piet: Yeah…yeah…don’t talk about it… 

Afra: What do you think about the state of productions in the mainstream dance music industry at this point in time?
Piet: The thing is music is about personal taste. You cannot say that this music is bad or this music is good. It’s always personal. Well what we do we still like it, and that’s the most important thing. If it’s trance or not, we really don’t know. To be honest, I really don’t know what’s going on in the Trance scene, but it’s changing all the time and that’s good. 

Afra: What do you miss most while travelling constantly?
Piet: Solid ground. I don’t miss much about home. We’re used to a life like this.

Afra: Your records in the past have been inspired by classical music. Who’s your favourite?
Piet: I like Four Seasons, Vivaldi.

Afra: What are you listening to these days?
Piet: Everything from Iron Maiden to The Cranberries.

Afra: Passion or ambition?
Piet: Passion.

Afra: The biggest lesson you’ve learnt the hard way in the industry?
Piet: Being too good and too friendly. Sometimes it doesn’t work. It’s a learning process.  
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TranceFix talks to Rank 1 & Dennis Sheperd about ‘Freudenrausch’ and beyond
2014 | March 20th | by Tim Stark
http://www.trancefix.nl/content.php?1349-TranceFix-talks-to-Rank-1-Dennis-Sheperd-about-%91Freudenrausch%92-And-Beyond&s=f0cb216ca633f74dad1e7c7e41c71a2a

N/A
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Big Bang Drop - Dance Music Is Becoming Global
2013 | October | by Big Bang Drop
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:sDRz0GfQlQsJ:www.thebigbangdrop.com/interviews+&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=nl 

N/A
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Hindustan Times - Rank 1 interview
2013 | October 7th | by Usmeet Kauer

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/1131927.aspx#

N/A
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DMC World Magazine - Rank 1 interview

2012 | November 22nd | by DMC World Magazine
http://www.dmcworld.net/features/entry/features/rank-1

The Dutch trance superstars playing the numbers game…

DMCW: Piet, Benno welcome to DMCWORLD towers. A real honour to have you gracing these pages as I know you are not a fan of interviews. I read one from you guys from a while back where you answered a serious question on ‘what is your favourite piece of technology?’. You answered ‘The vacuum cleaner’. So fingers crossed for this one! We had to grab you for the magazine due to your ADE BUZZ Chart smash ‘7 Instead of 8′. Loads of comments flying about from your fan base including “at last – a proper trance journey’, ‘finally innovation in the trance scene’ and ‘the progression if too perfect’. Kind words. Talk us through the tune…
Rank 1: “Hi DMCWORLD! Yeah the great responses took us by surprise, actually we were a bit anxious since it is kind of a different track. First of all because it’s 7 times a 4/4 beat instead of the usual 8 (hence the title) The main idea is to go back to the era where stories were told. Something we missed and we longed back for. But it’s awesome to see so many listeners feel the same.”
 
DMCW: It’s exciting times for dance music with America now finally showing their muscle. What were your thoughts on Sander Van Doorn signing to Jay Z’s Roc Nation and a certain US company trying to buy the Sensation brand for a cool $100 million?
Rank 1: “We could not believe it! But then again it proves that the power of dance music lasts longer than just a decade or two. It’s here to stay! Subgenre’s may come and go, but like rock it’s gonna be around for a while.”
 
DMCW: You have one of the most unique production partnerships on the planet, Piet you hit the road DJing all over the world whilst Benno prefers studio life cooking up your next masterpiece. I do remember you once saying though that you are worse than a couple who’ve been married for 50 years arguing as there is no middle ground between you two, you either agree on something or don’t….
Rank 1: “True!!  What was the question again? But seriously, we do have an overlap, and one of them is how we feel music should sound. We like a certain power in the bottom end, and we are quite specific about it.”
 
Piet, what is the current top 10 you are spinning?
Piet: Rank 1 - 7 Instead Of 8
Dennis Sheperd - Edge Of The World
Delerium feat Sarah McLachlan - Silence (W&W & Jonas Stenberg Remix)
Ben Gold feat. The Glass Child - Fall With Me
Lange - We Are Lucky People
Dash Berlin feat. Emma Hewitt - Waiting (W&W Remix)
Orjan Nilsen - Filty Fandango
Andy Moor feat. Sue McLaren - Trespass (Antillas & Dankann Club Mix)
Aruna - Save The Day (Tom Fall Remix)
Cosmic Gate feat. Emma Hewitt - Calm Down (Omnia Remix)
 
DMCW: You moved away from the big trance sound when everyone followed you with similar tracks. Dance music is about always evolving - what direction will you be taking your sound over the next 12 months?
Rank 1: “We long for the days where we just did something, not competing with our colleagues. Back in the day we could do just about anything because it was new. Also trance music evolved from long melodies into more compact easier melodies like for example L.E.D. There Be Light. But at this stage we would like to go back and have the accent more in arrangements and hypnotic flow, and that’s what we would definitely want to do more in 2013. As a matter of fact, we just  finished a collab with M.I.K.E. / Push known for his classics in the ’99 trance era. We got this suggestion by one of our followers and in 11 days we made a complete oldskool trance track that has just that feeling. So more of that is definitely to come!”
 
DMCW: Who are the artists you are listening away from dance music at the moment?
Rank 1: “As a matter of fact we are not the type of guys that have trance music played around all day. To be honest, hearing a DJ set in a club or festival has so much more edge because a whole story is told. But Benno likes to listen to Coldplay and Snow Patrol and Piet likes the Cranberries and Michael Jackson.”
 
DMCW: We were inside the main room at Trance Energy when the doors had to be closed due to the amount of people trying to get in to see you. What have been the best festivals of 2012 for you, you have been busy in the States…
Rank 1: “We really love EDC New York and EDC Las Vegas, unfortunately Las Vegas had to stop earlier than expected because of heavy winds in the valley. When you see a whole stage moving because of the wind, it gets pretty scary. Also we really enjoyed the live sets on Nature One and  Sunrise festival this year.”

DMCW: ‘7 Instead of 8’ is your first solo single in a long time. Does that mean you have a cellar full of tunes ready to blow? What’s coming next from the mighty Rank 1 vault?
Rank 1: “You can expect more stuff after the release of the track with M.I.K.E.  We have indeed have quite some ideas lying around, but as a matter of fact most of the time it’s an internal need that brings out a track in no time. It’s like wanting that car you have layed your eyes on for a while, you will feel restless until you are able to buy it. That’s exactly how we feel with ideas in our brains that need to get out…”
 
DMCW: Who are the producers from around the world you are giving fives to at the moment?
Rank 1: “Orjan Nilsen is throwing in his Norwegian feelings right now. Played by a lot of jocks around the world including us.”
 
DMCW: ‘Airwave’ was a colossal hit all around the world – where was the strangest place you heard the record played?
Rank 1: “It’s not exactly a place but when you are in a club and somebody comes to you and tells you that the song played (in this case it was Airwave) is the best he ever heard and that Airwave was the thing that got him into EDM, that is really funny to hear especially when the guy didn’t know that he was telling his story to one of the guy’s who produced the song.”
 
DMCW: Are you happy to be tagged as trance music’s version of Daft Punk?
Rank 1: “We’d feel honored if you could compare us to Daft Punk, since we are big admirers of their sound and their way they bring their music. They really understand the ‘trick’ which music in essence is. And they know how to do that trick harder better and faster. Should we change our name into Rank Punk?”
 
DMCW: Ha ha! Like it. You have been at the top of your game for over a decade now. What are your thoughts on all of these 15 year old wonder kids now producing No. 1 records in their lunch breaks? Is it too easy to make music these days?
Rank 1: "What could not be great about youngsters making good music?!  Making music is easy, making it sound very good is a little harder, improving yourself over and over again is the most challenging, and somebody succeeds at the age of 15 we can only take our hats off to.”
 
DMCW: Benno – when was the last time you had a great night out in a club?
Benno: “My studio probably won’t count, right? It sounds like a club though, even at night haha. But serious it’s been a while. I do have a night out planned in two weeks to see Boyz Noyz. I’m not such a regular clubber like I used to. But tbh I like festivals better for diversity in sound.”
 
DMCW: And finally, it may not be good for your images, but Rank 1 really love…
Rank 1: “Playing chess when nobody is around.”
 
http://www.rank-1.com
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Trance Nation - Rank 1 interview
2011 | July 28th | by Lucy
http://www.ministryofsound.com/lifestyle/blog/tags/1083/rank-1/
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Rank 1 To Perform at Euphoria By Ministry of Sound
2011 | April 3rd | by Simon Lee & Alvin
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150199747996018
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Rank 1 interview
2011 | February 9th | by Nonstop2k
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PyCR0wlgJTAJ:blog.nonstop2k.com/2011/02/rank-1- interview.html+Interview+with+Benno+de+Goeij&cd=21&hl=nl&ct=clnk&gl=nl&source=www.google.nl
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Rank 1 interview for ASOT #450
2010 | April 3rd | by Armin van Buuren
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Trancemission Pre-party on PIK-TV with Ronski Speed, Dash Berlin & Rank 1
2009 | December 14th | by DJ Feel 
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Rank 1 Exclusive interview with the Virtual Music Magazine 09
2009 | September 18th | by Virtual Music Magazine
http://www.casttv.com/video/bhdq16/vmm-rank1-exclusive-interview-with-the-virtual-music-magazine-09-video
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Down The Pub With... Rank 1!
2009 | March 18th | by Tim Stark (Trance.nu)
http://trance.nu/v4/interviews/dtpmwr1

Piet's the DJ, Benno's the producer, and between them they’ve been flooding our floors with mind-melting productions and performances since ‘Airwave’s stadium-sized sound opened the batting 10 years ago. We got them 'Down The Pub' in order to get to know the personalities and preferences behind the music-makers!

Trance.nu: So Gents, welcome to Bar Nu! Dump jackets, pull up a stool and tell us what your poison is?
Piet: All my friends know it: Coke without ice
Benno: A cup of coffee please, I just got out of bed!

Trance.nu: Right oh, yer big pair of lightweights…! Let’s get stuck into the question pile. First up, your country’s greatest sporting moment or glory, what was it?
Piet: Holland winning the European championship in 1988.
Benno: Marco van Basten's winning goal for the Netherlands is indeed my moment too. I'm not so much of a sports or television kind of guy though, only when the pride of the country is at stake.

Trance.nu: Oh yes… we remember that well. The hat-trick that put England in the quarter final; 20+ years and I remember it like it was yesterday! Let’s move on before I start weeping like a baby! What television show can’t you go a week without watching?
Piet: It’s a Dutch TV Show called ‘Jiskefet’
Benno: Currently that would be ‘Lost’. I normally don't watch that much television and I hadn't seen one episode till my girlfriend introduced me to it last year. In one month I caught up on all 4 seasons - very nice way to get the answers to cliffhangers right away! The downside is that now I have to get used to the waiting for the next episode every week.

Trance.nu: All well and good. For me, I just hope there’s a damned good explanation to the whole affair at the end! Sticking with moving pictures, what was the last film you saw?
Piet: ‘Along Came Polly’.
Benno: The Pursuit Of Happiness; great film! It shows that persistence and sacrifices eventually lead to success and happiness (with an 'i'!). The fact that Will Smith’s own son is playing the son in the movie gives it an extra twist. But this story actually reminds a bit of me starting to make music. I had no money at all and the money I did get I invested in equipment to make music. I didn't have to sleep in toilets though, thank god!

Trance.nu: Let’s move over to reading material Complete the following sentence: the greatest living author is:
Benno: Philip Newell. Lazy as I am when it comes to reading that's a hard one! I never have free time to read fiction because I often see it as a waste of time where I can do more useful things. So when I do read a book, it's often science or audio related. Philip’s book ‘Recording Studio Design’ covers all aspects of sound waves travelling through space in a step by step manner. Not a good recommendation if you like cliffhangers at the end though!
Piet: DAN BROWN

Trance.nu: The first record you bought… what was it?
Piet: Samantha Fox - ‘Touch Me’ (heh, it was for the cover…)
Benno: You are really testing my (awfully bad) memory here, but the one that I can remember is Los Lobos' La Bamba’. I don't know why the hell I liked it though!

Trance.nu: The record that made me want to become a DJ was……………
Piet: Confetti's - ‘Sound Of C’
Benno: I don't DJ, but it would certainly be one of those early house records like Manix - ‘88 to piano’, DHS - ‘House of God’, KLF's ‘What Time Is Love’

Trance.nu: All fine tunes! Now then, time to test the old grey brain cells, so... wakarimasu! What languages do you speak fellas?
Piet: Dutch, English, German and a little bit of French
Benno: The same goes for me, but I did some Greek and Latin in high school too (it was either those two or economics or geography which I find even more boring). I can't speak those of course, but I can read Italian and Spanish too. And when playing live in Kiev I found out that I could actually read some Cyrillic stuff to. It's quite stupid actually reading the word 'phone booth’ can make you happy while it's quite obvious what you are dealing with in the first place!

Trance.nu: Impressive! Now wearing sunglasses indoors: is it ever acceptable?
Benno: Sure why not!? Those blinders at the big festivals should indeed be prohibited! But seriously, I don't mind. As long as people are having a good time I don't bother.
Piet: NOOOOOO!!

Trance.nu: That does prove to be the more popular answer amongst our respondents, Piet. Now… motors! What’s your dream car and what colour are you having it in?
Piet: Chrysler 300C Hemi 5.7 Litres Automatic, colour would be grey.
Benno: Actually that would be a white Audi A5! But since I have a dog and take flight cases on the way to the airport once in a while as well, I doubt that's ever gonna happen though.

Trance.nu: We’d take either of those too! Let’s talk vacation time, are you guys the backpacking round Tibet or a sun, sea & sand-type holidaymakers?
Piet: Definitely the sun type!
Benno: I do like to be in the sun at a nice beach, but for no more than three days. In fact anything that is the same for three days will bore me. The one exception is a car trip through the Canyons. Driving 1200 miles for 5 days is no punishment at all! Having been to lots of places in the world I haven't seen a lot yet except airports hotels and big venues. Tibet is surely a place I would like to say I’ve have seen in my life.

Trance.nu: Video game maniac or do you prefer life in the real world? 
Piet: Bit of both.
Benno: Real world. And it's not because I don't like to play games, it's because of it! I can really get lost and addicted and would like to prevent that. I have been hooked up to games like Tomb Raider and online rapid chess games, but to be honest it was quite unhealthy. I do like to play a game or two, like PES or Buzz, but more with friends to compete and have a good laugh.

Trance.nu: Who would you like to shake vigorously by the hand?!
Piet: Anyone who is friendly to me.
Benno: The Dalai Lama. I really admire his thoughts, calmness and fulfilling of his task. But Chris Martin comes to a close second; there is no better band than Coldplay!!

Trance.nu: What’s your current ‘hot button’ world topic?
Piet: Financial Crisis
Benno: Please spare me, not those words again!!! You can't turn on a TV without hearing them…. Arrrgghhh! Good one Piet! Okay another one then. "Analog" is one for me. It most of the time evokes the famous-and-everlasting-Analogue-is-so-much-better war. Armin and I were walking in a vinyl store on Melrose Street LA last year when were killing some time before the big NYE party. And we were in awe how much this guy had collected. But when talking to him we unwantedly got dragged into such a purist discussion and we had to leave because it there can be no winner!

Trance.nu: What’s going on your gravestone?
Piet: GRAVE 1!
Benno: Until we meet again! I don't believe the light will fade out when I die, I am pretty sure we are here to learn and I feel I haven't learnt a thing yet so chances are quite high that I will be back again one day!

Plug your latest single/album/comp or gig here in 50 words or less!
Our latest single ‘L.E.D. There Be Light is out now with mixes from Wippenberg, Marcel Woods and ourselves. End of March a few new mixes will be available for the Australian edition of Trance Energy. Also worth checking is the new Trance Energy compilation which is mixed by John O ‘Callaghan and us.

And and and… expect more material from us this year!

Written by:
Tim Stark
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Rank 1 Mix With Talla 2XLC On Techno Club Volume 28
2008 | December 8th | by i:vibes
http://www.ivibes.nu/index.php?article=5496
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EXCLUSIVE VMM Audio interview with DJ/Producers Rank 1
2008 | September 2nd | by Virtual Music Magazine
http://www.virtualmusicmagazine.com/vmm-interviews/audio-interviews?mid=12042
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Rank 1 brengt 'High Contrast presents: Rank 1' uit [DUTCH]
2008 | July 9th | by Roy Laros
http://www.studenten.net/entertainment/interviews/6236/rank_1_brengt_high_contrast_presents_rank_1_uit
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Interview met Piet en Benno van Rank 1 [DUTCH]
2008 | June 20th | by Mark van Dorresteijn
http://www.studenten.net/entertainment/muziek/5746/we_delen_handtekeningen_uit_alsof_we_justin_timberlake_zijn
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Rank 1 Interview (2008)
2008 | June 5th | by frombeyond (Trance.nu)
http://trance.nu/v4/interviews/rank-one-interview
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Interview met Piet Bervoets van Rank 1 - Een gezelligheidsdier met een muzikaal hart [DUTCH]
2007 | ??? | by Judge Guido | Translated by Razormane
https://web.archive.org/web/20130327031639/http://www.betribes.com/articles/interview-met-piet-bervoets-van-rank-1-een-gezelligheidsdier-met-een-muzikaal-hart-0

[b]Als de ene helft van Rank 1 heeft Piet Bervoets (37) een glanzende muzikale carrière opgebouwd. Hij draaide in topclubs in binnen- en buitenland, en produceerde samen met Benno de Goeij tal van hits waaronder Airwave (1999) dat als thema van het eerste Innercity feest werd verkozen Such is Life (2001) en Awakenings (2002). Judge Guido zocht Piet op en vroeg hem het hemd van het lijf.[/b]

So how did you end up in the music business?
Op mijn twaalfde kreeg ik twee draaitafels waarop ik swingbeat begon te mixen, een muziekvorm die het beste kan worden omschreven als snelle hiphop met funky invloeden. Eind jaren tachtig switchte ik echter naar techno en in dat genre produceerde ik 1991 met een vriend tevens mijn eerste plaat, Dyewitness. In de jaren daarna, tot 1996, voerden anderen zaken dan muziek de boventoon. Zo deed ik zes jaar Meao overigens niet afgemaakt vervulde mijn diensttijd en werkte een tijdje bij een benzinepomp langs de snelweg. In 1996 kwam ik Benno de Goeij tegen op een verjaardagsfeestje en samen stichtten we Rank 1.

Why did you guys chose the name "Rank 1"?
We thought it would be funny to be ranked #1 with a project called "Rank 1".

How would you describe your sound?
Music that I like myself and whether that's labeled by others as Tech Trance, Pop Trance or Lego Trance, I don't really care. I don't like to pigeonhole things.

What are three of the weirdest things that have happened to you during a performance?
Ik heb in Mexico twee keer meegemaakt dat een dame na een live set op haar knieën ging en me ten huwelijk vroeg. Een ander raar moment was toen een van de monitorspeakers van het podium afrolde omdat die veel te hard stond, en ik heb ook eens meegemaakt dat ik midden in een set door de opdrachtgever werd verzocht om te stoppen. Ik draaide namelijk geen top 40 muziek en dat terwijl ik wel met een plaat in de top 40 stond. Puur een boekingsfout dus.

In Mexico I twice had a lady come over to me after a live performance, sink to her knees and ask me to marry her. Another weird moment was when one of the speakers rolled off stage because the music was too loud. And there was this one time where the person who booked me asked me to stop playing: I wasn't playing any Top 40 hits despite having a track in the Top 40 myself. You could say they had booked the wrong guy.

Who is your favorite DJ?
That would be Tiësto: Not so much because of his style or choice in music but because of how he revolutionized our profession. He turned the DJ phenomenon into an actual artist. Thanks to him a DJ is no longer someone who just spins records, now they have their own studios, run their own labels and perform their own shows.

What is your favorite club?
The Government in Toronto. It can host 7000 people and their light and sound equipment is phenomenal.

What is the crowd like over there?
Incredible really, 9 out of 10 times they let me close the night because people keep sticking around until I've done my set. It's because they never know what I'm going to play, it could be Tech Trance like set one night but the next it could be a more dreamy uplifting one.

Can you mention the craziest place you'd like to perform?
Just like Tiesto I would like to fill the Gelredome to the max with a solo show.

Imagine you could teach one person in the world to DJ, who would that be and why?
My dad, the questions he asks sometimes betray that he has no clue what he is talking about. He has the audacity to ask me what kind of professions the people attending my sets have...

What is the first record you ever bought?
Samantha Fox -Touch me. It wasn't so much about the music but because she looked so attractive on the sleeve.

Which track would you pick for your funeral?
That would be Instant Moments, a production with which Benno and I were ahead of our time. It would have to be the Radio Edit though, otherwise the people attending that don't like dance music would get very bored.

How much do you and Benno differ personality-wise?
I am a really easy person whereas Benno is very difficult. That makes it quite challenging to find a middle road, but we always manage to find one in the end.

What is the idea behind your latest track Top gear (2005)?
Well initially it was only intended to be a surprise track for a Trance Energy live performance. However, the reactions to it were so positive that we decided to turn it into a whole track and release it on vinyl. Top Gear is one of my personal favorites because it's a technically well-built track: there are a lot of tempo shifts and the melodies don't quite flow like they usually do in Trance.

What is your strongest trait?
I have a positive attitude towards life.

And what is your weakest?
I can be a bit lazy sometimes.

How is your love life?
Not that great at the moment since I am getting divorced.

What was your last fight with Benno about?
Benno accused me of not doing my best to stay up to date with the latest developments in dance music. According to him I would only buy new music once a month instead of every week but I actually do buy new tracks every week.

Do you believe in life after death?
Nope.

What kind of cellphone do you have?
Nokia N73.

Which animal reminds you of yourself the most?
My brown labrador because he always cozies up to me. I am just as cozy as he is.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I am crazy about boardgames, I like to play chess every Thursday night and once every two weeks me and my friends go out for bowling. I also regularly play squash.

What's your bowling high score?
201

What are your plans for the future?
I want to keep DJing for a few more years but to make sure I don't fall into the emptiness that will follow after that, I've started a pet crematorium in Numansdorp. I've bought an appartment which will serve as a horse crematorium and horse barn.

Anything else you would like to add?
When you have problems, solve them and don't make them worse than they are.
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Rank 1 INTERVIEW // Bring On The London Sound Clash!!
2006 | January 10th | by Matt Kaycee and Kriess Guyte
http://www.dontstayin.com/uk/london/heaven/2006/feb/10/article-1211
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Toronto Night Club interview with Rank 1!
2006 | February 3rd | by Rhue
http://www.torontonightclub.com/board/showthread.php?t=15457
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Rank 1 keeps the party going [Translated by Razormane]
2005 | March 2nd | by Jeroen Berkenbosch

People having the night of their lives: Hands in the air, dancing and enjoying the music. This is the scenario during Rank  1’s performances. Piet Bervoets and Benno de Goeij are the producers behind Rank 1. They’ve had many higlights in  their carreer already. One of their latest tracks, a big Trance Energy hit named ‘Beats At Rank-1 Dotcom’ is known by many.  It has been the highest noted Dutch track in almost every European dance-chart. But eventhough they are a famous name in the Trance scene the guys behind Rank 1 remain ordinary people.

Piet: We aren’t gods but ordinary people. So people can just act normal towards us. You don’t have to call me ‘sir’.

What is Rank 1 doing at the moment?

Piet: I’m very busy at the moment. I don’t spend much time at home and I have a lot of performances. At this very  moment we’re working on two new tracks for our new album. One of them is going to be called ‘Opus 17’, for the other we don’t have a name yet since we’re still working on it.

What does Rank 1 do daily? 

Piet: I’m never at home during weekends. I’m the DJ of Rank 1 and as a result I have to travel a lot. As you can see,  music is very much involved in my daily life. Next weekend I have to go to Middelstum and afterwards to Rotterdam. The weekend after that I’ll be in America. Throughout the week I try to answer as much fanmail as possible since the  mailbox will be full again after a few days without emptying it. In the mean time, I try to enjoy life as much as possible.

Piet Bervoets thinks their greatest hit is their track ‘Airwave’.  

Piet: ‘Airwave’ is a track that will never grow old. This is a track we do not have to be ashamed of.

The track got worldwide fame and even got them a golden record in the Netherlands. Piet: In Engeland the track got a lot of airplay as well. It was a big hit here too.

Nowadays, this track is considered one of the biggest classics in the trance scene. Rank 1 made one artist album  entitled ‘Symsonic’, the second is being developed as we speak. 

Piet: Rank 1 music has always been classically influenced. Benno is the maestro behind the piano: he is capable of  playing entire classical pieces from the top of his head. Because of his piano skills, our music is unique. I take care of the other sounds in our music. It’s always funny to hear people say they recognize our melodies from somewhere  but this is caused by the classically inspired tones: our tracks are self made productions with an own style. We remain  ourselves in our daily lives as well as in our music.  We have noticed that Hardstyle is currently booming in the  Netherlands but we try to remain ourselves, our music is more Trance based.

Rank 1 is familiar with Groningen. 

Piet: I’ve been there a few times including for a gig at a school where I was only allowed to play for 45 minutes unfortunately.

The name Sunsation reminds Piet of Sensation. That tonight will be a fabulous sensational show is assured with the way  in which Rank 1 intends to carry the party on.
Piet: I will definitely keep the party going after 4 Strings. Of course I will read the crowd and react to them with Trance records. What people won’t need to expect from me is Hardstyle. This is not my thing but luckily Sunsation has  a separate stage for that.

Is there also a ritual you conduct prior to a Rank 1 gig?
Piet: What I usually do first is examine the room to pick up the taste of the crowd: I usually play close attention to  what the DJ before me drops and to what the crowd reacts enthusiastically. I also think it’s proper for a DJ to appear  at least an hour before your gig to show yourself. I don’t like just showing myself during my gig; it will seem as if  I’m only there for the money. But that’s not true, I also like the good atmosphere as well as the contact with people  before and after the gig. In Middelstum I won’t be able to hang around this time. I need to move on to gig in  Rotterdam right away afterwards.

Which event did you enjoy the most?
Piet: Every event leaves a memory of its own, these are always tough questions. I just had a tour in Australia where I was  allowed to do five gigs. The fact that you are in Australia is special in its own way. Trance Energy was amazing too:  the people that come to the event, come for Trance specifically: it’s a lot easier to react to the crowd there since  they love every record you drop. Then there is the live performance, always much fun to do. It does take a lot of  preparation to do but it does amount to something worthwhile. After a performance it gives a great feeling to be able  to tell each other: that went well!

If you had to choose between the three following statements: innovative, passion or music of an own kind… Which of the  three do you think is most applicable to Rank 1?
Piet: That’s a tough choice. I can’t choose between them but I can finish with the following: we try to incorporate passion  into our music, allowing us to make innovative music which you will be able to hear on our new album where you will  find tracks we made on our own accord. Our own kind of music.

Rank 1 has to travel more than 200 kilometers to reach Middelstum, but we’ll be seeing him during the Rabo Dance  Event. Saturday the 16th of April we will be allowed to admire Rank 1 between 00:00 - 02:00 on the Transation Area stage.
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Rank 1 Interview (2004)
2004 | June 11th | by Tim & Twan (Trance.nu)
https://web.archive.org/web/20160803212310/http://trance.nu/v4/interviews/rank-1-interview-2004

Airwave, Such Is Life, Symsonic, their remix of Cygnus X, Sensation The Anthem 2003, Mac J, The Quest, Carlos... In all these aliases, Piet Bervoets or Benno de Goeij had a big part of the production. Together they are known as the succesfull duo Rank 1. They debuted with the Citrus Juicer and Black Snow, but the Rank 1 alias really smashed the scene with the track Airwave, the themesong of the second edition of Innercity '99. Worldwide the track got played and follow-ups like Such Is Life and Symsonic reached charts worldwide. Now they are back with a just released mix album called ID&T; presents Rank 1.. new tracks can be found on the album including the firmer trance track with techy sides: Beats At Rank-1.com. Trance.nu travelled to the studio at a hot day, grabbed a beer and we sat down in the sun for a talk with this legendary duo...

Trance.nu: Welcome to this interview guys, how’s life?
Benno: yeah great, fantastic weather here now!
Piet: busy now again interviewing :-)

Trance.nu: The most important thing about this interview is ofcourse that you guys released a mix-album. How come this idea got realised?
Piet: I spin now for like 3 to 4 years as Rank 1. Benno does not really like to spin so I do it alone. We just had the thought: humm, it might be fun to do that once. Ofcourse u can release a mixalbum to earn money, but that’s not the right motivation. We did it for the fans and we are very happy with it.

Trance.nu: U have selected the track yourselves. Do you guys have the same taste in music?
Benno: In general yes, but not always! Sometimes Piet comes around with records which I really like, but sometimes he takes stuff home which I think of: hmmm, not for me please.

Trance.nu: How did the mixing go?
Benno: Very simple haha, Piet mixes the records and it is recorded. Ofcourse we have cut here and there, because time is limited.

Trance.nu: The album also features two new tracks from you. Mac J is another real Rank 1 party track, while Beats At Rank-1.com is somewhat firmer. Will you guys vary in sounds from now on?
Piet: You have to realise that if we take the Airwave string again and we just make a new melody of it that people will get sick of it. We just tried something different, some will love it, others not. I think you have to look further then just the usual string.

Trance.nu: And other genres then trance for example?
Benno: I love breakbeats so yeah, some breakbeats might come along in the future.

Trance.nu: Breaks@Rank-1.com?
Benno: Haha, yeah could be!!

Trance.nu: You guys released the album Symsonic some time ago. Recently three tracks of that album have been released as a vinyl sampler. What can we expect from productions in the near future?
Benno: Beats At Rank-1.com will get a release which will probably be an AA-side, so we will put another track on that vinyl. And we will continue on to make other new records and then we will go to a second album I think.

Trance.nu: And what about remixes, solo projects and other collaborations?
Piet: The latest collaboration we did is Mac J ofcourse, thats not only Rank 1, but a friend of ours has joined that project as well, who comes with ideas for the project. I personally don’t have time for solo projects, I think that maybe Benno will do something, because he hangs around here in the studio in the weekend as well. The latest remix we have done is Angel City - Touch Me for the Ministry Of Sound label.

Trance.nu: And any news about collaborations maybey, we heard the name Ronald van Gelderen?
Benno: Let’s say that we are always willing to listen and share thoughts with others. On the first place stands that it must be cool to hang around with each other. We don’t have any definitive dates about what and when is going to happen, but I think soon enough something will happen. And if nothing happens then you won’t hear about it * laughs * It’s always good fun with Ronald van Gelderen, but we gotta await if it’s going to be a real collaboration in the future.

Trance.nu: We will see….And eventually a second album?
Benno: We are working thowards it, but we don’t have it ready as we speak at the moment. We have alot of ideas though, but not finished yet.

Trance.nu: What do you guys use to produce tracks?
Piet: A keyboard
Benno: In the past we only used synthesizers, real hardware. But nowadays you can do so many stuff with software, that we use software more and more like softsynths. It’s getting more and more software, like Beats @ Rank-1 that was produced on my laptop, because my computer crashed.

Trance.nu: What is the most important factor for you to produce tracks? The feeling, or the equipment?
Benno: both I think. Without equipment you don’t make stuff, and without ideas you don’t make anything either. But you should first have the idea: i’m gonna make a record in such style. If we don’t have a keypoint like that, then it won’t be anything. And then we use the equipment to see if we can close to the idea.

Trance.nu: What do you think of the current software for producing?
Benno: Great! Very versatile, which sometimes makes it problematic for me sometimes. There are so much possibilities, settings and stuff that it’s sometimes hard to make a choice at all. I think that is the biggest downer of it. For the rest it’s great.
Piet: But we did make a choice, we think Reactor from Native Instruments really has some cool sounds.

Trance.nu: A question for Benno: a new Kamaya Painters is still not planned we guess?
Benno: Haha, yeah I don’t know if you guys interview Tiesto, you should ask him haha. He is busier than I am. Those tracks were made in a time that Tiesto was not as busy as now and he ofcourse has his own style now. I would really like it, but he is busy ofcourse so nothing planned still.

Trance.nu: How was it to co-operate with Tiesto years back?
Benno: It was cool to hang around and that’s my first priority in collaborating and with Tijs it was cool. He did not get #1 DJ in the world for nothing. I noticed he had really good ideas back then already.

Trance.nu: Piet how was the Trance Energy DJ set this year?
Piet: Amazing. It’s awesome to spin your records for a 20.000 people crowd. Some people loved it and some people probably didnt. It’s my task as a DJ to spin in your style a good set.

Trance.nu: Next to spinning records you do sometimes a Rank 1 liveset. What was the best gig ever you did?
Benno: That’s difficult. What was really funny was, was in Japan. The people in Japan are a little different then here. And then we were standing in a club and the people were pretty close, small intimate club. We were finished and we wanted to shake some hands with the crowd, but Piet almost got pulled off the podium. That was funny…But if you mean atmosphere
Piet: That was Trance Energy. There is also a DVD of us with our album and when I watch that, I think it’s awesome.

Trance.nu: This year no Sensation for you, on which big festivals can we see you guys?
Piet: A DJ set on Decibel Outdoor, Defqon, Dance Valley and Mysteryland, these are the big festivals where u can see us for sure.

Trance.nu: Any nice trips to the rest of the world?
Piet: We always have those. I really love Canada, I think it’s great over there. But a good set in Holland is also awesome. Sometimes a booking is less then expected, but sometimes it’s fantastic. But that’s not particular for a country. I think spinning is still fun to do.

Trance.nu: Whats your opinion on the combination internet/music?
Benno: It has two sides. It can promote us very well and on the other side it can damage you. I don’t know the big copy problem comes through the internet. The sales went down though. You can see that as a negative point, but its awesome to see people in Canada and the scene in Canana is rising, because they get in contact with trance music through internet. That’s awesome! Same thing for people from Asia or Brazil. In Brazil for example you can’t find a trance record in the local record store.

Trance.nu: You guys have a website which you are going to expand very soon? What can we expect?
Benno: We didnt do anything for 2,5 years, because someone else made the site and we did not have the source code. It’s the same thing when you buy a car: I’m not gonna refresh the oil, because other people can do it better. But on a certain moment nothing is happening. So i thought, I’m gonna try it myself. We just added a chat for example in the livecam section.

Trance.nu: Which trancetracks are the true classics for you guys?
Benno: I always get this question and I always forget or have no answer..
Piet: Cygnus X - Orange Theme for him!
Benno: Yeah I love that melody, not because we played with that melody as well, but I just love it! But there are so many records I love. Robert Miles - Children is still a fantastic record.
Piet Bervoets: I really like Age Of Love - Age of Love (Jam & Spoon Mix)

Trance.nu: Top 5 tracks of the moment?
Piet: I don’t know exactly. What I do know is that the new Thrillseekers track is magnificent. I think its superb. Benno has not heard it yet, so he can’t judge yet. And also Arctic Quest – Glaze is really good. The rest is on the website. I am very bad in remembering titles. There are alot of cool records nowadays, but also a whole lot of bad ones.

Trance.nu: Whats the funniest story you can tell in your careers this far?
Piet: What is really funny is that Tiesto and Rank 1 were compared as the Frans Bauer of trance music.
Benno: It was meant positive. Like older people still like our music even if they are somewhat older.

Trance.nu: What’s the highlight of your career?
Piet: I think alot of people will say: Airwave was the highlight. Others will say Such Is Life. I don’t think if you can point out a highlight. The way it goes now is very satisfying for us. Benno does more studio work, I love DJ-ing. So the Rank 1 is one big highlight.

Trance.nu: And worst moment?
Both: We don’t have!! * laughs *

Trance.nu: How do you guys see the future of trance?
Piet: I think it is definitly going to change!
Benno: How? Yeah that is difficult to foresee. There is always new stuff coming that influences and combines other stuff and then you have something new. It constantly evolves. The people that influence the scene are the people that are producing the records now, and if the audience likes it, then it will keep going.
Piet: I think the Motorcycle record made a statement in the trance scene and people watch trance with different eyes now. Although Gabriel & Dresden don’t want to call it trance themselves….

Trance.nu: What’s your best own production?
Benno: That one still has to be produced. From my point of view, when I look back at records I think: Yeah, it’s cool, but it still can be better.
Piet: Yeah Benno is really critical. When he made something he says: mwoaah it was cool but it could be much better.

Trance.nu: But your best production till now?
Piet: Hehe, yeah now we are talking.. It’s still difficult, what is meant by “best”. Production technical it’s so difficult to choose. Airwave, Such Is Life are much alike, while Awakening was a little tougher as a production.
Benno: can’t choose either.

Trance.nu: Thanks for this interview, any message for the fans?
Benno: Keep writing you all! We will continue in the future and we hope we can keep pleasing you with out tracks.
Piet: Same message from me.

Trance.nu: Good Luck in the future guys!
Benno & Piet: Thank youuuuu!

Link

This interview was taken bij Tim & Twan.
===============================
Rank 1 video interview after the live performance
2001 | July 7th | by sensationvideo | translated by Razormane

Interviewer: Here they are then, Rank 1! The live act from Sensation...

Interviewer: [Turns to Penny] The live act from Sensation! How are you?
Penny: Of course!

Interviewer: What do you think about your performance here?
Penny: It was the people, the crowd, the people that were all around, I've never seen that many people in one room before-
Interviewer: Really?
Penny: -having an amaaazing time, an amazing time, that was the best bit!

Interviewer: How do you think, how was the reaction from the people on you? 
Penny: Incredible! Incredible... It was like "COME OOOON!" and they were going "WOOOAH!"

Interviewer: Were you nervous? 
Penny: I was excited! I thought I'd be nervous but I wasn't. I was just very, very excited. 

Interviewer: Next is Benno, Benno is one of the producers of Rank 1. Benno, how are things going with Rank 1?
Benno: Well, after a performance like that things couldn't be any better! We've spent so much time working towards this. And, bar a tiny mistake here and there, it all went really well. That's just such a relief... Amazing!

Interviewer: A tiny mistake... Did the audience also notice it was a mistake or were you the only one?
Benno: I think the audience did hear it but... That's the live performance for ya! Sometimes things can go wrong. 

Interviewer: But what is it like for the three of you to be on stage like that, in front of 40.000 people, doesn't that feel surreal?
Benno: Yes, it feels very surreal! I haven't experienced something like that before! I mean, we performed at Trance Energy as well, that was awesome in its own right but this did give me goosebumps! Amazing...

Interviewer: Piet!
Piet: Yes!

Interviewer: You've been busy this whole time preparing this live act right? For tonight? About how long have you been at it?
Piet: Eventually it has taken us more than three months but you know, it's definitely been worth the trouble to put so much time and effort into it and now it's time to pack up because Sensation is over and this live act we'll never perform in the Netherlands again.

Interviewer: Usually it works like this that you pack your things after the act is over and leave but you guys are still here. Why is that?
Piet: Why is that? Well for starters we want to stay here because we want to experience everything: there is more happening than just the music of course. Secondly, we can't disassemble our gear right now. 

Interviewer: So you can't get on stage?
Piet: Nope! 
Benno: That's just a little side effect, it's not a problem at all. It's fine.

Interviewer: Benno, the single is doing well at the moment. What does the future look like musically for Rank 1?
Benno: Well, we want to make an album of course, so we've got various tracks laying around for that and we want to see if we can head into a different direction with Rank 1. So I think we will try to experiment for a bit. 

Interviewer: How long do you think the cooperation between these two guys from Holland is lasting for you?
Penny: Well, I have been introduced to an amazing scene here in Holland thanks to these two guys and I would like to hope that in the future we could work together again. Definitely!
Interviewer: Okay!

Interviewer: Piet, to conclude, this is the second edition of Sensation tonight. I don't know if you were here last year? 
Piet: Yes, last year we here hear since we made the Remix for Superstring so we had to be a part of it all. 

Interviewer: I feel as if the audience is more elated tonight, is that correct?
Piet: Yeah, I think so too because they know what it was like last year: last year was amazing as well so everyone is looking forward to it and it automatically in a "Party! Party!" mood.And rightfully so! Isn't it amazing?
Interviewer: Yeah!

Interviewer: You are all dressed in white-
Benno: Yeah, we know how to read you know! 

Interviewer: thank you very much!
===============================
Interview with Benno de Goeij
2001? | ??? | by Trancefreax | Edited by Razormane
http://www.uic.unn.ru/~udr/benno.html

Trancefreax is proud to present a Interview with Benno de Goeij, who you might have heard of. I say might, because his popularity is increasing by the day! Names like Rank 1, Kamaya Painters and Dutch Force should ring a bell. Benno is (co-)responsible for those projects. In the early days of Trance he was already making a name for himself. Tracks like I Know (as Hidden Sound System) and Turn Me On (as Ceres) were high quality tracks. I personally think that Benno de Goeij is one of the better Trance producers out there. But he does not only craft Trance,  as part of Jonah he makes Hard Trance. And beside (co-)producing a lot of cool tracks, he also performs live on stage together with Piet Bervoets, as the one and only Rank 1.

Trancefreax: So Benno, when and how did you get in touch with House/Trance music?
Benno: I was at a birthday party four years ago when I met Piet, who was already making dance music at that time.

               "...trance must come from the heart and not from your bank-account..."

Trancefreax: Some people say that Trance music is getting more and more commercial. What's your opinion on the matter?
Benno: When a particular style in music becomes popular it will always be commercial as well, because people buy the records. In a way Trance music nowadays is getting too commercial as everybody wants to make a Trance hit! But I think trance must come from the heart and not from your bank-account.

Trancefreax: Together with Piet Bervoets you perform live on stage. What can people expect when they go out to see Rank 1 live on stage?
Benno: First of all the next time we will perform again will be at Sensation in July. It's very difficult for me to say what people can expect. I think you just have to see for yourself if you like it or not. Our main goal is to bring our music to the public!

                                  "...a break for half a year with our live act!..."

Trancefreax: What plans do you have for the future? Any albums/new projects/labels you are working on?
Benno: We're working on the new single with vocals, we want to make a good one again and not just a follow-up. After that we will concentrate on our album. We
didn't have that much time because the live act consumed a lot of energy and now its time again to focus on a new single. That's why we'll take a break for half a
year with our live act!

Trancefreax: In my opinion your variation in style is one of your best qualities. Compare Airwave with a track like Summerbreeze. Those two tracks are really different. How do you make two such different tracks and yet manage to deliver quality?
Benno: I think it's necessary to keep making good melodies that come from the heart, I could make tons of records that are all the same, but then it would not be
from the heart anymore. 

"...I could make tons of records that are all the same..."

Trancefreax: Kamaya Painters, Rank 1 and The Quest are some producer names of yours. Sometimes I wonder how do you come up with all those cool names?
Benno: That's the most difficult task for us when completing a new song! Most of the time we'll just pick something that sounds nice!

Trancefreax: Some short questions now... What's the best Rank 1 remix you've ever made?
Benno: For me, that would be the latest one. Its a remix for a Japanese pop star, but I cant spell out her name! I don't know whether it will be released here?

Trancefreax: Who would you like to make a record with?
Benno: Difficult to say, because we have our own way of producing, which might conflict working with someone else! But I like the Lange sound, he's definitely a good Trance producer.

Trancefreax: What kind of music do you listen to at home?
Benno: Normally I only listen to the radio on the background. But the style I like is the Irish stuff, like U2 or Clanned. There's a lot of feeling in it.

Trancefreax: Is there anything you want to say or add?
Benno: The questions said it all!

Well, thank you for this interview Benno! Good luck with your career. But I have a feeling you'll do just fine.
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