Interview conducted by hugh Lawton and Declan McDonnell

First of all, was there any particular reason you decided to persue djing and production as a career? Was anyone else in your family gifted musically?.

My mother was, when she was younger she actually made a record,so yeah my mam was. Ever since I was very small I was always big into music. I found it all very intresting. At some stage when I was younger I was listening to the radio and this music came on - I think it was the latest American import music - I found it all so cool and different to anything I had heard before. So really since a very young age I think was around 9 or 10,its been music all the way in some form.

A lot has changed in dance music since you came to the fore in 98/99. What for you have been the biggest changes you have witnessed?.

Its basically the whole thing, how people look at djs today, its just so big at the moment. Also where you can ask a kid on the street what he or she wants to be when then get older and instead of saying fireman, police man etc they are saying they want to be djs which is amazing and a little strange. On the other hand I think the big festivals are killing the club scene. I mean I donﾒt blame the people for going. I would would probably go myself, but for a ticket itﾒs a little more expensive basically and you have all the the djs you want to see in the one day rather than go to a club to see 2 maybe 3 djs for less money. Donﾒt get me wrong I love playing big festivals because the crowds are so big which is cool to play for but on the other hand I am glad winter is coming, so the clubs get full again and the intimacy is there which I like.

What advice would you give to aspiring djs/producers trying to make it today?

Belive in your own music and sound and stay focused on what you belive is best, only believe in yourself and what you are trying to do musically. If you just do what other people are doing because itﾒs the cool thing to do you wont do that with the same enthusasim that you would have if its your own thing. So really donﾒt let anyone sway you in what you belive and stick to your principals.

You have done work with djs like Tiesto, Armin and others. How do such collaborations come about and do you learn anything from them?

Usually, Tiesto, Armin and myself all know each other very well. For the last 5 or 6 years and we run into each other all the time,and then suddenly the idea is hatched to get us into the studio and do something together. The great thing about collaborations like those is that we all bring something different into the studio and we all have different ways of working and I think it makes for great music. So yeah it helps working with the others and its also good fun in the studio as well.

Which comes first for you - djing or producing? Or do you feel they have equal importance?

That is a very difficult difficult question. On one hand I come from producing so yeah for me its still producing. I donﾒt think I would be where I am today as a dj without my producing or the records that I have made over the years, and the great thing about producing your own stuff is when I play out I am playing stuff that I have made that people have not heard before I think that adds a little more to me as a dj. For me first I see myself as a producer and then a dj but it only about 51% to 49%

What do make of producers like Oakenfold who have ben around from the start but seem to be going in very commercial directions with there music?

I agree with him there is a massive misuderstanding about djs who are going a little more commercial with their sound. Some people see them as cheesy and I think that cheesy is something different than commercial. Paul really made a big impact in the US. If you want to get your tracks played in the states you have to make music that appeals to there radio audiences other wise they wont play your tracks its as simple as that. The fact that Paul is making ﾓcommercialﾔ records - in my opinion commercial music is music that appeals to a wider spectrum. Its popular music it does not say he just made a specific record just to sell records. Its another level to be honest. There are a lot of the big boys who take there music to that level and thatﾒs fine with me.

Whats your favorite venue to play in and why?

My favorite place to play to be honest is Japan. There is a club called Bellfire over there, and itﾒs a massive club that holds about 2500 people and there is a massive stage there. The lighting there is absolutely amazing they have the biggest mirror ball in the world there and it looks like a space ship. It is truly and amazing club and the people are so fanatical. I play there at least twice a year and I love it there. Its all new to them. Dance music and the production in the club itself is amazing. You would have to see it to belive it, the amount of money spent on the actual production of the night itself is mind boggling.

Is fashion in clubland important to you? What do you think of Crasher kids and glowsticks etc.

To me to be honest its all fun and its all about people having fun and a good time. If you want to walk around with yellow hair, glowsticks and a dummy in your mouth, thatﾒs fine. If you are having a good time thatﾒs the important thing, and if you want to go around being the posh chick or the guy with all the money thatﾒs fine too. Once you are enjoying yourself because thatﾒs what dance music is all about, enjoying yourself no matter what you look like or what you are wearing.

Q9.What can we expect from Ferry Corsten in the near futre?

I am working on a Ferry Corsten album, which is along the lines of ﾓpunkﾔ,so itﾒs a little bit different than stuff that I have done before. Of course the new guyrella is about to come in a few weeks time, and I am also working on a System F album aswell but thatﾒs actually only for the Japanese market. That will come to Europe but not for a while yet,it sa very trancey album and stuff.

Are you looking forword to playing Godskitchen in Dublin.

Yes, I am really looking forword to playing Dublin again. The last time at Creamfields my plane was so delayed that I only ended up playing for about 45 minutes. I was very pissed off that I could only play for that amount of time because the crowd was like nothing I seen or heard before, and I had not played in Ireland for a long time before creamfields.At godskitchen I will be looking to redeem myself to the Irish audience and make up for my very short set at Creamfields and lets just hope the planes are on time on this occasion!