Following the release of his debut album, we catch up with one of Hungary’s longest running progressive house artists Dynamic Illusion.

1. Hi Daniel, thanks so much for joining us today, how are you?

Thanks I’m totally cool and refreshed. I really appreciate the kind invitation! 😉

2. Where are you living now and how long have you been producing and Djing?

I live with my wife and our baby boy in Budapest and actually I really enjoy living here. Nowadays more and more young tourists are selecting our country and capital city as a target to visit what creates a really nice vibe and atmosphere around.

Actually the second part of the question is even harder. 🙂 I need to think and check the music store databases for exact numbers, but approximately I’ve been producing and releasing electronic music for more than 10 years. Dj’ing is a different story and more inconstant. Sometimes I have more than one gig in a week sometimes nothing for months. Fortunately, I’m not living from the music so it can stay in a decent and healthy life balance. However, I need to mention the one exception because our Mindfields show at the Frisky Radio is going to celebrate its 10th anniversary at September.

3. How did you get into electronic music and where did some of your earliest inspirations come from?

It definitely comes from my Father’s vinyl and music passion from around the early 90’s. Not just Pink Floyd or Michael Jackson were the background music for the family events but Kraftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre as well. I still have those records in safe and good shape. Not just because those are good memories but that is my heritage I think.

4. You’ve got to be one of Hungary’s longest running progressive house artists, how has the scene there changed in the last 10 years?

It’s a damn good question! I can talk about this topic for hours but in a nutshell I can say some new faces and real talents have arrived (like Robert R. Hardy for example) some of the old people have finally changed their musical style or just stopped dj’ing. But one thing is pretty sure. We’ve always tried to keep the progressive (underground) hope alive with the Panorama / Mindfields parties even if only 20-30 people were at the dancefloor. Sometimes it was hard and exhausting but usually we got back a lot of love and support from our fans. On the other hand, now I really feel the musical benefit of the “standing still”. I just need to check my library or think about the good and strong relationships or friendships. It’s priceless! 🙂

Actually in these days the game has totally changed. The progressive house can be sold again and a dj like Hernan Cattaneo or Guy J can fill up the Hungarian club floors with thousands of intelligent music lovers. Which is pretty great!

5. You seem to have found a good home with Suffused Music in recent years what is so special about working with them?

Definitely! My progressive works are in the best place and hands I think. It was so natural to find each other because in sounding we were always close. I played a lot of promos from Suffused Music and the guys actually knew my stuffs. And honestly a few years ago it was easy to find the real progressive and top notch quality labels. Only a few of such labels existed at that time. They constantly and strictly do quality progressive releases that is my ars poetica as well. 😉

6. Your debut album has just been released on Suffused Music as well. Tell us about it, how much time was spent on it and what was the vision you had in the beginning?

It was an interesting journey for me for the label and for my family too! Thanks to everybody for the huge patience! It was more than half a year for the “tracklist” to get to the final shape and to make me completely satisfied. Actually I’m so happy with the final material and selection. It was a good idea to separate the house only stuffs and not to mix it with breaks or chill. It’s pure progressive with a nice one-hour long sweeping story what represents my artistic values coming from “Inside”. Hopefully. 🙂

7. It must have been very hard to let go and finally say ‘ok this is the album and it’s finished’ let’s put it out. How did you end up finally closing it internally?

As I said before and usually say to my producer or music lover friends…It’s impossible to “finish” an album but it has to be “given over” sometimes. Probably the last 10 year was fine enough to collect and create almost what I dreamed and planned before. But I never will be full satisfied for sure! We can do much better, and hopefully the fans don’t need to wait for an another decade for it! 😉

8. There are a lot of vocal tracks on the album, was this something you set out to do from the beginning?

Supposedly it’s coming from my childhood musical attitude and learnings. At primary school I was a part of the choir then I felt in love with the beautiful long (now let’s say “classic”) house and breakbeat vocal breakdowns. That’s why I always happy to work with some. In general it gives an extra emotional layer and sometimes the listener can “take away” from the lyrics too.

9. Is there any talk of doing remixes from the album and if so who would you like to see remix your work?

Not just conversations but we have actual preparation works like available remix packs or some “planned” artist selection. But as you know it’s really hard to find the selected artists in the right place and space with actual spare time or a tiny slot for remixing. But of course I can imagine artists like: Alex Vidal, Ewan Rill, Rick Pier O’Neil, Cid Inc, Subandrio, Espen, Stage Van H, Monojoke, Subconscious Tales, GBrown, Nicolas Petracca, AudioStorm or even Suffused…

Blissfully the Suffused Music label is full of brilliant and talented artists. Anyways if you have some good idea or musical vision do not hesitate to tell me! 😉

10. How important do you think artist albums are in this age of rapidly consumed music?

Those are essential! That is something what we need to cultivate and preserve for the upcoming generations. With a single or EP you don’t have the chance to tell your full story. However with an album you can aspire to give extra message or meaning for your expressions and have the chance to think about in a system or give full particular for your sound design.

And don’t forget that is the best option to give Christmas present for your family or friends if there’s no other useful idea…:D

11. What’s coming next? What can we expect to hear from you later this year?

Yeah sure a lot of things upcoming! Presently I’m working on a great Evelynka remix for Suffused Music (of course it’s vocalic) and just finished a few another stuff lately for different but Hungarian labels and artists (Kay-D / Moti Brothers / Ghoeyash).

Then another big project we can close with the Welcome Music. For those who liked my breakbeat album (Breaking the Silence) we try to surprise with a special remix selection really soon…

If that is still not enough check Astropilot Music’s offer around the end of the year because it seems my psychill “passion project” also evolving into a full length spacey sounding LP (Interstellar Horizon) with some extraordinary collaborations and especially with well-engineered “crystal clear” mixing and mastering.

But yes. The biggest excitement and awaiting is because of the “Prime FM & Deep House Budapest” summer party where I will play before Pole Folder and Khen at my favorite open air club called Track Terrace. So everybody can calmly book September 9. for the calendars. It will be a must have event for every party people and a special Inside album showcase for the deeply honored progressive audience.

So please follow me diligently and carefully at the social networks! 🙂

12. Tell us a bit about your KIDD Corp project, how did that begin, who is involved and what’s the focus stylistically?

KIDD Corp is actually in a middle of a transformation but still an ongoing project! Our great dj member I of KIDD actually enjoying his newborn baby boy and my task also changed from the full time producer to some kind of a supporting consultant or let’s say Godfather.  The main producer Darno will still develop the sound and create the songs like he did at the past half year. Actually he’s pretty good in that and represents very well the original and the forthcoming improved KIDD sounds. However as my spare time leaves I will surely help for the guys to finalize and give birth for their dream album. 😉

13. Are you finding a lot of people who followed your productions 10 years ago are still around now? Or does it feel like an entirely different landscape with the resurgence of progressive music in the last year?

In the light of numbers it’s still a slow but constant grow but at the virtual space just a few real enthusiastic people followed from the very beginnings. But they followed the whole musical scene of course not just me. It’s interesting and unexpected but the most hearth-warming feedbacks now coming from real life. For example in a Hernan Cattaneo gig (where we can hear East Cafe or Robert R. Hardy tracks directly from the grand master) a lot of fan recognizing me too and often coming to give a hug or talk a few word from my works or from music generally. And those reactions and gestures means much more for me then the number of followers or plays. I really love and so proud for the Hungarian Progressive Family! They are so fantastic! 😉

14. What were the main challenges for you when learning to produce music? What tips would you offer to new producers just starting out?

To find a good and cheap ghost producer? Of course I just joking. 🙂 The most important thing to find out a comfortable DAW a good monitor system and to practice and experiment as much as possible and “learn to listen”. Musically and technically too. That’s the main key for the own sound and immortality… 😉

15. You’ve played at some pretty massive festivals this year, both VOLT and Samsara, tell us about those gigs, what stands out from them and what tracks went down well for you there?

Two totally different worlds. Honestly Samsara was a perfect joyride. Both of my dj sets (progressive/psychill) interweaved completely with the spirit and the audience of the festival. It was naturally good with cool open minded music lovers.

VOLT Festival a little bit different. A lot of young people who grown up on EDM or hardstyle. That’s what they got from the “system” at the overground but they was curious and for example they enjoyed my progressive break set too. Actually now it’s our mission to show alternate and underground music for they. Supposedly we can save some soul from the average bullshit “serialized” musical taste. Impossible is nothing! 🙂

16. Looking back over your discography what release are you most proud of and why?

Hardest question at the end? Unfair. But a good one! To be quick and politically correct I say my first ever release and the last big album:
Retroid – Daybreak (Dynamic Illusion Remix) [FeralCode Records] | 2006-10-12

Dynamic Illusion – Inside [Suffused Music] | 2017-07-03
Both means the world for me! And our take away for today? Just a friendly reminder….

“Don’t forget to fasten your seat belts for the next 10 years with the sound of Dynamic Illusion! :)“

Respect & Love: Daniel.

‘Inside’ is out now on Suffused Music, you can purchase the release: here