Menno de Jong is the owner of Intuition Recordings, currently one of the premier trance labels in the scene. He represents a signature sound that ranges from deep trance to uplifting and tech trance, with the one common factor that it is quality music with emotion, mixed into an enchanting flow.
Menno’s years of hard work have resulted in conquering 72nd spot in the DJ Mag Poll this year. Menno is one of the true ambassadors of the underground trance scene, and shows how great one of the most misunderstood styles in dance music can truly be.
Roscosulli caught up with Menno in anticipation for his first ever gig in Central London. Do not miss the opportunity to see Mr. Intuition live behind the decks at this special event.
Hiya Menno, firstly, I must congratulate you on your 72nd place in this year’s DJ Mag poll. That must be very rewarding for someone that has been looking after all his own bookings until recently?
Thank you very much! It is indeed very rewarding, as you said untill recently I was doing all the paperwork myself, which takes quite some time. After all the hard work it’s a great feeling to see that so many people support what you do!
Your Intuition radio show has gone from strength to strength, Tell us a little bit about the show and did you always think it would be as successful as it’s become?
On the 29th of November 2006 we will be celebrating the 100th show already, which means we’ve had nearly 2 years of the show. It all started as a simple weekly DJ mix only show on XFM and ETN.fm, somehow people really enjoyed the material that we played and it grew into something much much bigger than we have thought. The Intuition show is currently the most popular DJ mix only trance show in the world, and is broadcast on some very respectable channels.
Growing up in Holland who were your biggest influences and inspirations in dance music?
My biggest inspirations were Ferry Corsten, Tiesto, M.I.K.E., Chicane, Oliver Lieb, Vincent De Moor and more legendary producers of back in the days.
After a slump for a few years Holland and the UK seem to be coming back with a bang. Which is good as these 2 countries are still regarded as the places to crack the scene first. Have you played many played much in the U K before and what’s your view from Holland of the scene over here?
I’ve played 4 gigs in the UK so far: Godskitchen, Gatecrasher, Passion and Club Boulevard, all of which were very cool! Things seem to be picking up again indeed, I’m not too well informed about the UK scene, but in Holland there are several organisations working hard consistently to organize good trance events.
After looking through your diary dates it seems as though your playing all over the world these days. What is your favourite foreign country to play? and where are you yet to play that is an absolute must?
My favorite countries to play at are where they have some latin spirit. For some reason people from countries such as Mexico, Spain, Italy etc. show the same enthusiasm on the dance floor as I do behind the decks. That just creates an insane chemistry, things just fall into place and the dancefloor just explodes! One place I’ve heard very much about is the Guvernment in Toronto, one venue which I really hope to play at some day! I’ve also heard great things about The Gallery at Turnmills in London, definitely high on my list too.
Name your top 3 faviourite clubs/venues in the world and why?
1. Asta (The Hague, NL) — home sweet home!
2. Air (Birmingham, UK) — that booth just rocks my socks.
3. Heineken Music Hall (Amsterdam, NL) — designed to have crystal clear perfect sound.
Who are your favourite producers?
Right now my favorite producers are Jonas Steur, Jose Amnesia, Lange vs. Gareth Emery and Re:Locate.
Was DJing/producing something that you always wanted to do from an early age or did you have something else in mind?
It definitely was, I was already listening to some sort of dance music at the age of 8 or 9. Back then I spent a lot of time sitting behind my dads keyboard just to play melodies etc., something which I never stopped doing (have my own gear for it now though hehe.)
Which of your productions have had the greatest response when you’ve played out and where was it?
Playing ‘Menno de Jong — Tundra (Fierce Dub)’ at a TranceMX party in Mexico City, the crowd was literally bouncing up and down as a whole!
Do you prefer to play massive events and festivals or smaller more intimate venues?
Both have their charms. Playing at a big festival usually gives you a rush because of the huge wall of people in front of you partying like crazy, whilst at the same time the intimate feeling of a small club party can be awesome too. I enjoy both equally!
So what new material have you been working on that we can look forward to?
Right now everything is geared towards the mix CD I will be releasing next year. I’m working on a Menno de Jong EP, a new Myth track as well as some nice co-ops. Plenty of stuff coming up!
We’re really looking forward to getting you down to play in London for ES, what can we expect from your set?
I really only decide what I’ll play once I see what’s happening at the party, but regardless I will definitely do my very very best to make it an unforgettable party!
This is a 240 capacity boat, there will only be 220 tickets going on sale to the general public. We suggest getting your's early to avoid dissapointment.
Tickets will be available to buy from www.electronicsessions.co.uk as of 28th October.
For any questions don't hesitate to contact me at ross@electronicsessions.co.uk
We are sorry but there will be no Industry Guestlist or Concessions list for this party due to the nature of the event and its capacity.
After the hugely successful boat party in August the ES Boys thought the opportunity to put on another 2 decked music bonanza before Xmas was too good to miss. In anticipation of the massive 1st Birthday on Feb17th we have gone for a really diverse line up this time, pulling in an all-star cast of the hottest names and acts in dance music.
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