The local Seattle trance scene has been one in flux in just the last year. As dance music has gained popularity, a line has been drawn between the mainstream offerings of the vocal and progressive side, and the harder avenues of classic and 138 bpm trance. Spearheading the movement toward uniting all avenues of the wayward genre is one group: Trance Family Seattle. Helping to lead this charge on the musical side is our very own Bobby Lilly, better known to most of us as Digital Ascension.
We had a chance to chat with the talented local about everything from his inspirations, to the importance of positivity in the face of a vocal scene. As Digital Ascension, he’s working closely with TFS to help revive local trance, both in front of the decks and behind the scenes.
[divider]5 Questions With Digital Ascension[/divider]
1. When deciding to get into this industry, what were your leading influences?
It’s kind of hard to say, I guess you could say I had multiple influences but if I had to choose one, it would have to be one of my best friends. I went to a huge edm festival a few years back with a group of friends. Armin van Buuren was playing on the main stage around 2am, and me and one of my best friends were standing on a huge platform in the VIP area behind the main stage festival. While watching this amazing uplifting build during Armin’s set, he said to me “Dude, you should let me teach you how to DJ!”
I looked at him funny and said “Why would you want to do that? I don’t know how to do that stuff.” And then he said some really touching words, he said “Because I can honestly say, I have never met someone who loves trance as much as you do. You just have this ear for it that really needs to be shared.” I didn’t really know what to say to that but I told him I would give it a try when we got back home. I went back home, and he showed me everything he could. I didn’t catch on as fast as some people might, I don’t mind admitting that. But I loved trying and trying, and listening to any mistakes, and seeing what I could do to not make that mistake again. I just wanted to get better and learn everything. My friend gave me the biggest gift I could have ever wanted, that I didn’t even know I wanted until I had it, and I’ve never looked back since.
2. You speak so positively, what keeps you this way?
I always try to think positively and be positive. I think that’s just the best way to get through life. I don’t think a lot can come from being negative. Perhaps some of it comes from my mother, who by far is the most positive person in the world. She can smile on the darkest day, so if there is anywhere I got it, it would have to be from her. Yeah, I’m a mama’s boy, haha. But I think our scene is just full of positive vibes, so that is a major contributing factor too.
3. What thoughts do you keep in mind while creating a set?
With trance, it’s all about emotion. So most of my sets you hear me play are usually based on my mood at the time. I always like to bring something different from the last. I spend quite a bit of time making my sets and selecting my tracks. It can go on for days or a few weeks, it just depends on the vibe I’m going for. Want to know a secret? Sometimes before making a set, I put my headphones on and just dream of what the crowd looks like that I’m playing for. Then I get the vibe from that and look for what I can with that feeling. There are other times though when I’m listening to music and I just dream of playing in front of a festival crowd and watching them enjoy the set I’m playing. That could just be me being a dreamer, but I do that a lot.
4. Has life changed for you or does it remain relatively the same?
My life has changed a lot. I’m always thinking, always working on what I can do better. I catch my mistakes, I also think about things I could do to make something even better. I’m always buying tracks, getting ideas, and going from there. I stay very busy. It’s hard to balance everything new with what was routine, but I love the challenge and I like doing it.
5. What’s the future have in store?
Producing… there are so many ideas that go through my head everyday with producing. I can’t wait to make my own sound. I want to travel to the moon with that. I want to touch people the way Armin does, and bring people together from all parts of music the way Calvin Harris does. I want to inspire others to try something different. But most of all, I want my sets and whatever I produce to make people forget about their life for 6 to 8 minutes, or however long the track or set is. I want to do that, and I want to do it with trance. Trance for me is a way of life, it’s an emotion, it’s a melodic feeling. There’s just nothing like it in the world. There really isn’t a genre in edm that I don’t like. But there’s just something special about trance, it just does something to me. And it’s not just me, it’s so many others. And when I see the joy, happiness and tears in a person’s eyes because of something they just heard in trance…It makes it all worth it. I just want to make something unforgettable. If I can do that, I’ve done what I wanted to do.
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