Interviews

Andy Moor On Producing, New Releases, And Future Projects [Interview]

June 8, 2017

Andy Moor is coming to Seattle, and he’s bringing his iconic Progressive Trance sound with him.

Melodic vocals and syncopated baselines: Sound familiar? That’s the Moor sound. At least, it’s one of the many parts of it. A skilled producer and natural born musician, Andy Moor is one of the most highly respected artists in the trance community. He’s been deeply involved in the industry for almost 20 years, and is recognized as one of the forerunners in creating the well-known “progressive trance” sound we know today. His record label, AVA Recordings, celebrated it’s 10 year anniversary in 2016, and his radio show, Moor Music, hits 200 episodes this year. Needless to say, his resumé goes on and on.

If you haven’t had a chance to catch one of his live sets, you’re in luck. He’ll be in town this Friday for a special AVA Recordings Night at The Underground. We had a chance to sit down with him and have a chat.

DMNW: ‘Face Off’ was released a few days ago and we’re huge fans. Can you tell us a little bit about the tune, what inspired the sound? What are you hoping listeners gain while listening to it?

Andy Moor: This was a fun collab with Ashley [Wallbridge], something a little more light-hearted. The inspiration simply came from messing around in the studio, creating something less serious with the vocals and a bassline that will hit hard and have impact. It’s something that works in a big room, small room and hopefully listeners will appreciate the areas of a few genres that it touches without fully belonging to any.

DMNW: For someone who is constantly traveling the globe for shows, runs their own record label and hosts their own radio show, how difficult is it to find time for producing? How long does it typically take to produce a new track like Face Off?

AM: It can be difficult to find the time, mainly the quality time that is necessary to have the inspiration and energy that it takes to produce something of the standard and complexity that I like the majority of productions to have. I refuse to use ghost producers, therefore I must reduce the amount of music that is made. It can take roughly a month to create a tune, that is the sum of its parts, but there are many parts that are made and never gets used which explains why it does take so long.

DMNW: Episode 200 of Moor Music is coming up. Do you have any big plans for the episode? 200 is quite a milestone!

AM: We are going to keep it low key and focus purely on the actual show (rather than doing events etc) and hopefully develop something that will be listened to time and time again.

DMNW: The dance music world has evolved a great deal since the early days. With a new generation of DJs and producers comes new sounds and sub genres. Through all the changes, Trance continues to remain a well-established, reputable genre. Why do you think Trance continues to captivate new fans so consistently well? Do you have any advice for the next generation of Trance lovers?

AM: My advice is to enjoy the music! It’s that simple, people get too involved in the politics of the scene (which I fully understand, as nobody gets as frustrated about some of these politics as I), but the whole point of the music is to enjoy it… Support the music that captivates you, and that alone is the best way to encourage this music to thrive.

DMNW: As a musician who plays several instruments, is there an instrument you have yet to learn but would like to one day?

AM: I’ve never played the acoustic guitar properly (rather than a few chords) so that is something I would love to have time for one day.

DMNW: It’s been about 5 years since you released Zero Point One. Are there plans in the works for another album?

AM: I’m currently in the process of this, a slow process but one which I hope will be worth waiting for. I have planned more time away from touring for some time at the end of this year so hopefully I’ll be in a better position to give you a better answer then.

DMNW: The exclusive mix you gave us in preparation for the show on Friday is amazing! We can’t get enough of it. What can our readers expect from your set at the show?

AM: I’m hoping to play some of the progressive trance that is really having a big impact on my sets right now, and then move into Trance but mixing it up with lots of dynamics, some long building tunes and some instant gratifications… I never like to plan too much but hopefully you will all enjoy it!