Best of 2012: Store N Forward

Name: Store N Forward / Thomas and Chris

Location: Hamburg

Dimitri: Can you tell us how 2012 has been for the development of your career as a DJ and/or Producer?

Thomas & Chris: Hey Dimitri. First, it’s time to say thank you personally for supporting us and our releases in 2012. We enjoyed every review you wrote and it always feels good to get feedback like yours. That confirms that we are on the right track and it keeps us driving, of course. ;-)

To be honest – 2012 was a big year again for us. All of our singles made it to the top of the so well known Beatport charts and apart from this, they were supported all over the globe by so many well known DJs and artists! We played our UK debut in Leeds, we had our release debut on Will Holland’s ENHANCED Records with “OREGANO” and had great & very enjoyable times in the studio with preparing all the stuff for you out there, and just hanging around with friends and DJ’s while spinning some records, or checking the newest fail compilations on Youtube! ;-) Ouch!

An outstanding moment for us was also the 200th episode of our weekly podcast. We had lots of congratulations from many big names in the show, like Armin, Thrillseekers, Tritonal, Bobina, Lange and Estiva, just to name a few. Shivering! Prepare yourself for the next 200!

It’s clear as mud, it will be hard to beat 2012, but we definitely accept the challenge!

Dimitri: If you look back at 2012, are there any moments in your musical career that you wish you had done differently in order to get a better outcome?

Thomas: I probably would have released the first single “Listen To Life Remixes” earlier. We had a long period where we did not release a remix or a single. Chris, do you agree?

Chris: Yes I do, mate! It’s a such a fast moving industry and it feels like that you have a comeback when you just missed the release of a single or remix for 2 months. Those gaps need to be filled to stay in the heads of the crowd, definitely!

Best of 2012 according to Store N Forward

Best Track: Adam Szabo and Willem De Roo – Lego

It’s a wonderful “new Trancer” that is in a certain way returning to mind how the days were when your little brother played LEGO and you pressed the red buttons of the ATARI 500 controller, while finding the right position for avoiding cramp in your arms, hands & fingers! Great times, stunning song! Have never heard it yet? Definitely time to check it!

Best Artist: Steven Baan AKA Estiva! This man was on fire and he still is! Still happy to have his guest support in our WORKOUT radio show! Well, and of course it wasn’t only Steven who did an amazing job in 2012. Also our Russian friends and super duo Eximinds, Dennis Sheperd, Karanda and Wellenrausch definitely made big steps forward this past year!!! You should have an eye on each of them!

Best New Talent: Porter Robinson and Johan Malmgren. Just because!

Best artwork/cover of an album or compilation: Still love the ability to have a great designer at Afterglow Records who always creates fantastic covers and artwork for every single release. He is the best!

Best Vocalist/Singer featured on an EDM track: We think Neev Kennedy can view 2012 as her breakthrough. Almost every known artist has worked with her and every song became pure energy when Neev started to sing. We hope she keeps up that outstanding work in 2013, and of course we hope someday she will work with us?! ?

Best EDM Label: Enhanced, and of course the best underground trance label hint is Afterglow Recordings!

Best Online Social media network: Nothing competes with Facebook.

Best music composition software: We are using Cubase since we started producing music. It’s always a great tip to take a look into the “Vengeance” and “Waves” portfolio with all their helpful plugins and fantastic synthesizers.

Best personal DJ Gig: Every gig is a pleasure for us and we enjoy each of them so much that it’s not right to say that one experience beat the other; but if you ask for a special moment then we take our UK debut. It felt great to be with so many DJ’s, friends & fans from the UK who we had only known from the social media before!

Best Radio show: We do not listen to too many other radio shows, but Armin’s ASOT and A&B’s TATW/ABGT are the most recognised and respected weekly Trance/EDM shows with an overwhelming popularity. They are spreading the “underground” all over the globe, and it’s so important to have shows with incomparable recognition like this!

Best Online Record shop for purchasing music: Definitely www.beatport.com!  Offering the earliest and most exclusive releases with the biggest genre & track selection for EDM fans and more!

Best Website that you regularly visit: No day without Google ‘n Facebook! Recently thought about changing our name to it.. Well, let’s see what we can do in terms of the right to the name…but shouldn’t be a big deal... :-D

Best smart phone/mobile phone App or device: Bud Spencer and Terrence Hill iPhone App. (These guys are a cult in Germany, not sure if anywhere else!?) They have wisdoms for any circumstance;-) And the App SCORE! where you can replay famous soccer goals. Just great!

Best DJ equipment: We love to spin with Pioneer equipment – over the last decade Pioneer rightly developed to marked leader for DJ mixers and CD players. Well constructed, direct & professional surface feel, clubby effects and in the meanwhile supporting USB & DVD as well…

Best or most amusing Twitter or Facebook message you have received from a fan or friend or you have read: Chuck Norris Did?: Chuck Norris makes onions cry. 

Best piece of News this year relating to Electronic Dance Music: The world doesn’t end on Dec. 21st ! Phew… that was close!

Best piece of advice you received in relation to your career: Cobbler, stick to your last! So we did and will do what we can do best – Trance!

Any single event which inspired you to compose a track:
Thomas: Well, it’s not a single event; it’s more a regular recurrent thing when I watch a great movie with great score. This combination is always inspiring.

Chris: No single event as well. There were a couple of moments when I was really tired after a long day and close to falling asleep and then a melody flashed through my mind. Oh, boy! What should I do. Sing it in my dreams until I sleep or keep it somewhere to working on it someday? Exhausted, but knowing this melody would get lost if I don’t hold it somewhere, I get up again (left eye still closed) and jingled it on my guitar while yodelling some “lalalas” over it right into my phone … Next day it wasn’t surprising that I realised that it would have been better to sleep.. :-D

Dimitri: 2013 lies ahead of us. Would you like to tell us your future plans in relation to releases, tracks, albums, collaborations or DJ gigs?

Thomas & Chris: Luckily we have already prepared a lot of stuff in 2012. You can be excited like we are and look forward to a few collaborations, new singles & the weekly Podcast Shows (aired on many Internet & FM radio stations from Canada to France) plus keeping the “WORKOUT” radio show on www.di.fm coming!

Next to come: Our new single “Bananas” which fits perfectly into your kitchen! And another single with the beautiful voice of Hannah Ray is in the final mixing & mastering phase. Can’t wait to let you guys listen!

To keep updated head over to www.facebook.com/storenforward

Dimitri: Thanks very much for finding the time to respond to this interview

Thomas & Chris: Our pleasure mate! Sorry for being late! Keep it Trancy and speak to you soon!

Interview was written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias, Radio/DJ/Music Journalist

Many thanks to Elef at Afterglow records for organizing this great interview