DuMonde - "Ten Years a Decade", as reflected in the album of the same title by reflecting back over your achievements since 1997, was this in effect closure on the time spent working as Dumonde? Were you seeing that there would be a line finally drawn under DuMonde at the end of 2007? Maybe even that the split was already decided a long time before the announcement?

No. Actually we were thinking of doing that Album a long time ago... finally after 10 years we were able to put it all together, it had also to do with licensing rights. The split came afterwards, but I am happy that we finally released the Album because it showcases all we’d worked on for more than 10 years.

Can you tell us more about the decision to bring the trance legend that DuMonde had been to an end?

It was a musical decision, yes that sounds clichéd, almost using the much cited musical differences with all the associated meanings, but we felt like we needed a change and new inspirations and we also had different views for the future, so therefore we decided to go separate ways.

It was ten great years for the trance audience and ten great years for you, what were the highlights for you personally?

Our international DJ tours all around the world will always be in my memory. The big festivals, Ibiza, the OZ tours and North America, not to forget our first gig in Japan. All these different cultures and people dancing to your beats is the greatest experience I‘ve experienced!

The last single "Gun", had a very up to the minute cutting edge sound - it was quite a move away from the expected DuMonde sound, not only with Aydo Abay from Blackmail’s edgy vocal but in the choice of remixers Jay Frog and DJ Space Raven, what were your reasons for choosing them as remixers?

Jay is a good friend of mine and colleague through Massive who released the track. He wanted to move the feeling of the track to his reflect his tech/electro style, which we were happy with. Space Raven is an upcoming French DJ and producer more influenced by the hard dance scene, which we weren’t involved in ourselves at that time but knew there was an audience for it, so when he contacted us via my space we decided to give it a go.

DuMonde releases over the last few years were few and far between in 2007 we had "Gun" and the Jam X and De Leon track "Elektrish" both as well supported tracks. Was this a question of focus on quality not quantity, rather than turning out throw away tunes or was it that you and Juergen (JamX) were musically on different paths over the past year ? It seems your sound and directions are very different now.

Yes and yes. First, we had so many other musical productions and business issues besides DuMonde, we were so busy there was not enough time to produce one DuMonde track after the other. Secondly, we tried to be selective with the tracks. We composed and experimented with lots of new sounds but in the end these were the two that really worked for us so we only released "Elektrisch" and "Gun".

There was talk of a track with Judge Jules last year, which unfortunately due to scheduling didn’t materialise. We all know that dance on Radio One has been severely cut back - how do you feel this reflects on the industry as a whole? Do you think it is a sign the scene is dying back, or the fact Radio One's influence is dying off with the wave of newer more dynamic single focus internet and FM dance stations available?

First, the track with Jules was released on our Album. It was just not been released as a single. About the Radio One issue, I don’t know how much that influences the UK dance industry or not because I live in Germany. But here there is almost no serious dance on the radio, clubs are crowded as hell on the weekends, but that’s more to do with having somewhere to go and most of them are hands up commercial house or electro. For sure, the Internet radio stations are getting more important at the moment and I hope it will increase the demand for dance music globally.

Two non profit labels have recently been launched - Massive Trax is one of them, the concept a long term commitment rather than focusing only on single charitable events. Do you look at this as dance coming of age, developing a more socially aware attitude and moving to a more politically active stance in the way that rock music has?

Yes, for instance Rock carried on in the tradition of Live Aid. Dance is getting more aware we have dance aid now, in Germany we had the "Help Asia" track which DuMonde were involved with but that was a one off response. Long-term commitment can only be good. J at Massive is passionate in her belief on this, that it’s possible to run a business and still be able to make a difference through it. After all what could be better great tracks, great parties no different to normal except the profits go to charity. Works for me and hopefully for others, a totally painless and enjoyable way for money to reach a good cause for people.

You are playing at the Massive Breast Cancer and Beats for Burma fund raising event at Hidden on the 20th June, how does it feel to be back in the UK for the first time playing as a solo artist.

I am so much looking forward to that, you can‘t imagine. I haven‘t been to the UK for ages and it was always a lot of fun to play for the British audience. So I am very excited to come back to London again and then also to be back in July for Dekadance

You are playing alongside some greats including Lange, Jon O'Bir, Mike Koglin Ali Wilson and more. You go back a along way with Lange production wise, can we see some future collaborations arising from this?

Both of us are looking forward to meet each other again. We’ve been friends for years and maybe we can do another track together again, would be wicked! I like Stu‘s style a lot in these days.

We’ve heard some of your new De Leon remixes you are developing a unique sound, can you tell us about it and what you have lined up in the near future as regards major projects?

I don’t know if the sound I am doing is unique or not, others have to judge it. It is slower, about 128 to 130 BPM and it‘s still very trancy for me. My first Solo release "Changes“ is scheduled for release by the top Scandinavian Dance Label Disco:Wax. They are starting the promotion right now and I am very excited to see the reactions on the dance floors.

Do you feel the respect DuMonde drew not only from the audience but also from fellow DJs and producers following you with your solo work?

In the end of the day the quality of the songs will be relevant for the success of my solo career. Of course it helps me that my name is known to most DJ‘s and I am happy to be getting support from people like Armin, Jules, Marcus Schossow and Michael Parsberg right now.

Ok - we have to ask about the state of trance in Germany … its becoming more trance in a state these days… do you think you can ever take the crown back from the Dutch? You still have the heavyweights in your corner… yourself, Cosmic Gate, Talla… why do you think it isn’t happening?

That‘s easy to answer. The whole German dance industry has shrunk in the last 5 years, vinyl and mp3 sales are weak in Germany and the most supported dance music in the clubs is house and electro at the moment. We do have the talent still, it’s a shame its not well supported in Germany and we have to rely so much on outside markets to appreciate it. The Netherlands have a very strong dance network, no country has more festivals over summer. Holland dominates the top 10 in the DJ charts, Tiesto Armin Ferry Sander etc and serious dance has support from the media, which allows them to throw huge events and nurture home grown talent. We have easy access to Holland. For a lot of Germans it’s as easy to drive to something like Sensation as to drive say from Hamburg to Dortmund for Love Parade. Same from other countries, even from the UK it’s an hours flight to Amsterdam. Maybe then we should think of Holland as sort of mainland Ibiza, just colder and flatter but still with great parties and better to look at it in a more positive light that music crosses borders, more so in a digital age so perhaps time to take a more pan European view and say as long as artists such as myself and Cosmic are reaching an audience that’s the important bit.

We recently saw the collapse of Amato, one of the biggest and best distribution companies out there…not the first and not the last probably, do you consider this is the death of vinyl and CD, that digital has finally claimed the market with the exception of collectors and producer DJs that still have the need to see a solid object in their hand as a reflection of the work?

It’s a fact that vinyl and CD will die pretty soon. I hope that more people will start downloading the songs they like legally which right now isn’t happing and that ultimately affects the industry. I am playing with Traktor Scratch as well, because when you travel internationally you only need one bag and you have thousands of records with you if you want. And with the timecode vinyl I still have that DJ feeling I need to spin the songs.

Electro remains a hotspot on the scene, which despite the attempts from many to jump on its head and kill it, has maintained its dominance plus tech and minimal are moving to the forefront. DuMonde were never slow on innovation and moving with the times, how do you see yourself working with this and other emerging genres like tech and what are becoming increasing fashionable tech trance fusions?

Maybe I am already riding that wave with my new records, I don’t know. I am not a big fan of minimal and techno, so I was searching for records that inspire me in these days, I found that Pryda or Deadmau5 are actually releasing nu trance from my point of view, so I felt home there.

In the light of the previous question there is without a doubt outside trance and electro one producer of the moment, admittedly his reputation has probably slipped in the light of him producing the Eurovision song contest winner…That’s Timbaland. If the offer arose, would you collaborate on a track with him? Do you reckon you could meld trance and hip hop/R&B?

The answer is yes. I am a very open minded producer, last year I was working together with a German R&B producer and we melded our styles. The result sounded pretty promising, we only have to look at Benny Benassi successfully collaborating with Public Enemy to see it can work. I definitely see this sound coming in the future commercial wise

Massive is offering (in conjunction with DontStayIn.com) a recording session with DiabloTraxx’s head producer Rob O.T.T, topped off with mastering by you at your Audio Senses studio in Germany as a competition prize in support of their fundraising event. That’s a great opportunity for an up and coming artist to get a chance to lay down their track with Rob, who's work has been some of the most hotly tipped tracks of 2008, and have it finished by a German Trance master. Should established artists do more to nurture up and coming talent?

It’s a great prize and I'm happy to be involved both myself and with Audio Senses I think it it’s always good to support new talents, that’s why we gave that remix of "Gun" to Space Raven. So these guys get a greater exposure for their work and hopefully will climb up the ladder. It‘s a giving and taking every one starts somewhere and remembering that is important.

Now it has to be done - time for the important questions:

Jagermeister or Jack Daniels?

Oh definitely Jack on the rocks, Jagermeister is too like cough mixture. Maybe I should not say that I may have just ruined my chance of sponsorship… Jager guys I will try to get used to it.

Cats or dogs?

For sure dogs, I have an Australian shepherd dog called believe it not Kylie, she’s gorgeous just like her namesake, however her singing skills are limited to the odd howl so don’t see her doing guest vocals on my next track.........