artists

Johan Gielen
Messiah On Decks

Ranking at 108 in DJ Mag would not equate to what Johan Gielen has offered to Trance music. He has been there and done that. Pioneering Trance music for more than 10 years now, he could easily be determined as the 'messiah on decks'! Johan Gielen who once formed a part of Airscape with his partner Sven Maes has styled his music to uplifting and electro following the trends Trance music is witnessing today. Belgium born Dutch superstar Johan started turning the wheels of steel at the age of 17. The man can easily be crowned we bestow to any great DJ/Producer who has been in the Trance scene for more than ten years. Ask his countless fans who have witnessed his countless gigs!

Music came naturally to Johan Gielen when he started playing his own 45 rpm at the age of 6 and then aired himself on an illegal radio station! However, the gates to electronic dance music opened for him when he shifted to Tokyo, Japan in 1995 where he learned and mastered his DJ and production skills. He was a resident spinner at the Tokyo's plush Club Velfarre. The Dutchman says "I have so many airmiles, I could fly over the world 36 times for free!"

His performance feat includes playing as a resident DJ at the world's largest Trance music event Trance Energy at Jaarbeurs, Utrecht where he swayed 20 thousand people! What may appear as brutally massive, Gielen kept a crowd of 35 thousand Trancers busy on the dance floor of Amsterdam Arena at Sensation White, the proceeding mega dance event. Dance Valley and Mystery Land are few more events that fall in Gielen's hands; he has the mastery to DJ continuously in front of big crowds. He has collaborated with Boy George, The Thrillseekers, Delerium, Tiësto and other artists that suit his potential. He DJs in Japan, Australia, Germany, Spain, Holland, Belgium, England, Northern Ireland, Israel and now also as resident DJ at Club Gorgeous in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The man makes a statement on his personal self, "I am pretty spiritual in my thoughts. This reveals itself in my habit to get some moments of quietness before going on stage. These are not nerves but I need some time for myself to focus. The spiritual side of me is also the reason why I am so fond of my Koi carps (related to fishery). I can't explain this in a right way; you have to see them for yourself in order to understand that they make you feel at ease.". Johan Gielen further says about his punctuality on the sets, connecting with his crowd and having a telepathic communication with them via his music. "Everything has to be fine. Like I never show up late when I have to play. But even though I have this aim for perfection I find it important to enjoy every minute of my life. Every day can be your last so I live my life as fully as possible. Sometimes, this collides with my ambitions. You have to find the right balance in looking out for your own health and entertaining people. To me, giving other people a good time is the most important aspect of being a DJ. I love to communicate with the crowd without the use of words. Music is the ideal tool for this, it enables you to share the same emotions without speaking them out loud."

Johan plays 'In Session' on Fresh FM weekly. One can catch him every Saturday playing from 21:00 to 23:00 CET. His latest present for our ears is "Okinawa Sunset" with Andy Duguid and Tom Colontino beautifully remixing the original. An exciting bunch of tunes sustaining us into a wild guess of what Johan's music holds in the near future!

For more info related to Johan Gielen check out the following links:
www.johangielen.com
www.myspace.com/johangielen

Written by: Apoorv