Markus Schulz and Ørjan Nilsen

It almost seems a little quaint, in this day and age, to think that a figure in the music industry might be best known for their work in radio, but that’s the case for Markus Schulz, even if it is an internet-based show - Global DJ Broadcast goes out once a week through various online stations. He uses his show as a platform through which to display his lengthy trance mixes, which have marked him out as one of the genre’s finest and most exciting talents. He’s also released six mixes in standalone form, and carved out a reputation as one of the world’s top trance producers, too.

In terms of mainstream crossover, Schulz can offer up a mightily impressive list of artists for whom he’s remixed tracks in the past; Depeche Mode, Madonna, Fatboy Slim, Everything But the Girl and Jewel would all be counted amongst them. In recent years, he’s veered towards live performance in a bigger way than before, playing at some of the world’s top clubs - he’s graced the stage at the likes of Ministry of Sound, Avalon, Club Space and Green Valley - he’s also a regular at a slew of the top dance festivals in Europe, including Love Parade in his native Germany.

Born and raised in Kirkenes, Norway, Ørjan Nilsen took a strong interest in music growing up, guided through the various genres of music by his father and brother. By the age of seven the young Norwegian had began playing the keyboard religiously, however soon felt limited by the scope of its output. Under the influence of Trance music shipped directly from Holland, Nilsen became intrigued and mesmerised by the melodies and rhythms of the genre and wished to craft his own form of musical hypnotism.

Having acquired a synthesiser complete with sequencer and drum machine, Nilsen began honing his skills and experience, developing his equipment and playing low-key DJ events. It was in 2006 that the DJ and producer’s debut single, “Arctic Globe / Prison Break” arrived on Intuition Recordings, followed by the singles “Red Woods” and “High Pressure”. Despite not generating large amounts of publicity for the musician, the singles highlighted the potential for future releases. The following year he issued the singles “Orlando”, “In Fusion / “Spawns” and the split singes “Lost Once” with Octagen, “Beat Design / Rain” with O&R, and “Gobstice / Adamantica” alongside Orion.

Going from strength to strength, in June 2011 the producer released his debut full-length album, “My Opinion”, which introduced Nilsen’s style and music character to a much wider audience. The DJ and producer subsequently issued the popular singles “Between the Rays / The Mule”, “Mjuzik”, and “Viking / Atchool!” amongst others, before collaborating with Amin van Buuren in 2012 on the single “Belter”. A string of singles followed before Nilsen issued his sophomore studio album “No Saint Out” in 2013. With an increase in exposure, the producer’s notably increased his musical output , issuing singles “The Late Anthem”, “Fair Game”, “Hurricane”, “Apart”, “W.D.I.A.”, “Carioca”, and “Shenanigans” in 2014. “The Edge”, “Amis Ama”, and “Now We Are Talking” all followed in 2015, as did the single “Too Early Anthem” in July.