VMM IN THE SPOTLIGHT – R3HAB
The VMM places In the Spotlight Fadil El Ghoul aka R3hab who has in a short time firmly established his name in the Dutch dance scene as the highest demanded Dutch release remixer out there. After making successful remixes for the likes of Bob Sinclar, Chris Lake, Laidback Luke, Hi_Tack, Sharam, Rene Amesz, Lil Wayne and Gregor Salto, it was inevitable that R3hab would show his face on larger events like Extrema, Dirty Dutch, Luxurush and one of Holland’s biggest dance festivals; Mysteryland. With signings on the famous Ministry of Sound label and No.1 dance charts positions worldwide the VMM will be keeping close look at this young Dutch multi talent artist !
The Interview:
Hi there R3hab hope you are well!
VMM Q: The VMM would like to know how was the year 2010 for you R3hab?
R3hab : 2010 definitely was a great year for me and also probably the busiest year I have had so far. When I look back a couple of things in particular stand out. For instance the success of the remix I did of ‘Mugwanti’ and my own original track ‘Pump The Party’ which I produced together with Ferruccio Salvo. Both could be found in the Beatport charts for weeks on end and my Mugwanti remix reached the Beatport main top 100 at #19 and the electro house top 100 at #2. Also it was great to have had the chance working on remixes for Lil Wayne, Bob Sinclar and Sean Paul. I enjoyed it very much working with such talented artists.
VMM Q: R3hab can you tell us when and why you wanted to become a DJ producer and who would you say has been the most influence on your music today?
R3hab : Music means everything to me and I have been into music since I was very young. You could say I enjoy listening to all kinds of music, but around the time I was a teenager a special love for electronic music started to take form. When I started playing vinyl and CDs and mixing this up with my own edits of tracks that I liked a lot, I realized that I wanted to do this for a living and pursue a career as a DJ and producer. Influences for moment are other electronic artist like Deadmau5, Afrojack, Wolfgang Gartner and Dada Life.
VMM Q: R3hab can you tell the VMM how do you feel to be working with the likes of Grammy Winner Afrojack and Remixing tracks by Bob Sinclar , Chris Lake and Laidback Luke dose it excite you?
R3hab : I feel privileged and I am honoured to be working with such great talent. These are all people who share the same love for music that I feel and this just makes it so much more special. Also I recently signed a deal with Afrojack, so 2011 is going to be a very exciting year. You can expect me to be working together with him a lot and I am already working on some new insane tracks that are up for release on Wall Recordings.
VMM Q: When you are not producing or putting dj sets together for live & radio shows what other music would you have on your headphones R3hab these day’s?
R3hab : What I listened to most the last couple of weeks is Kanye West’s new album, which I think is really great, because of its raw sound. Also I play Drake’s debut album regularly.
VMM Q: R3hab have you now a studio of your dreams and can you tell the VMM what bit of studio kit do you love to use the most in your tracks at the moment?
R3hab : Apart from some minor tweaks on the acoustics in my studio room, which will be worked on soon, I can honestly say I love my studio setup and workflow exactly the way it is now. I work mostly with software synths and effects, all within Cubase, which is my favourite production software right now. I tend to like the clean sounds of the old-school Roland TR-808 and TR-909 a lot. These machines have had such a great impact on the sound of today’s dance-scene, it is incredible really when you think about it. Unfortunately I do not own one myself, but there are some great sample packages that come really close to the real thing.
VMM Q: Can you tell the VMM what new releases and remixes we should look out for in the coming months from you R3hab?
R3hab : The remix I did for Ian Carey feat. Snoop Dogg should be out any time now, so that will be one to watch out for. Also, like I mentioned before I am working on new original material for Wall Recordings and the first track to be released here should also be out very soon!
VMM Q: Can you describe in a few words to the VMM the 2011 sound of R3hab?
R3hab : I am really going for a tough and energetic sound and will make sure my tracks deliver some serious heat on the dance floor!
VMM Q: Can you tell the VMM what’s the best moment you remember so far in your music career R3hab?
R3hab : So far I would say the success of my releases in 2010 and also Dancetour, which is an open air festival in Breda, The Netherlands. About 25,000 people attended this festival in 2010 and I will never forget the crowd and the atmosphere that day. It was simply amazing!
VMM Q: R3hab the VMM would like to know what gig’s and tours have you coming up around the globe in the coming month’s?
R3hab : In the following months i will be performing in Morrocco, Germany, France, Switserland, Azerbedjan and The Netherlands off course.
VMM Q: Where can our VMM viewers find out online all the latest NEWS about R3hab?
R3hab : Its best to follow me on twitter.com/djr3hab and my Facebook page.
The VMM thanks R3hab for taking time out to speak to us and we wish you further success in 2011!
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Check out some R3HAB Releases
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