Leon Bolier is a Dutch producer/ DJ and will play this month in Johannesburg at ASOT 500 alongside fellow orange Armin Van Buuren. He has firmly been placed in the history of music, from being in the DJ Mag top 100, his own solo albums, epic trance productions, playing around the globe, own record label, and now playing in South Africa to the biggest ever trance event known to humanity. Mr Spencer gets to chat with the mastermind.

Where do you call home?
I live in a small village in the middle of the Netherlands called Elspeet – it’s where my family and friends live, sometimes it’s nice to just return home and see it’s all quiet here, when you just came back from a busy world city to play a big gig.

What do you call yourself professionally?
DJ/Producer! Those two aspects are consuming 90% of my time, and I love it!

I think most people in South Africa would certainly have put your name on the map with the release of your debut album its ‘Ocean Drive Boulevard’ in 2008. But actually you used to producing with your brother Bart. Tell us how did you and your brother get into producing together?
Ocean Drive Boulevard actually was a single taken from my debut album Pictures, one of the biggest singles from that album actually. The fact that me and my bro produced together was something that just happened, the both of us were into electronic music and when I started making some music using a PC he soon went to check out how this stuff works as well. He’s a married father now, a teacher and a garden architect.

From what age can you say electronic music touched you?
From when I was 12 and heard the first Eurodance hits in the Dutch charts. I wasn’t that much into underground music back then obviously, but the power of those dance productions struck me and I wanted to be part of this world from then on.

In you life, everyone has a life defining band or song, that after listening to that track/band, your life is never the same. (mine is ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’ from The Orb). What is yours?
Energy 52 – Café Del Mar (Three n One mix) – after hearing that I knew I wanted to produce melodic dance music from then on. Didn’t know that kind of music was called Trance back then, and looking back I heard many trance tracks even before, e.g. The Age of Love – The Age of Love and many Jam&Spoon productions.

What’s playing in your car right now, or what do you listen to on a Sunday at home?
When I am not producing my own music or checking promos I am pretty much into checking out other genres like techno, and music by Trentemöller, Skrillex, Wolfgang Gartner etc., apart from bands like RHCP and Radiohead, and classical music.

You DJ career certainly took off rapidly, can you remember your first international performance? Have you been back since?
Yes, my first international performance was in Ankara, Turkey in 2005 or 2006. I still remember. I have been back to Turkey to play gigs afterwards, though I haven’t been back to Ankara yet! The scene seems more happening in other cities.

You have launched your solo career with the release of the debut album, that’s immense talent. How on earth do you put a debut album together? How long does the whole production take?
I have released 2 artist albums till now, and both albums took about a year to produce. Both CDs being double CDs gave me the freedom to experiment a bit so I could work on stuff while not being worried about dance floors or charts notations, because there was enough room for big singles to be put on the albums as well.

What label are you with?
I run my own label Streamlined Recordings, which is a sub-label to Spinnin records.

Being on the DJ Mag top 100 of course certainly an achievement. What do your parents say about your music skills? For example your Ouma / Mom?
Well, my parents are into classical music pretty much and even tho dance music is something they are not into they especially appreciate the melodic tracks I produce. My albums are in their living room and cars. And when I’m having a coffee with them after a gig my dad sometimes says, I couldn’t find your gig on youtube yet, will It be on there?

So how would you describe your sound?
Melodic, driving, passionate, and influenced by every other genre out there.

What does music do for the crowds that you have personally seen?
Usually the crowds are very passionate about the music. I love that. They go all the way for the music I play out, I love watching them enjoy themselves and to give them something that makes them go home with a smile on their face.

What has been a big influence to drive you into the studio to do producing?
The music I heard when I was 12, that’s the one reason I always wanted to be able to create dance music.

Favourite festival to play at?
There’s too many! I played Tomorrowland Belgium twice and I loved the vibe over there. Having said that, once again, there’s too many! Trance Energy, Global Gathering, all festivals usually are big fun to play at. Definitely looking forward to play ASOT 500 in Johannesburg too!

Looking forward to your performance in Johannesburg, what will be your opening track??
I don’t know yet, I am working on a few different tracks at the moment, one of them might be my opening track!

Thank-you for sharing with South Africa!


Interviewed by Andrea Steyn