4 artist albums, 28 singles and 46 remixes, 4 Back 2 Back mix-compilations, a 1000+ international gigs played and clubbers, numbered in their millions, thrilled ... all from one chance meeting in a record label office. Nic and Bossi's Cosmic Gate's partnership has proved to be one of electronic dance music's most successful, and one of its most enduring. Creating a perfect in-studio/behind-the-decks storm, 10 years into their career they became the highest-climbers on DJ Mag's 2009 Top 100 chart and landed back amongst the 25 biggest DJs in the world the following year. Powered by their hugely received albums, club-rocking singles (inc. 'Not Enough Time', 'Body of Conflict', 'Analog Feel' and 'F.A.V.') and scene-defining classics 'Fire Wire' and 'Exploration of Space' their space in EDM's hall of fame has been secured! Today we have a huge chance to interview one of the finest and famous trance duo. It followed notably the interviews of other famous trance producers like Ferry Corsten, Aly & Fila or Sander van Doorn. First, I wanted to thank these 2 guys who answered our questions.

 

"Hello mates,

Honestly, it's a real pleasure and honor to interview you because you are one of my favorite producers in Trance notably because of your amazing track “You should have known” remixed by Wippenberg, released in 2006, that means a lot to me as I had the chance to play it at the Queen Club in Paris for a warm up of Paul van Dyk. You track killed everyone one there! What a souvenir… But let’s get back to the news and the reason of the interview today.

Indeed you are proud to announce you have mixed the latest edition of the prestigious Trance Nation series. Compiling some of your favorite producers, remixers and artists over a 2CD release, you perfectly capture the future sound of the genre. Could you please give us some clues about how you made this crazy selection?
> First of all nice to meet you and thank you for sharing this nice story, always good to hear something! Our intention behind Trance Nation was, to give the listener an idea about what is our current sound, our idea of how Trance should be in 2012, show how different it sounds from the more old school trance how it was maybe 10 years before, and what a good evolution it took ever since it turned popular in the midd end 90s, and specially during the last 2 or 3 years.

A part from this compilation, what will be your next release? Maybe some remixes?
> Indeed we did some remixes, like for Emma Hewitts “Colours” that exclusively is featured on Trance Nation for now, and on top we remixed Rank 1s “Wild and Perfect Day” that is in early promotion stage right now. On top of that of course we have our new single “Crushed” that you can find on Trance Nation too. For the rest we are most touring and doing the “Wake Your Mind” world album tour, bringing us to all 5 continents already in the first 4 month of 2012, it is not going to get boring for us for sure.

2011 is over. If you look back to it, what can you say about it? What is your vision of the couple past months? You notably released your fifth artist album 'Wake Your Mind' - peaking at #4 in the USA iTunes dance chart, with album favorite “Be Your Sound” featuring Emma Hewitt such as your debut Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1.
> 2011 indeed was maybe our most busy and craziest year ever, with all what you mention here, and 2012 is starting the same way, and the lookout on the next months till after the summer is not really different. We love our job and enjoy what we do, so besides all the travelling and jet lag we enjoy what we do, breathe in new experiences and play or produce the music we like, and hope that people share our taste and spirit!

After you give us these info about your music news we would like to go back to your musical roots. Could you briefly tell us how did you two become DJs and producers?
> This is the same story as with most other colleagues. We started as bedroom djs, working on our skills and tricks at home, started on first private parties, smaller clubs, bigger clubs after the years, first own productions followed in the early midd 90s, and in 1998 we met and produced this track together on a chance studio meeting that should become the first Cosmic Gate single, this is the history of Cosmic Gate brought together in a few words! J

At the beginning, did your family understand what you did for a living? And now are they proud of what you achieved along the years?
> We fortunately both had a lot of support from home, and they are proud on seeing us play in front of huge crowds or releasing a new album for sure, a fact that we really appreciate!

How did you two met? When I interviewed Like Mike and and Dimitri Vegas or M.A.N.D.Y. some months ago, they told us they met on a tennis court. What about you?
> We both like sport too, but neither met playing tennis nor football, lol. We simply met already both working in the music scene and doing other projects before Cosmic Gate, no crazy story behind. We got introduced from friends in the scene, our first real meeting we do not even remember, just that one chance studio meeting we produced “The drums” at, is really stuck in our heads, it simply changed our lives back then to now and still will in the future

You’ve almost produced more remixes that own productions. Could you please explain us why, maybe it is a question of time? What do you prefer: create everything from scratch or build and refine something that already exists?
> A remix is definitely easier, there are vocals already, a melody, harmony, plus on top we only agree on remixes that we have an idea already how our remix should sound, so this is an explanation maybe for why there is more remixes around than singles. This, on the other side, does not mean it is less fun to produce something from scratch, it is simply different, but we do not like it less than working on a remix.

As I’ve said before the track of your discography that always thrilled me is “You should have known” with an amazing vocal of Tiff Lacey. Is there a specific story behind it? Does it mean anything special to you?
> This song for sure is special, as it was the first single from our album “Earth Mover”, and we had the pleasure working with Tiff for the first time, and get this amazing Wippenberg Remix on top, that maybe as one of the first tracks back then, brought together House, Trance and Electro elements to the point and melted the different scenes into one, really a great work from our fellow German friend and colleague!

The interview will be published on a website mainly read by French people. So, what do you know about the French electronic music scene? Are there some artists that you personally know or especially love their music?
> For us the French music scene is more know for its world famous house acts and labels, like Daft Punk and the famous Roule label back in the time, or the more House stuff of recent days and not for Trance or progressive music and the scene that we are in. Out of that reason, the contact to DJs and or producers from France is pretty small or better not really existing. The only French guy we run into all the time touring in the US is Joachim Garraud, a great producer and super nice guy!

 

Besides music, what are your hobbies?
> As mentioned before, we both like sports, but honestly there is no time really for hobbies, we most live in aircrafts and hotels, so rare free time is spent with family and friends, go to a good restaurant or maybe just relax, try to recharge batteries for the next trip.

 

Cosmic Gate, before we conclude this interview we have a few more questions. Sometimes one word is enough!

The track you advice us to listen to in your discography? 
> All you have not had the chance listening to.

An artist you would like to work with one day?
> Depeche Mode
 
3 words to define your music?
> Always Cosmic Gate
 
Are you using vinyl or mp3 for your mix?
> We play with usb stick, so mp3s.

The software you use to produce?
> Logic

One privilege, being DJ, gives you access to?
> Not to be waiting in lines going to Nightclubs J

One word about France?
> L’amour et Paris.

Your favorite track these days?
> Mat Zo - Bipolar

Nic and Bossi, thank you very, very much for the time you devoted to Actualités Electroniques and particularly for this full and exclusive interview. We will wait for sure for your next productions and your live dates. A bientôt!
> It was a pleasure. We hope to be playing in France again after a few years of absence more sooner than later, au revoir, et à bientôt! J”

Dj Aroy

MORE INFOS ABOUT COSMIC GATE
http://www.cosmic-gate.de
http://www.myspace.com/cosmicgate
http://www.facebook.com/cosmicgate
http://twitter.com/RealCosmicGate
http://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicGateTV
http://soundcloud.com/cosmicgateofficial