Dutch producer and DJ, Ferry Corsten, took the stage at Label Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina to play in front of a crowd that easily toppled into the thousands.
Fans came from all ages and from all walks of life, each with their own story about their passion for Ferry Corsten and why his music, above others, resonates with them on a personal level.
One attendee in particular told the story of how he came to see Ferry Corsten play 8 years back and asked for an autograph on a vinyl record.
He said, “I handed my record to him through the mob of people trying to get to him. I really hoped he would sign it for me that day.
Needless to say he saw me and went to grab the record from me, but his security person pushed it away. It didn’t stop him though. Ferry stopped and signed my record. I’ll never forget that moment.”
Another person we caught up with had a similar story on how Ferry stayed and talked with her after his set despite being pressed for time. More and more stories, all very similar in nature to his persona, were passed around before he came up on stage.
Each story had similar hints as to why fans loved and followed not just his music, but him as a person.
After catching Corsten live in Charlotte, it’s safe to say that his charismatic persona is unchanged.
He specifically made time for autographs and photos with fans that literally included the entire Label Charlotte staff that he personally requested to have come backstage to meet him.
Ferry Corsten dropped melodic trance infused with hints of electro and even old school Gouryella (Tiesto and Ferry Corsten) mashups, crafting a night that will never be forgotten.
After the commotion died down and the night dwindled off, we – in conjunction with Raver Magazine – had an opportunity to catch up with Corsten after his set to ask him a few questions. Here’s what he had to say:
How do you manage to juggle the Ferry Corsten Weekly Countdown Podcast with such a busy tour schedule all over the world?
Three things in my view help make it perfect and are key to the success of the Podcast. The first thing is the hotel that we are staying in. If the hotel is not that good it is hard to get the right mindset. The second thing is the Internet.
This has to be fast and you have to be able to the find and combine the right tracks and be able to work with a fast Internet connection.
If you don’t have that, then you are pretty much in the dark. The third thing, and now this may seem a little odd to most, but I like to sit up on the bed in the room, game plan already thought of and in mind, and then surround myself with pillows; almost like in an igloo that surrounds me.
I do this to block out the noise and keep in the sound inside. After that, I play the tracks that I am most passionate about and let the music speak for itself to those who tune in.
Tell us a little about your father, and how he and your family influence your music. It has to be tough to carry out such a busy tour schedule and still be the person that you are today.
For me, my father was one of my biggest supporters. He truly supported me from the very beginning. I remember when I was young, he gave me my first record player.
He said to me, “If your going to do this, be the best at it. No matter what you choose to become in life, wither its music or something else it makes no difference, just be the best at it.”
So that’s what I did, I worked hard, and pushed myself to be the best. I remember playing and mixing up tracks with Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, and Markus Schulz during a time when being a DJ was more than [being about] the DJ, but rather the music we created.
I was creating and doing what I loved, but was also about being able to sustain myself financially so that I could do that. After a year of creating music, I was able to do just that. I continued my passion, thus turning it into a life long career.
If not, if I had not been able to sustain myself, I probably would be a lawyer or something to that effect. While hard work and dedication got me where I am today, it’s the love and support from not just my father, but also both of my parents that gave me the drive to do what I love.
That love is something that I transition to my two daughters who are now 1 and 7 years old.
Apart from trance, what’s another genre that you enjoy listening to?
When I’m not on tour and I’m back home heading to the studio I jam out to dubstep in my car. Full volume, full bass.
Last question, what’s next for Ferry Corsten?
I have a lot in the line up with tours and creating new music, especially with the Ferry Corsten Countdown. My new track, “Hello World EP3″ is out via Flashover Recordings on December 11, 2015 so definitely check it out!
Tour wise, its going to be a busy few weeks as I will be heading out to Russia and South America, but that is all part of it. I truly enjoy touring and meeting people from all over the world.
Make sure to grab Ferry Corsten’s “Hello World EP3” when it drops on December 11, and catch him live in Los Angeles for NYE 2015!
Click here for more interviews with today’s leading artists in dance music like Paul Oakenfold, ARTY, MOGUAI, Lost Kings, NERVO, and more.
Written by Michael Beas.
