Reigning trance queen Linnea Schossow had an interesting chat with The Sherp during her EVC Promo Tour!
Swedish trance sensation – DJ, producer, songwriter and vocalist – Linnea Schossow played in Mumbai & Delhi this month at the EVC Promo Parties. Check out this exclusive interview with The Sherp where she talks about her radio show, working with Mat Zo, her journey so far and a lot more…
Sherp: Hey Linnea, welcome to India! This is your first time here, how are you feeling?
Linnea Schossow: Hey, thank you so much! I’m feeling great after a long 14-hour flight. This is actually my second time in India. It’s so beautiful here and very warm compared to Ireland where I live at the moment.
Sherp: You host your own radio show ‘Auditory’ on Digitally Imported. Would you like to tell us about it and how it happened?
LS: It started with another radio show that I had when I was 19 years old. I got asked if I wanted to host a radio show and I thought why not so that’s how it started. And I felt the radio show needed a new name after being on air for a year so I changed it to Auditory. In my radio show I used to play tunes that you would hear me play at gigs.
Sherp: You worked with Mat Zo on ‘The Sky’. How did the collaboration come about and what was it like working with Mat?
LS: I met Mat when I was living in Budapest, Hungary back in the days on a trance party that was hosted by Myon & Shane 54. Mat and I were chatting up and he told me he was looking for a vocalist and we agreed on working together. Mat lives in UK and I was living in Budapest so we worked over the internet by sending files over. I can honestly say that I didn’t know how the crowd would react to this tune since it’s very different to anything else. But it turned out people loved it and it got played on the MTV dance chart and stayed on Beatport as #1 for over 5 months. It’s been a pleasure working with Mat and it makes me very happy that we were able to create music that means something for others.
Sherp: You pen down your own lyrics. What inspires you to write?
LS: Oh I would say everything. But I write the best lyrics when I’m feeling happy or when I’m traveling somewhere. The lyrics always hit me when I sit on a train or car for some reason.
Sherp: When and how did you first discover electronic dance music?
LS: I was very young when it started. I guess I was 8 years old when I got introduced to electronic music as my brother Marcus Schossow also was into it. We used to go to Germany on vacation and then my brother and I used to go and listen to all the electronic music CDs they had in the stores as you couldn’t find it in Sweden. It started with ATB, Sasha, Tiesto, Carl Cox and the list goes on.
Sherp: At what age did you start producing music?
LS: I went in music school when I was 5 years old but started to produce and write music professionally at the age of 19. I had to work many hours to afford my own studio and when I finally got it I started to release tunes.
Sherp: Who’s been your biggest inspiration?
LS: I would say Tiesto is my biggest inspiration. He has this great character on stage and his productions have always been at the top. A new name that I think is worth mentioning is Khomha. I think his music has a different touch to it and it inspires me to do better as well.
Sherp: When you’re not making music or touring, what are you doing?
LS: I’m then spending my days and nights in the studio working on new tunes and vocals. Also, of course spending time with friends and family.
Sherp: Craziest fan you’ve encountered?
LS: Well, that would be a male fan who sent a picture to me wearing nothing in it.
Sherp: Best moment behind the console?
LS: The best moments are when the crowd jumps like crazy and sing along to my vocals. That moment makes all the long hours in the studio worth it all!
Sherp: Biggest fail behind the console?
LS: Haven’t had any huge fail yet, thank god. Once the cue button didn’t work and I was in panic and nearly had a heart attack but managed to solve it fast.
Sherp: Do you have any rituals that you perform before playing a live set?
LS: I get very very nervous before I play, but when I go on the stage it disappears.
FESTIVAL FIVE:
1. Best Festival Experience?
LS: Loveparade in Berlin
2. Weirdest Festival Experience?
LS: People swimming in mud, but I guess that’s normal behavior at festivals!
3. Festivals you’d like to play at and why?
LS: ASOT, Sensation White, Global Gathering, Tomorrowland, Miami Winter Conference. Why? Well, there isn’t a better feeling than having 30.000 people in front of you jumping together to the tune you play. It’s a dream coming true when it happens.
4. If there was one festival you could play at before you die, which would it be?
LS: ASOT and Miami Winter Conference.
5. The most underrated festival according to you?
LS: Hard one. Seems like every festival is doing great. I’d say Swedish Summerburst Festival. It just started and got a good respond and I think it can grow even bigger if they let electronic music into Sweden even more.