Sean Tyas Talks Label Deal, Radio Show and Dance Music in the USA

elektro: It seems the last few months have been great for you. You had two huge trance singles “Now You See” and “Lose My Logic,” and you also signed a 2-album deal with Black Hole Recordings. Tell us a little more about the album deal.

Sean Tyas: I think the most requested thing I have come across thus far in my career is the simple question, “when can we expect your album?” For years I kept teetering one way or the other, whether I was to sit down and brave through the months and months required to put an album together, or to simply bang out singles. There are two schools of thought as to which is the preferable way to go these days, of course. I’ve done the singles route already, so it’s time to try something new, and focus on a body of collective works. It gives me the chance to really cover a ton of ground all in one release.

e: That’s awesome! Well, congratulations on that. What made you decide to go with Black Hole Recordings?

ST: Signing on to Black Hole is actually quite surreal with it being such a pioneer of dance music, and trance music especially! You have HUGE footsteps to fill there: Tiesto, BT, Ferry Corsten, and so many more. This was just an easy choice to make, as they are really 100% behind me with my goals and overall vision that I have for my career over the next 3 years or so. To have a label that supports you in that regard and that’s willing to help you get to that next level is not common in this industry these days. I’m very excited for this opportunity, and I think you’ll see what I mean later in this year.

e: Your radio show Tytanium Sessions airs on SiriusXM BPM during the “A State of Sundays” weekly broadcast. How do you balance doing the show with being on tour, making music, and your family life?

ST: The show is always a labor of love, but now that I have a guest mixer on each episode, that takes off a little bit of the stress of putting it together. The perfect balance for me is yet to be found with all of this, though. I have two daughters, 2 and 4, and I just LOATHE saying goodbye to them when I leave on my weekend trips. When I’m home I see them a lot, even when I’m working in my home studio, so that works out quite nicely. The only issue is it can be a circus at times, so that takes patience. It’s definitely not easy, though.

e: Over the years, you’ve been able to see all of electronic dance music grow and expand greatly all over the world, especially in the United States. Where do you see dance music in say, 5 years?

ST: The USA is really interesting right now, because of the fact that the popularity of the more commercial end of the spectrum is slowly cascading out to other electronic genres like deep house or trance, and people are discovering there’s so much more to this world of music than they hear on the radio. I hope the popularity of the other genres, including trance, get more focus in the USA.

e: I’m definitely into trance, so I must say that I definitely agree there! For those who are discovering other genres, such as trance, name 3 tracks that best exemplify the “Sean Tyas sound.”

ST: My single “Now You See” which is my latest release, “Lift”, which is what put me on the map in 2006, and for the underdog selection, “Lekta”, which bridged many elements of things I loved from other types of music into one.

e:I mentioned “Now You See” as being such a huge hit for you, not only recently, but overall career-wise. When will we get to hear the follow up?

ST: I’m almost done with it’s “sister” track, and I hope to have it previewable very soon. I’m obsessing a bit on this one, maybe too much, so I need to lighten up with a clear head before I let it out. I’m focusing on quality over quantity these days, so hang tight!

e:We’ll be looking forward to it! What can we expect to hear you play tonight here at Avalon?

ST: Tonight will be fun! A little crazy, actually. Tonight I’ll be playing a full on trance set, filled with a few ID tracks, a few classics, and some hidden gems to spice things up a bit. No gimmicks or anything “interesting,” just the kind of set that people have known me for since the beginning.
-Larissa Sommers