The dance music scene is filled with a variety of artists to fill every musical preference and style one may be searching for. There are of course the talented DJs who have the ability to make a room explode with their selections and uncanny sets. On the other hand there are producers that can create tracks that can blow one's mind from the very first beat, due to their creativity and incredible aural landscaping. There are also artists that combine both skills in an equal fashion, thus excelling in all they may set their sights on. One of these artists is without the shred of a doubt Benjamin Leung from Canada, widely known in the dance music universe as "Somna".
This talented individual has gone above and beyond to spread his love for dance music with the world. His first artist album "Beside You" was one of the best albums I have heard in a long time and it was only natural that it was a huge success! His DJ sets at glorious events such as the prestigious "AVA Nights" are ones to fondly remember in our minds, as are his special sessions on "Twitch". He also has played a major role on the success and evolution of "AVA Recordings" over the years, curating the label alongside dance music icon "Andy Moor".
I had the honor to conduct an exclusive interview with him a couple years ago when I was a resident writer for "Trancefix.nl". The time was definitely right for yet another interview with the man himself, this time for "MusicTalk15", so we can all find out what he has been up to and of course discuss his second artist album, which has been receiving such high praise!
Many thanks for the exclusive interview and for your time once more man! Welcome to "MusicTalk15"!
Question
1: It
has surely been a busy year for you! Lots of definite highlights to
remember and rejoice! Which ones would you select from the whole
bunch?
2023
was definitely a year with a ton of exciting things!! I released my
2nd album and also had my debut guest appearance on "A
State Of Trance"!! Definitely got to tick off some of my goals I’ve
always wanted to achieve!
Question
2: Your
first artist album “Beside You” remains a firm landmark in your
career and still remains an aural treasure to all true “Somna”
fans worldwide! Imagine their thrill hearing about the launch of your
second album. How have the reactions been so far by fellow artists,
friends and fans?
It’s
been very well received! It was hard doing a follow up album to
“Beside You” as many of those songs I hold dear to my heart but I’m
overjoyed to see that songs from “Satellites” has been very well
received by the fans!
Question
3: Your
second artist album is of course named “Satellites”. Would you
like to elaborate a tad about the title, character and in general the
concept of this second album?
The
album title is kind of my love letter to the fans that supported me
during the pandemic. During that time when we were all locked at home
I started streaming DJ sets on Twitch and met the most wonderful
people online and the amount of support I received was overwhelming.
“Satellites” to me signifies us all beaming our love around the
globe to each other no matter where we were.
Question
4: For
dance music addicts who have not yet had the pleasure of listening to
the album, what would you like to share with them about the album and
what surprises lay within?
I
suppose listen with an open ear as its quite varied and while there’s
plenty of trance in there, I tried to create a broad range of styles
and challenge myself as a music producer while retaining the core
feelings I try to incorporate into my music (which are melodies).
Question
5: For
myself artwork is always a deciding factor when checking out releases
in general. Interesting choice on the anime style artwork selected
for the release of “Satellites”. Was this your choice and would
you like to share a few words about the artist and are you a fan of
anime? If so which ones?
I
actually don’t know who the artist is but Deon at "Alpha 5 Design
Group" organized it and we had many discussions about the direction.
I had some ideas but my original idea actually centered around a
wire frame of a satellite but somehow it veered into anime and then
this idea came about and I am SO HAPPY with how it turned out. Each
character was custom drawn and I just think the artist did such an
amazing job. As far as being a fan of anime, I watch the odd one
here and there but haven’t really been into many series aside from
"Attack on Titan"… before it got all extra weird haha.
Question
6: “Satellites”
is definitely gone out on digital format on all the major platforms.
Is it available on physical format as well and if so are there any
special autographed editions available for the hyper fans?
Yes!!
Its available also as a CD and double disc Vinyl! The autographed
versions sold out right away but if you purchase a copy and bring it
to any of my shows I would love to sign it!
Question
7: Speaking
of the album, news has come to our attention that you have begun
album tours. How cool is that? How has it been so far and what do
these shows contain besides showcasing music from the album?
It’s
already underway now and I’ve done some fantastic shows to support
the album. Aside from showcasing music from the album, I’ve been
able to sneak peak share some of the upcoming remixes and venue
dependent, some of my shows include time coded visuals to go with
certain songs which creates a super cool experience!
Question
8: Word has it that you played at the legendary “Cyberdog” located in
Camden, London. Been there twice myself. How was your experience and
were the people surprised to see you playing there?
It
was super fun!! People were dancing and it got busy and they actually
have a pretty intense sound system (I had to wear earplugs when I was
wandering around after). Honestly I think only a handful of people
knew who I was, I feel like 80% of the people who came through were
probably tourists haha.
Question
9: Another
highlight is your recent guest appearance on “Armin Van Buuren’s”
prestigious “A State Of Trance” radio show. Must been rather
special gracing the decks of the legendary studio. How did you feel
to be a part of it and did you play any exclusives for the show?
It
was such a dream come true to be a guest on there! Also extremely
nerve wracking playing a set there knowing that millions of people
tune in and there’s no room for error. I debut my remix of "Luminn" “Tempus” on there as well as the upcoming "Sam Laxton"
remix of my track “Not Too Late” with "Sarah de Warren"!
Question
10: The
success of “AVA Nights” has been wild! Are there plans of more on
the horizon and if so where in the world can we expect them?
I’m
glad you asked!! We had an "AVA Night" in conjunction with the
"Unkonscious" festival brand in Bangkok on Feb 4th for their
official after party! I was so excited to be making my Thailand debut
and it was at the amazing "Eden Club" with their Void sound system.
Question
11: “AVA
Recordings” has showcased so many amazing and talented artists on
the label over the years! Some of them have even had the pleasure to
release an album on the label such as “DJ LTN” and “Sam
Laxton”. Are there any plans for any of “AVA’s” artists
surprising us with a brand new artist album or perhaps DJ mix
compilation?
I
don’t know if I should spill the beans but one of our artists is
working on their debut artist album (which might not be released on
AVA but we’re still so happy for them!)
Question
12: It
has been grand seeing “AVA Recordings” branching out into some
rather fine sub-labels, each with their own unique character and
attitude. Will we perhaps see a compilation featuring some of each of
the sub-labels finest sounds, perhaps mixed by different artists from
the label?
Our
500th release on the main label of "AVA Recordings" is coming
very soon and we’re planning on releasing some kind of a
compilation with new remixes that we’re excited about. It’ll
branch across all our sub labels so you’ll definitely a wide range
of dance music.
Question
13: October
is always an important month in the dance music community. The
reason? The massive “Amsterdam Dance Event” (ADE) situated in The
Netherlands. Are you or any other “AVA” artists going to
participate this year and if so what surprises can we expect?
I’ll
be there again in 2024! I missed 1 due to the pandemic and I had the
biggest fomo ever so never again shall I miss out (unless for a VERY
good reason). Its too early to do a pre announcement for an
announcement of big things to come but….big things to come…