Sean Tyas ranks as one of the most respected producers and DJs in trance. That respect goes beyond just the hundreds of thousands of fans who love his music, but also a respect that carries over the way that you respect a dear friend. His love for not only the sound, but for his supporters is astronomical. If close enough to the stage, it is likely for a clubber to get a handshake or a high five from Tyas, even if he is behind the decks. That passion carries over into his production as he is often credited as helping to bring the “true” sound of trance back into the genre. That strong sense of desire to simply create music that will stand the test of time is why he is ranked as one of the best in the scene.

Raised in Long Island, NY, Sean Tyas’ interest in electronic music emerged from listening to various mixes of Apotheosis’ “O Fortuna” on an old cassette tape in the early 90s. However, it was towards the end of the decade when Tyas took his hand at DJing. A couple of years later he not only found himself spinning in various New York clubs, but he also began his venture into production, scoring huge remixes including Pink’s “Get The Party Started”, Daniel Bedingfield’s “If You’re Not the One” and Moby’s “In My Heart”. His solo production manifested into records such as “Love At First Site” on Topaz in 2002. After gaining an opportunity to move to Germany, Sean Tyas began working with DJ Beam. Although releasing solo material since that time frame and producing more remixes which included Christina Milian’s “Dip It Low”, it was his 2006 hit record “Lift”, released on the Discover label that catapulted Tyas into fame. That fame grew larger after the winning of Sander van Doorn’s “Punk’d” remix competition. Sean Tyas’ has been flying high ever since, dropping tracks like “Drop”, “Melbourne” and “Seven Weeks”, as well as “Intricacy” with superstar Armin van Buuren. He has also released numerous successful compilations on Armada, Ministry of Sound and Discover, just to name a few. These include “Trance Word Vol. 3”, the “Euphoria Trance Awards” compilation and “Tytanium Sessions”.

As a DJ, Sean Tyas has toured the world many times over with venues ranging from Ministry of Sound in London to Eden in Ibiza, down to playing big festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival, Dance Valley, Electric Zoo, Trance Energy, Love Parade, Mystery Land and the list continues. His energetic sets and flair have earned him consistent placement in DJ Magazine’s Top 100 list for the past few years.

In 2011, Sean Tyas launched Tytanium Recordings, which included not only his own work but records by artists including Phunpark, Dr. Willis and more. The latest release on the label is the “Tytanium 200” mix compilation which coincides with the 200th episode of his popular radio show “Tytanium Sessions”.

Currently living in Teufen, Switzerland, Sean Tyas continues to spread the Tytanium sound worldwide with gigs scheduled throughout the year and more music scheduled to be released. One thing is for certain, supporters will be waiting with open arms – the way you welcome an old friend back home.

AJ-You’re originally from New York. What initially brought you over to Europe, and specifically Switzerland? You were actually already doing quite well in the States.

Sean Tyas-Well, this was about the time the record industry got its “shake up” due to piracy, Napster, and the like. Labels were downsizing DRASTICALLY in New York, or just completely shutting down. Labels I were dealing with, were cutting off their dance divisions completely. These were bad times for anyone that had any dreams of thinking the music industry could be a career choice. So I got into odd jobs, like network administration, carpentry for a tiny bit, and even delivering pizza when not working fully. But I kept on making music in my bedroom and trucking on with it for the love of the hobby. At one point I got an email from a German guy who went by the artist name Beam, where it eventually led to me being asked to come to work with him in Cologne, Germany.

AJ-You began delving into deejaying in the late nineties. Were you mainly focused on spinning trance or was it a variety of genres that you were blending? I ask this because, while trance in itself was quite huge at this point, genres such as Hip-Hop were still pretty dominant in New York around that time.

Sean Tyas-Oh no doubt, it definitely was. Though my DJing wasn’t focused on getting me out into the clubs whatsoever. At that time, it was more so that I could hear more music that really, you still only got on vinyl. So the reason I had decks was certainly not to “be a famous DJ”, but rather just for research. I rarely ever even bothered to mix records, I just wanted to hear the sounds. Trance was my pure love militantly back then, so it was starting to become clear, that at least at that current time, that was not the place for me.

AJ-The Shelter is legendary as a club venue. From the likes of Timmy Regisford to even Moby, so many mainstay acts have played there. This was a staple club in the NY scene. What was your first experience like spinning there?

Sean Tyas-Pretty awesome. What a cool “basement” feel of that venue. Is it still open now? I’m not even sure. I think that was about 5-6 years back when I was there playing that particular venue. I actually didn’t know Moby played there! That’s nice to know. Pretty cool actually. He’s always been a huge inspiration.

AJ-Staying on the subject of venues, I know that you’re a gear and sound fanatic. Which venues around the world would you say have had the best sound system that you’ve play on?

Sean Tyas-I think that my current favorite club/gear/booth setup prize would have to go to Zouk in Singapore. That place is both cutting edge and just drop-dead gorgeous.

AJ-Your remix discography is golden, with artists like Armin van Buuren, Christina Aguilera, Christina Milian, Daniel Bedingfield, Pink and the list goes on and on, all on your list. How do you approach some of your remix projects? Do you work off of the vibe of the original music and then structure the remix around that or do you prefer to completely start off from scratch with just the stems and try to give the song a completely different direction?

Sean Tyas-Usually it’s working from the vocal stems and sometimes you also get a very basic “demo” playback track, with an example harmony/chord progression. This is really enough to get cracking though. The less you get to work from the more options you really have!

AJ-You released the “Tytanium 200” compilation which coincided with the 200th episode of your Tytanium Radio show. When you initially started working on the CD, did you foresee it transforming into a stream of shows around the world?

Sean Tyas-Ah yes, of course. 2 years back, I did the ep100 shows in NYC, Miami, and Montreal, so this time it had to be bigger and more. To commemorate the 200 show milestone I thought something had to certainly go with it, and the CD compilation idea was also born. This is nice for the fans because it’s a bit of a memento of it all, and for once a Tytanium mix that isn’t littered with speakovers and jingles! 🙂

AJ-Talk about the original inception of your label Tytanium Recordings and some of the new releases that you have planned.

Sean Tyas-It’s great how it is growing at a very comfortable pace right now. I’m starting to get better and better demos, and the original mission statement of the label is really just so I can release tracks of my own in a much more timely manner, with full control of how the promoting and marketing is actually handled.

AJ-I was watching your set at the Luminosity Beach Festival in Holland. You really engaged with the crowd, which to me, makes a club-goer feel like they are truly part of the show. I get the feeling that you genuinely love reaching out to the people. Am I accurate with that assessment?

Sean Tyas-Ah it’s the best. I really do feel I need that close feedback to give me the boost of energy I need to have on stage. People and the vibe is the single most important thing at any event. You can have the best music in the world playing for a boring, ignorant crowd and it’ll be the worst party ever.

AJ-Finally, how does it feel to have consistently made DJ Mag’s Top 100 list for a number of years now?

Sean Tyas-Feels good. I feel proud of that, especially as an American, as the list is primarily a European majority. It’s not required anyway, but just a nice bonus to hear 🙂

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