In-Depth Interview With Talla 2XLC

Talla 2XLC Talks Trance, Dreamstate, & More!

German based producer, Andreas Tomalla, or as we know him, Talla 2XLC, has done a lot more than just produce amazing music for listeners worldwide. His extensive background in the scene reaches far past that. His music career started in the 80’s and never slowed down from there. From the famous Technoclub in Germany to his co-founded label Tetsuo, to playing last year at the timeless stage at Dreamstate USA, all the accomplishments in between, he only continues to grow and gain more trance fans along the way. Talla 2XLC can be considered a legend in the industry we know today.

Check out Talla 2XLC – “Free Your Mind” on SoundCloud:

With your tenure in the industry, you’ve seen all of the different progressions that Trance and other genres of electronic music has gone through. What has been your favorite time period thus far and why?

Especially the 80s and 90s, because everything was fresh and new. new synthesizers, new sounds, new clubs, fashion etc. Two wonderful decades. Filled with joy and harmony. Not dictated by the medium internet. In Germany, we had only 3 TV channels and in the night there was no broadcast. So what did we Kids do? We went to parties, raves etc. – No Facebook etc. distracted us. But the kids nowadays will say the same of now, that its their best time.

When you were up and coming, were there any artists that you looked up to?

Kraftwerk as an electronic band of course, and Tiesto, because of his tracks and how massive he managed his career.

You’ve played at many festivals and club events all over the world. What event has been your favorite so far? Why?

Oh my god, there are so many. More than I can count. I can pick a few things, A gig at Space Miami with my buddy George Acosta was great, the first Ultra in ’99 at the beach in Miami, when I played all tents half empty, because they all went to my stage partying with me. A two-week cruise in the Indian ocean in 1997, playing in a cave on a Spanish Island. Doing two seasons with my technoclub brand in 2000 and 2001 at Space Ibiza. Having my own rave truck at Loveparade Berlin 2006. You see there are endless great memories. Recently I loved my appearance at Dreamstate SoCal.

What would you say makes you stand out from other current Trance producers?

I like to produce the old way. Having tracks you remember already at the beginning and not just after half was playing. There a so many tracks which sound the same, because they use always the same structure and just put some new pieces on top. I don´t like that. Check out my SoundCloud, you will hear what I mean and why my sound is different.

Having just played Dreamstate SoCal in November, what are your thoughts on the trance community in the US?

One of my best festival appearances last year. Insomniac did a great job coming up with the brand like this for trance. The trance community is awesome, I´ve played at a smaller stage, and when I arrived [at the venue] the stage had approximately, 80 people when capacity was 2,000. When I started a few hours later, the whole floor was packed and the crowd really enjoyed my music. I went down to them several times, I felt so welcome, it was awesome. I hope to be back soon.

Some artists prefer massive festival settings while others love the intimacy of club shows. Do you prefer festivals or clubs, and do you alter your sets to fit the size of the venue?

Both have their merits. I like a huge crowd, but I also like to be near the audience. Feeling the energy closer, interacting with them, showing my passion, my joy. Maybe get some more catwalks at festivals would help us DJs ;-). But I love the intimacy of a smaller club and being close to the people.

Who is your current favorite trance producer?

Internationally, I like John Askew very much, from Germany Cold Blue, Lostly, and Darren Porter. (Lostly and Darren live in germany now). All of them are really talented. I love their music and play them a lot.

Your knowledge of the industry expands multiple decades. Is there any advice that you can give to new trance artists?

Stay true to yourself, try to be unique. Be open for inspiration, but don’t copy.

What are you currently working on and what can we expect from you in 2017?

There is a new Talla 2XLC single named “Infinity” coming out on FSOE, a collaboration with youngster Adam Ellis, and a follow-up to my “Faded” rework, but with my own new singer. I am also focusing on my psy project named “Zyrus 7”, I am finishing collabs with Eddie Bitar and with Zyce. And of course, I will lay my rework hands on some special tunes this year, so you can expect plenty of music by me in 2017.