Across the pond in the United Kingdom and Ireland…

…they have been unleashing some of the top producers and productions from the last generation. As well as building the launching pads for the next generation and Ed Lynam is in the next generation of future favorites. With more name recognition, more productions, more gigs, Ed is making a niche in a crowded scene.

Dabbling outside the world of trance, he is curating his music to be able to take fans on a journey as I’m very excited to see his rise and hopefully on a trance stage in person.

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. These times are definitely crazy, how has the Covid-19/Coronavirus affected you personally?

Thanks very much for having me. Obviously the Coronavirus has pretty much affected the whole world, so it’s certainly affected me too. Aside obviously losing the gigs I had lined up and a social life, it has made it difficult to see my family in the UK, whilst I’m in Ireland. But I have a clean bill of health, I’m isolating with my wife and I’m able to work from home quite comfortably for my day job. Plus I’ve now been able to ramp up a lot more on producing than I normally would have time to do. So there’s positives and negatives. And I certainly intend to use the time wisely, so once we’re out and raving again, I’ll aim to have plenty of tracks and gigs lined up!

You hail from Dublin, which has a very strong trance scene. How has Dublin played an influence on you and your style? What are the benefits of being a part of the Irish trance scene?

I actually moved to Dublin about 2 and ½ years ago. Before then, I was based in London for 9 years. Both cities have very passionate trance fans and promoters. So I’ve been able to express what I do with the opportunities I was given. Ireland of course has a very strong musical history in general, so it’s only natural that the fans are very passionate about the genre. And there is certainly no shortage of top producers I have as neighbors. I wouldn’t say where I live has influenced my style directly, as I try to make what I do, true to me, and make it universal. But every little helps for sure. My heritage is ½ English, ½ Irish. So I’m proud to see both the countries do so well on the world stage of trance.

Live Steaming has become part of the norm since clubs/bars have shut down. How have you adapted to live streaming? What are your like and dislikes of live streaming? You continue to do your radio show, Adrenalin sessions.  With the current environment, any plans to make this a live stream as well?  Why or why not?

Oh I took to it like a duck to water! I have a background in technology and solutions, so setting up a live stream came quite naturally to me. I was able to get the jump on a few people and get in early. I actually had quite a few DJs and producers (won’t say who!) messaging me for tips and technical details in how to stream afterwards! I myself have continued to try improving my streams. More cameras, scrolling text, better visuals etc. And I’m waiting for a decent disco light that I ordered 4 weeks ago! Ha-ha.

I can’t see there being a downside to live streaming really. It’s interacting with your fans in the most personal way you can, whilst not being in the same room. So with the current going on. It’s more important to keep it up. What’s NOT to love about that!? I have thought about doing Adrenalin Sessions episodes live streams. But running it with my voice, the jingles etc., I don’t actually have all the kit to achieve that. It is always a radio show first, so Afterhours FM gets first airing. But I also do put it on Facebook live with artwork and some visuals. I hope to sync it across to YouTube as well at some stage this summer. Still tweaking a few bits to get that running.

Your latest release Cortison is doing well. What is your process when producing? When are you finally satisfied with a track being done? You are an artists of the Hard Trance Europe (THE) movement.  What the HTE mean to you? Hard Trance has evolved over years, how would you describe it?

That’s a good batch of questions there! My producing varies, if I’m collaborating or if I’m on my own. It’s a constant learning process for me, so quite often during track making, I ask some of my producer friends for tips and tricks, then apply the changes. Best way you can learn is through your peers. I then send it off to get mastered when I’m happy it’s there.

I’ve been involved with Hard Trance Europe since it started really. I was the first DJ to open at their launch night, so it does mean a lot to me. Their releases are just getting better and better, and it’s really pushing the hard trance sound to the masses more than any other label I can think of currently. I get on very well with HTE boss, Nick The Kid. And we are even aiming to get HTE and Adrenalin Sessions brands to work on some events in the future. Naturally with the pandemic, the plans are on hold for that. But watch this space!

I think Hard Trance constantly evolves, it’s hard to describe it in specifics. But when you look at upcoming producers such as Renegade System, AlexMo, Montoni and some of the old guard such as Scot Project, Luca Antolini, Andrea Montorsi throwing out some serious weapons, that are also commercially successful, then it leads to a fresh and healthy hard trance scene. And it’s great to see more and more people enjoy this rather specific and extremely energetic genre.

You recently posted that you have a new release on Clandestine coming out soon. Can you tell us more about this track? When you finish a track, how do you choose what label you send it to?

I’m afraid I cannot elaborate further at the moment, as we’re still in only preliminary agreement with that one. It is a collaboration with a very upcoming tech trance producer, and it’s certainly one of the most unique tracks I’ve been involved with. So I’m looking forward to seeing how it does. But it’s not due out for a while.

As for choosing labels; when a track is made, I usually have a particular label in mind. Sometimes your 1^st label might not think it’s quite right, so you then have a 2^nd label in mind, 3^rd and so on. There’s no shortage of labels out there, and they want to make sure your track succeeds as much as you do. So for me, it’s all about building relationships really.

You recently launched your Techno alias 6GR. Tell us more about this project, like why now? How has both the trance scene and the techno scene influenced you over the years?

I actually started the alias in late 2018. But it’s only now I’ve been able to get some tracks signed and released. As it’s a side project, I only dabble into it when I have time. I set myself a target of 4 tracks a year (2 EPs) so 2 have come out in May. And hopefully the other 2 will be released by the end of 2020.

I have played as my alias a couple of times as well in London and Ireland, and also did a 6-hour techno set recently on a livestream to show people what my techno side is about. I’ve always been a fan of techno and I certainly like to use some techno elements in my trance productions and even some trance elements in my techno productions.

Often in my standard DJ sets, I will drop in some hard techno tracks, if I feel it will fit into the set, and if the crowd seem up for it. There is also a very strong techno scene in Dublin, so in time, you might just see me playing at some of those events too. But I have a very relaxed approach to the 6GR project, so time is always on my side with that.

You wrote a very well thought out post about paying for live streams vs donating. The internet was in an uproar. Can you share your thoughts and has it evolved since that post?

Ha-ha! Oh my wife did have a go at me for going on that rant!! But the situation just hit a raw nerve with me. It was as if society had already decided livestreams should always be free, no matter who you are. I certainly didn’t see it that way. Don’t get me wrong, if a DJ wants to charge people for his/her stream, then it better be something damn spectacular! But I did also make it clear in my post that you don’t HAVE to pay for a stream. Donation by its very definition is voluntary. And perhaps it’s time for clubbers to start looking for new acts that are working hard and streaming every weekend without charging their viewers, rather than the guys that are already well known who are charging.

I don’t think my mind has changed on that issue, I mean I certainly don’t intend charging or asking for donations myself. And I was glad to see most people on my timeline agree with me on what I said, some people still disagree of course, but that’s why it’s always healthy to have an open and measured debate. And for me, that doesn’t just apply to the music scene

Finally, if you could only live by one motto, what would it be?

I’ve never been a person to live by mottos specifically. But I suppose the one that would ring most true to me would growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.