Breaking through …

… the world of trance is never a one path formula but a key aspect is the drive and ambition, and with that the Jordanian powerhouse Ahmed Romel is ready. Producing now for over a decade, Ahmed was named no.3 in 2019 on the Trance Podium charts and his star only continues to rise. Poise and ready to make his US debut at the biggest festival in the world, EDC Las Vegas, Ahmed is looking to continue sharing his signature sound to a live audience near you.

First of all thank you so much for taking the time to be interviewed. You are about you make your US debut at the largest festival in the world, EDC Las Vegas.  Are you ready? Are you nervous?

Hi Danielle, thanks for having me! Well, nervous is the least I can describe getting ready for my US debut and EDC Las Vegas. I’m super excited and overwhelmed with all the support I’ve been getting from the US Trance Families for years and it’s about time to finally visit and perform. Looking forward to having more shows in difference cities and states very soon.

You latest track You Never Know is wonderful and available on FSOE. What was your inspiration for this track? Did you find it hard to find inspiration over the last 18 months, why or why not?

Definitely the last 18 months were very difficult and frustrating for any artist out there in terms of inspiration. Being unable to travel or perform as easy as before, [this] heavily impacts the urge of producing new music or get creative. Fortunately, things are getting better now and hopefully situation will ease for everyone to be back to normal.

You Never Know is a track I finished this Summer; it was produced out of real frustration if things will go back to normal soon or not …. You never know! I really liked the way it sounds which is something a bit new to my sound.

In August you performed an Open-to-Close in Beirut. How do you prepare that? Do you prefer the longer sets?  What is the ideal set time in your option and why?

It starts with taking couple of days off everything just to search and test new music, many of it requires special edits even to fit the journey. I think an OTC set is an experience every DJ should try once at least, as overwhelming as it might sound, but honestly as a DJ, it gives you a wide space to ‘articulate’ in every aspect, starting from ambient chillout beats up to the uplifting Trance that we love. It even enhances the DJ’s skills and give him/her time to test and tweak with no rush.

I always prefer having at least 1.5 hours set to be able to show-off a quick beautiful journey, 1 hour nowadays is totally unfair for the DJ and the music to be played.

You have a long history working with FSOE. What makes this label special for you?

FSOE has been always one of my favorite labels to trance music, the selection they have is always on spot and currently with the sub-genres, it covers it all! Besides being a close friend with Aly & Fila, whom I consider a mentor and true inspiration for me personally, they have always mentored me in the scene which is something I’ll always cherish.

Over the pandemic, many went to live streaming regularly. Now that live shows are back, will you live stream again? Why or why not?

I’ve tried streaming couple of times and frankly, I find it a bit depressing! The feeling of DJing alone in a room without having an actual audience in front of me doesn’t give the adrenaline rush that us as DJs look forward to have in every gig. It’s totally incomparable, and I believe even the fans don’t have the enthusiasm as before when the Covid lock-downs hit.

Everyone is looking to experience live shows again and people are doing what it takes for things to go back to normal

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

I’ve always loved what Steve Jobs once said “Stay Hungry, stay foolish”, it’s always interpret being eager to try more and push for beyond limits, and foolish to try new things, don’t stick to your comfort zone.