DJ Mag

Top 100 DJs / 45. Sean Tyas

2009

45. Sean Tyas

Style: Pure trance
Best known for: Lunacy at nighttime.
Gig of 2009: Trance Energy tour of Australia.
Tune of 2009: Pryda 'Waves' (Pryda)
Breakthrough DJ/Producer of 2009: Activa. He's been around but truly came into his own this year.
The track that changed your life: Apotheosis 'O Fortuna'

What makes a good DJ great: Interaction - plain and simple.
Most underrated DJ: John Askew
Biggest challenge this year: Programming an Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 – an audience that's not out on a dancefloor and not necessarily trance fans.
Top tech toy: Apple Logic 9 - it's got lots of great new features.

Sander Van Doorn-discovered trance DJ Sean Tyas has had a swift rise to fame. After shooting into the DJmag Top 100 at No.54 last year, things haven't slowed down this year. Amongst a handful of awards, he nabbed Best New Face at the Trance Awards last year, but it hasn't all been about swanning around accepting praise.

As well as heavy tours of Asia, Australia and the Americas, Sean put together CD mixes for 'Trance Energy' and 'Euphoria Trance Awards' and compiled his first Essential Mix broadcast for Radio 1.

"The highlight of the year has been all the studio work," he says from his new home in Switzerland. "Finally breaking my mould with tracks like 'Rulebook', 'Seven Weeks' and now my first techno track, which will be coming on Full Tilt."

Asked whether he finds the number of high profile gigs that have come with his meteoric rise daunting, Tyas merely shrugs and says that the hard part is keeping up with the studio work, including Logic "tag-teaming" with Armin Van Buuren over the internet. In fact, the nerves on his debut trip to China were not caused by his gigs there but by the restaurants.

"I loved it, but I am just so horrible with trying new food, so that part was difficult!" he laughs.

Words: Jim Butler