Misja Helsloot

Offered the opportunity to mix the first of Tiesto's Black Hole Recordings' In Trance We Trust series, Misja Helsloot was freed from self-run feral trance Rotterdam parties and discovered an entirely new international fan base. Such sudden semi-fame triggered what would eventually turn out to be a surprisingly healthy transformation. Energized with an outlet to let loose six years of pent-up record stockpiling and, more significantly, a genuine enthusiasm for a scene that suited it well, Helsloot released three more mix albums over the next two years: Forbidden Paradise, Vol. 10, The Creation -- Day One, and The Creation -- Day Two. Bookings at thousand-strong gigs at Oslo's Subcity and Rotterdam's Danceparade also expanded his reputation, and with the emergence of tentative studio production (DJ Misja, 2 Men Strong), Helsloot had fostered a large underground audience for his uncluttered manic energy and hard East European beats. ~ Dean Carlson