There is a new breed of DJ’s emerging, and U.K. native iLan Bluestone is leading the pack. This new insurgence is fueled more by raw talent rather than the button-pushing antics for which some DJ’s have been scrutinized. Musicianship, song-structure, production, arrangement and mixing are now all part of the game with these super-DJ’s who have the skills to bring it all together. SONAR has been at the heart of iLan’s career for over 10 years now. Hailing from the town of Borehamwood just north of London, he taught himself guitar and piano at a young age and took his time developing his sound. “I think it takes a while to figure out your sound and what you’re good at,” iLan told us while visiting his home studio in the U.K. “A lot of artists get really close to finding their own sound, but then for one reason or another things don’t seem to connect. It takes a lot of dedication and patience to really develop as an artists these days, especially in the EDM world.” 
These words of wisdom seem to have a lot of weight behind them considering iLan’s sonic-trajectory in the last 18 months. On Beatport alone, he has seen the Top Ten Trance chart over 12 times including eight #1 tracks. He has also graced Billboard Charts and is literally the only U.K. artist to go from his bedroom production suite to a recent sold out show at Madison Square Garden [supporting Above & Beyond]. From Asia and Australia, to Ireland and the USA, iLan’s globetrotting efforts in the Trance world are really starting to pay off. “It’s been a whirlwind of activity all at once,” iLan stated. “There are so many emotions that go into playing something as iconic as Madison Square Garden, especially considering where I came from – and the time and dedication I have put into this. I am very thankful that I have such dedicated fans around the world that want to hear my music, and there is a lot more on the way.” 
That is a true statement considering iLan’s work ethic. On our visit alone he had finished tracks at 10am in the morning and then jumped on a plane to perform “A State of Trance” in Utrecht, Netherlands in front of a good 10,000 people. From there it was back to his music-lab before jumping another plane to Belfast, Ireland to play another show. “I don’t sleep much these days and when I do, I think I’m still writing music. The balancing act between touring and getting all this music out there is tough sometimes, but it has to happen. When I have a song that I am working on it’s almost like it possesses me and I have to finish it. It’s really one of the main reasons why I use SONAR; the fast workflow. I can work so quickly in SONAR and get songs out fast which is really part of the game today.” 
As the quickness of the workflow is part of the game for iLan, so is the sound quality of the SONAR engine. The EDM world now has many different dimensions to it. Not only does an artists have to have the skillset to write great material, but what’s also needed are the tools to create music that translates from one sound experience [system] to another. The frequency range in EDM encompasses a wide array, so the treble spectrum has to be crystal clear while the lows have to be tight and punchy at the end of the day. “The sound engine in SONAR is like no other,” iLan tells us. “I’ve heard and tried them all, and it just has something to it that no other engine has. My mixes really translate well to the clubs too, and I have people commenting on how clear my tracks are without being too high-end-y; the engine is just fantastic” 
We will fortunately be seeing more of iLan Bluestone here in the United States in the near future as his heartfelt sound is becoming more and more popular by the day. Since our visit in the U.K., Bluestone has secured another US tour for May and will also be performing here in the US over the summer on various tours and shows. He has also on the verge of releasing yet another single titled “43” which is sure to find its way onto the charts. The single which got its name from finding its way 43 minutes into his set at Madison Square Garden as a “test track” will be released worldwide on Anjunabeats. For more information: www.ilanbluestone.com www.facebook.com/ibluestone Twitter @ibluestone iLan’s studio: SONAR Platinum KRK Monitors Roland PCR Controller