Paul van Dyk

Paul van Dyk is one of the world's leading trance DJs and producers. Born in East Berlin, Paul kept in touch with the outside world by listening to smuggled-in mixtapes, and he began to make mixes for his friends. In 1991, after the f

Paul van Dyk is one of the world's leading trance DJs and producers. Born in East Berlin, Paul kept in touch with the outside world by listening to smuggled-in mixtapes, and he began to make mixes for his friends. In 1991, after the fall of the Berlin wall, Paul began to be more creative with his musical instincts. His first production, in collaboration with Cosmic Baby as “Visions of Shiva”, was released in 1992. In 1993 Paul made a name for himself with his remix of Humate's “Love Stimulation” and his nights at legendary Berlin nightclub E-Werk. In 1994, Paul’s debut album “45RPM” was released.

By 1997 Paul had made quite a name for himself as a DJ, and his second album “Seven Ways” established himself as a pioneer in the trance genre. This was his first real success in Britain, with the singles “Forbidden Fruit”, “Seven Ways” and “Words” producing huge club hits at the height of the British superclub phenomenon. As Paul himself puts it, “by the time they realised I was German, it was too late!”. One year later in 1998, “45RPM” was released in the UK, reaching number 1. To mark the event, and in homage to the now closed nightclub, Paul released his “1998 E-Werk” remix of “For An Angel”. This track is widely regarded as one of the best dance records of all time, and captured the mood and emotion of the melodic trance scene being born in the British superclubs. To complete his dominance of the trance scene, Paul also took up a residency at Sheffield’s Gatecrasher club. In a brave move, Paul declared himself anti-drugs, but instead of alienating himself from his fans this statement led to many Gatecrasher regulars sporting home-made “No Pills, Pure PvD” t-shirts by the beginning of 1999. That year also saw the birth of Vandit Records, in which Paul van Dyk has a controlling share, and the release of “Vorsprung Dyk Technik: the remix collection” which went on to sell over 60,000 copies in the UK alone.