There are no limits when music turns into emotion and that’s exactly the spirit that unites Misja and Michael: two genuine trance souls, each with a distinctive artistic journey, whose meeting gave life to a project that, in just a few years, has left a deep imprint on the international scene. Through refined productions, high-profile collaborations and remixes and a sound that transcends genres, Hel:Sløwed have become one of the most inspiring and forward-thinking acts in today’s electronic landscape.
We’re truly thrilled they took the time to talk with us and share their vision
Misja and Michael, in one word: Hel:Sløwed, where did it all begin ?
Michael: I’d known Misja for a while, though we’d only worked together a couple of times. My wife had done some copywriting and social media work for him, so there was a loose connection. During COVID he came by for a visit, and we started talking about how he felt stuck with his uplifting repertoire: tracks starting to sound too similar. I understood his feeling, because I’ve had the same feeling for the longest time. As a (ghost) producer I’d worked across many genres for other artists, so we thought, why not try something together? What started as a single collaboration became Hel:sløwed. Funny thing is, I wasn’t even supposed to be a “visible” part of the project – but here we are.
Misja: Like Michael said, I wasn’t just stuck in the uplifting stuff, I actually got bored with it. All my tracks started to sound the same to me. I began experimenting with more techno-oriented setups, but I kept bringing in those classic trance melodies, like ‘Shivers’, ‘C-Sharp’, and ‘In Silence’. Shivers never made it to a final version, but I did play it once at ASOT in the studio, just to see how Armin would react! When I showed some ideas to Michael, we started discussing how we could make this sound work, and even how we could keep his involvement a secret for a while. That didn’t last long, haha. But honestly, I’m so used to having him next to me now that DJing back-to-back feels completely natural.
One of the defining elements of your early productions was the fusion between progressive trance and intense vocals, notably with Cari on ‘Drifting Apart’ (2022), then with That Girl on ‘In Silence’, a vocal cover of classic Randy Katana’s ‘In Silence’, and later with ‘Hold Onto This’. Was this the sound you aimed to create from the start, or did it evolve spontaneously during the creative process ?
Michael: A bit of both. From day one, we didn’t want to box ourselves into a single sound or genre. We pulled from everything we loved and shaped what we call our “Low Tempo, High Energy” sound. It blends the melodic side of trance, the driving grooves of techno, and atmospheric, emotional vocals. Over time, new influences sneak in, but the goal is always the same: none of our tracks should sound identical, yet people should instantly recognize them as Hel:sløwed.
Misja: Like Michael said, we don’t want to box ourselves in. For us, there are only two types of music: good music and bad music, and ours is always good! 😀
We never really aim for a specific sound; sometimes things just happen. Funny story: I started a trance tune about two months ago, but I got stuck again. So I stripped out all the “uplifting shizzle,” changed the tempo from 138 to 126, and suddenly a new Hel:sløwed setup was born.
2023 marked a true breakthrough with ‘If You Only Knew’, released on Armind together with Arie and Netta, quickly becoming a trance classic. and the following year came the follow-up ‘Wildfire’: after this great success, are you planning to return to the studio with Amber Revival to work on new track ?
Michael: Arie & Netta became dear friends, and we love working with them. So yes, there will definitely be more collaborations in the future. That said, we want to keep it special. We set the bar really high for collabs, which is why they take time. But you can be sure more will come.
Misja: Nothing to add to that, Michael said it perfectly.
You’ve always embraced the idea of not labeling music by genre, and today you naturally move between trance, progressive, and techno. This approach is reflected perfectly in your BORDERLANDS radio show and especially in some of your recent productions, like the highly anticipated upcoming collaboration with Nina de Koning, one of the most played tracks at international fesiva this summer: can you share any behind-the-scenes stories about the creation of ‘Give It To Me’ ?
Michael: We knew Nina through A State of Trance of course, and we got to know her as a really nice person. We talked about doing a collaborative project for a long time, but with our production schedule being insane, it did take a while until we got around to it. ‘Give It To Me’ actually started as a remix of a classic track, but since we’d only used one vocal phrase, I felt it deserved to become its own piece. I rewrote it with a “classic tech-trance with a modern twist” vibe. We then asked Nina if she wanted to jump on it, and she did. She added her ideas and vocals, and after some tweaking the track was done. We then sent it to Armada, to see if they were interested and without us even knowing Armin had picked it up, made his own version of it mashing it up with Dada Life’s “Kick Out The Epic ***”, and started playing it everywhere. During a b2b, David Guetta heard it and asked Armin if he could play it too. And the both of them have been absolutely hammering it everywhere. Insane stuff!
Misja: A lot of times we start by listening to older tracks for inspiration. Since I’m a bit older, I tend to go further back, I remember clubbing at 19 and hearing ‘X-Press 2 – Smoke Machine’ everywhere in Ibiza. I showed it to Michael, and the funny thing with him is that he’s always busy with client work, but when he gets excited about an idea, it can grow from a one-minute demo into a full track within three or four days. That’s exactly what happened with this one!
Recently, it seems that some people struggle to appreciate sounds that diverge from ‘pure’ trance, even though, paradoxically, trance itself came from a past of harder sounds and fewer boundaries. Do you think this is a form of nostalgia, driven by the fear that the dreamlike trance sound might be lost, or is it more a lack of openness toward a broader vision of electronic music ?
Michael: It’s human nature. When people love something deeply, they fear losing it, whether it’s music, movies, or hobbies. So in that sense, we see it everywhere. I think it becomes a problem when it turns into a toxic negativity pushed onto others. Where instead of celebrating what they love, they criticize anyone trying something new. Every genre has its purists and gatekeepers, and that can hold back artists and labels from experimenting. The amount of times I’ve heard the most amazing songs from artists, but they were afraid to release or play because they though their fans wouldn’t understand or appreciate is sky high. But I believe that as artists we need to look past this, and do try out new things, push boundaries. Surprise people, and maybe even show them something they didn’t know they’d love. If we focus on the possibilities instead of the fear, the scene thrives.
Misja: It’s actually hard to define what “pure trance” even is. I remember the days when even Carl Cox played trance! These days, many techno DJs are playing trance-inspired tracks again.
Both crowd taste and DJ taste evolve. Sometimes people love what you’re doing, sometimes they don’t, and that’s fine. I don’t think the genre will ever disappear; maybe subgenres will fade or new ones will appear, but trance as a feeling will always be around.
In recent months, there’s been a lot of talk about Tiësto, especially regarding his return to trance by including trance tracks in his DJ sets. In 2023, you released your own version of his 2001 classic ‘Flight 643’, on his deep-house label AFTR:HRS. Next 21 and 22 November, both you and Tiësto will be playing at Dreamstate SoCal, where he’s scheduled to perform an all-trance set: what are your thoughts on his return, and what are you expecting from him and your fellow lineup artists ?
Michael: Somewhat related to the question above; of course we’ve seen a lot of negativity towards Tiesto as well when he moved away from his traditional trance sound. I always felt he had every right to carve his own path. He brought electronic music to massive new audiences while still keeping elements of his roots. If now he’s ready to merge the “old Tiësto” with the “new Tiësto” – bring it on! We’ll be front row at Dreamstate supporting him, and I’m sure most of the lineup will be right there with us.
Misja: To be honest, I don’t have strong thoughts about it. Every artist should just do what they feel like. DJs are there to entertain the crowd, and an unhappy DJ will never entertain as well as a happy one. It might sound simple, but that’s really how I see it; let DJs play what they love. If you don’t like it, just go see another DJ. : )
Since your roots as DJs and producers go back to the so-called golden age of trance — a time that is now seeing a comeback both in sound and in tracks – you recently teamed up with BLR to rework a 1996 classic by ‘Oliver Lieb: L.S.G. – Netherworld’: you managed to capture the atmosphere of that time, with a refined and timeless sound. : the variety of influences and the attention to sound quality are traits you share with Leon Bolier, with whom Misja had already collaborated in 2009 on ‘Self-Fulfilling Prophecy’: how did the idea to rework this iconic Oliver Lieb track come about ?
Michael: Misja and Leon go way back, and I knew Leon from the old Dutch dance forum Clubcharts. Fun fact: that forum launched a ton of Dutch dance artists – Eelke Kleijn, W&W, Headhunterz, Redondo, Phynn, and more. So working together with Leon just felt natural. We wanted to remake a timeless classic in a way that we could both play it, and so that it could reach a new audience, while respecting the original track. And I think that worked out.
Misja: We love bringing new life to hidden gems, just like we did with In Silence. Many older tracks have great emotion and energy, but with today’s technology they can finally get the update they deserve. Leon came up with the idea for this one, and we tested it during ASOT 2024, the crowd loved it as far as we could tell.
Misja was a key figure in the trance scene in the late ’90s and early 2000s, releasing the first iconic In Trance We Trust compilation in 1998 and producing notable tracks and collaborations for labels like Magik Muzik and Black Hole Recordings (and more recently for Future Sound of Egypt). Meanwhile, Michael joined the scene a few years later, working behind the scenes as a ghost producer on various trance projects and remixes. In your opinion, what were the strengths of trance back then ? And what do you think are the strengths of today’s scene ?
Michael: What I miss from back then is the anticipation. Tracks would be teased for months, tested on crowds, refined, and then finally released, followed by a long period where they dominated sets. Now, with the streaming era, it’s “finish, tease, release, move on.” Things move so fast. It’s a side-effect of the whole streaming era. There’s little patience and people quickly move on to the next big thing.But one thing that defined trance then, and I see coming back now, is the sense of community. There’s more positivity, curiosity, and openness today compared to a few years ago. That gives me a lot of hope for the future.
Misja: 100% agree with Michael. I remember when my track ‘First Second’ was in Paul van Dyk’s sets for about four months, something you rarely see these days.
Besides being great artists, there’s a clear sense of humor in your posts, so we’re wondering: is your studio chemistry more like a live set or a sitcom? 😀 But seriously: what’s cooking in the studio for the future of Hel:sløwed ?
Michael: Our “studio chemistry” is mostly digital. I work in my studio, Misja in his, and we bounce ideas back and forth. When we do get together, it feels more like a comedy movie than a studio session :D. Looking ahead, we’ve got plenty of tracks lined up, remixes planned, and bigger ideas brewing. We see Hel:sløwed not just as tracks, but as a wider concept, including Borderlands, and we’re working hard to take it to the next level.
Misja: Our chemistry can be summed up as “deleting the right stems.” Most of the time, that means all my parts get deleted and replaced by Michael’s, haha! It’s our running joke, but also kind of true. 😀
To wrap things up and thank you for your time, here’s the classic final question from Trance History: list one or more trance tracks from history that you wish you had written or that you’ve always loved.
Michael: So many!! ‘Sasha – Xpander’, ‘Tiesto – Suburban Train’ (or ‘Silence’), ‘Ferry Corsten – Beautiful’, ‘Gouryella – Gouryella’, ‘Age of Love – Age of Love’, ‘Motorcycle – As The Rush Comes’, ‘Three Drives on a Vinyl – Greece 2000’, ‘Armin van Buuren – Communication’. All of these tracks are timeless. They’ll always “work” for me, no matter when or where they’re played.
Misja: ‘Infusion – Girls Can Be Cruel’, ‘Armin van Buuren – Birth of an Angel’, ‘Jark Prongo – Movin’’ Thru Your System, ‘Underworld – King of Snake’, and ‘Tiësto – Suburban Train’.
