Six questions for... Sied van Riel

Trance producer Sied van Riel is from the Netherlands – the nation that’s birthed giants such as Tiesto and Armin van Buuren – but he prefers to avoid playing in the country because he worries audiences will get "sick and tired" of him. This month he'll be in town to play Creamfields

How did you get into the EDM scene?
I got introduced to dance music at a very young age (I think I was around 12) by my next door neighbours. Before that, I was always dancing to MJ, Prince and what have you. So I saw this Dutch hard style DJ performing on TV and I was like, 'this I have to do!’ My grandmother got me a few turntables and I started buying one vinyl a week from the money I made cleaning the hallway in our apartment building. I learned how to play vinyl on those old SL1210s and from there on, the virus got a hold of me.

What do you gun for while playing a set?
Energy is my main target. [I want to] keep the crowd going and take them on a ride throughout my set. I try to read crowds and see where I can take them. Since I play all styles of music, I have a wide variety of tracks that I can choose from to do so.

Is DJing a crazy sport?
Most of the time, I find the whole deal to be just crazy. Flying to a country, hotels, the parties… now that I think of it, it’s quite a bizarre lifestyle.

What’s on your progressive trance playlist at the moment?
A lot of stuff from Anton Firtich: 'Hello World' is amazing. Also, Arnej is on fire lately. Sander van Doorn never disappoints me. Radion 6, with whom I’ve collaborated twice, now also does some heavy stuff.

What do you think you would have done if you weren’t in this business?
I would probably still be working in the Rotterdam Harbour. Or I’d be a cook since I’ve got a degree in that. Maybe even unemployed, living off my family as a deadbeat. Who knows? All I know now is that I wouldn’t give up this life for the world!

What has been the hardest part of the business for you?
Not getting to play at certain events that I really want to play at. I am very impatient but I do also understand that some things will come as you go on. But I’ve had an incredible two years so far.