LUCKY 7: MARKUS SCHULZ

After a busy season touring and producing a new LP, Markus Schulz  is Kicking  back in Miami. The weather  has been cold in the usually sunny city when we speak with the german producer in january. We have three or four weeks of winter and then it starts warming up, he says straight away despite the chill, Schulz still takes time to enjoy his mini vacation and rightly so. He just finished his new artist album Scream 2 and only has two weekends left before taking off for tour in Australia and Asia. Then it's back to Miami in March for the ultimate dance music extravaganza, Ultra Music Festival  

Fans have much to look forward to when it comes to Schulz's Ultra set since it will feature new tracks from the fresh album, an evolutionary stage of the original Scream. Ultra will also see a special tag team perfomance with Schulz's fewllow 'trance warrior Ferry Corsten, including bootlegs they have pulled together in the studio. We stopped by to see how he stacks up against DJ Mag's Lucky 7... 

What track reminds you of your childhood? 

I grew up as a break dancer, so for me 'Planet Rock' or even 'Looking for the perfect beat' by Afrika Bamaata and Soulsonic Force. Those kind of trakcs remind me of my childhood when i used to be a little trouble making breakdancer. I had a few groups I was part of & one of the crews I was in was The Amazing Force.

What was the first record you ever bought?

Oh I remember that one. It was Zapp & Roger More Bounce To The Ounce. I loved the bassline in that, so i would try and do stuff with that bassline.

Whats the cheesiest record in your collection?

Kotos Visitors. It's an old Italian synthpop record from when I started DJing in the gay clubs that was really cheesy. But I loved it because of it's happy, uplifting melody. 

What track is guaranteed to make you cry?

I would say 'Stairway To Heaven' by Led Zepplin. The ironic thing is I was into breakdance and all the electronic music, but I lived in a city where everything was blue collar and everybody listened to classic rock, and that classic rock, subconsciously inspired me. With 'Stairway To Heaven' because of the lyrics, it became one of those songs I could always connect to.

What's an album that you're currently into?

Duke Dumont, but he hasn't really put out an album. He has put out some amazing tracks and EP's. As far as albums, it would be Pretty Lights' A colored Map Of The Sun. I think that it's just absolutely brilliant. He's a great mash-up producer, and the concept of making tracks out of samples from jam sessions is really, really cool. He even included the jam sessions on the album.What is

The record in your collection that you most treasure?