#148: Ørjan Nilsen on Chasing Your Passion and Building an International Brand

Show Notes: edmprod.com/148 This week, Ørjan Nilsen sat down to chat on the EDM Prodcast. Ørjan Nilsen is a Norwegian DJ and producer who’s been a staple in the trance scene for over 15 years. Releasing regularly with Armada Music, he’s collabed with industry heavyweights like Armin Van Buuren and Cosmic Gate, and he’s placed as high as 32nd in the annual DJ Mag Top 100 poll. We start out with Ørjan’s background, discussing how he fell in love with trance music at a young age. He discusses how he learned to produce music despite a lack of educational resources, and what it took for him to make his first release ready track. He explains the story of how Armin Van Buuren picked him up when smaller labels we’re constantly rejecting his music, and how he was able to leverage that friendship to grow his career. He also explains why he was hesitant to make the leap to producing music full-time, even though he was already ranking inside the DJ Mag Top 100 poll. On the production side, Ørjan Nilsen walks through the production tools and techniques he’s picked up while locked in the studio during the pandemic. He breaks down what his favorite synths and effects are, why he prefers software over hardware, and what his keys are to a loud and clean mixdown. He also discusses what he’s learned collaborating with Armin Van Buuren, and what aspiring producers should look for in a collaboration partner. Connect with Ørjan Nilsen: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrjanMusic/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/orjan_nilsen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orjann82 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1YuNQvsvOsMBm0ahbxB8qM Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/orjan_nilsen