Eric Prydz, the Swedish born producer and DJ, who now lives in England, is currently on his first tour across North America. Prydz is well known for commercial success, topping music and video charts across Europe, but lately he has become an underground star as well. Under his Pryda alias/label he releases one great track after another, including “Armed”, “RYMD”, “Muranyi”, and the latest track; “Balaton”, which have al;l found their way to the top of the Beatport charts. DJ’s across the board, from Tiesto, to Adam Beyer, to Roger Sanchez, have been dropping the Pryda tracks in their sets. His sound is unique and been described as everything from house, minimal, electro, techno, just to name a few. Prydz’ videos, music, and gigs have been well received across Europe, and now he is embarking on his first tour across the Atlantic. Prydz and the other Swedish producers, who are mainly known as “house” music DJs, have a legion of fans across the trance nation. Thanks to our friends at Made Event, Trance.nu, the world’s leading trance site, was able to spend a few minutes on the phone with one of EDM’s true stars, Eric Prydz, and bring you a chance to win a pair of complimentary passes to the Made Event presents Eric Prydz @ Pacha NYC on November 16th.

Contest info and some side notes by the author to follow article.

How has the North American tour been so far?

Really good, better than expected, I expected the people would not be into my stuff as much because I hear that Americans are more into hip-hop and R&B, but the people have been coming to my gigs and they’ re really into the music, know the tunes, I’m really impressed. The European audiences and Americans are similar, especially in the big cities.

Once and for all set the record straight about your issues with traveling

I just hate flying, I have a phobia, but I’ve been dying to come to the US, but this fear of flying always held me back.

So what changed?

Well a friend gave me these pills, xanax, and yea they worked so I’m here and I’m fine

Your fans are well known for being very devoted. What’s the greatest length any fan has gone to see you play that you know of?

People tend to fly a few hours to get to my shows in Europe, which I’m extremely flattered by. It’s really great that people make that much of an effort.

As you are often playing solo or with only one other DJ, do you often get the chance to check out other DJs?

Sometimes I do, but not too much. The touring really wears you down, and I want to be ready and fresh for the gig so I can’t party all that much and I’m not able stay to check out the other DJ’s, I have to take care of myself so I don’t crash. I usually get to the gig 20 minutes early, and I don’t get to hang out after because the next morning I have to leave for another city

What’s your ideal set up as a DJ – in terms of decks, mixer, monitors, sound system and so on?

3 or 4 CD players, Pioneer 800 mixers, and one of the most important things is the monitoring system. If the club doesn’t have good monitors I have to concentrate on listening so much, you need to hear what you’re doing so you can see what will work next. Sound is extremely important.

One of the big discussions in our industry is vinyl/CD/MP3/Computers being used on stage and is it too easy to become a DJ now ?

Technology has made it easier to DJ, but I prefer not to use software to for mixing. Beat mixing is easy, but it’s all about programming, dropping the right track at the right time is what makes somebody a good DJ, and a computer can’t do that! Music is all that matters, if technology can help, then fine, but the music is what it’s all about. I like CDs, 2 years ago I was still using vinyl, but now it’s CDs. I like to play edits and stuff friends give me, which are always on CDs. It’s what I like playing so CDs are easier for me. Vinyls are too heavy to take around and much of the new stuff is available on CD format.

Peter Bjorn and John, The Hives, Jose Gonzalez why is such a small Scandinavian country, a larger exporter of fine music?

Lately I get asked this question a lot and I just have no idea why the Swedes are so popular (he says laughing). When Swedish people do something, if its music, fashion, designs, they make sure to do it 110%. They have the attitude that if they like something they are going to make sure they try and do it better, that’s the mentality of the Swedes. (Laughing again, he continues) I guess the weather as well, other than 2 months it’s always winter so we are in the studio, no distractions like the beach, so we can concentrate on our work, because we can’t be anywhere else!

What are your thought’s about your fellow Swedish EDM producers, Axwell, Ingrosso, and Angello

Well they are all my best friends, we send music to each other, play each other’s tracks, and produce things together.

Why do you believe you have such a large following from the trance audience?

The music I make can be played by Morillo, or Beyer, or Paul Van Dyk, it crosses over to any genre and can fit into any set. I don’t like to have my music fit into one genre; trance, techno, and funky house people can all find something in it that they like, I hope. I’m glad my music is on the track lists of trance guys like Armin and Tiesto.

How would you define your sound today?

My music is very direct; I make music for the dance floor, if there’s a sound missing from my record case I make it. I make music that can be described as melodic, euphoric, and electronic. My music is to make people go fucking nuts! In the beginning I wasn’t a DJ, I was just a guy who went to clubs and then went home and made some music and fantasized about how they would sound in the club. I want to make fresh stuff, something’s that’s pleasing to me, but it’s really music for the dance floor!

Can you tell us how you were able to licence the rights to Pink Floyd’s song for Proper Education, and were you surprised by the enormous success

I just recorded it as a DJ tool, a secret weapon to pull out and use it. The reaction was just silly; never saw anything like it, where ever I played it in Europe, people’s reaction was fucking insane. Finally I gave it to Pete Tong and then the Swedish guys (Axwell, Angello, Ingrosso), and there was massive hype for this track and it grew even more. I knew Pink Floyd had never licensed any of their music before, so we were a little afraid to bother, but I didn’t want 2 years to go by and wonder to myself what would have happened if we did ask, so we did, well a couple of months went by, management and lawyers were involved, but at the end we were able to do it. I never expected the cross over success, you know really it was underground, with this hard electronic sound you don’t often find on radio, but it worked and the people loved it.

One of summer 2007’s biggest tracks was RYMD, hitting number 1 on Beatport for a few weeks, is this future of EDM, what many consider to be a hybrid of tech/electro/minimal house?

I wouldn’t say it’s the future, I can understand your description, but I don’t like to have my music in genres. This track was meant for the opening of Space Ibiza this past summer, RYMD means space in Swedish, and I didn’t end up playing there, but the track did go over well

In the past year many of your hits have come on the Pryda label/alias, tell why use chose that label to release these tracks on

The Pryda label is something I formed for me, so I don’t have listen to anyone telling me what to put out and how to do it. I don’t do any promotions, no promo copies to magazines or many DJ’s, just to a few friends. The focus is only on the music. I do not advertise Pryda tracks, and if someone wants to get them they have to put some effort into finding it, because it should just be about the track.

Muranyi has this distinct sound to it, some have said it belongs in a video game, can you explain?

It’s named after a street in Budapest, Hungary, that my girlfriend lived on. I spent some time in Budapest, and made this while I was there. It’s not the melody, it’s the sound that I used that gives it that video game feel, I have heard this before, but it wasn’t my intention.

One of your latest tracks which has been hot lately is Balaton, can you tell us about this track

It’s also a place in Budapest, it’s a lake. The city really inspired me. I made this when I was on a journey back to Budapest on the train.

Who are the DJs who usually get your promos and new tracks?

Of course Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Axwell, then it’s usually Adam Beyer, Sebastian Ledger, Armin van Buuren, John Digweed, and Gabriel & Dresden. Sometimes we exchange music on AIM, we all try to keep in touch.

What’s the future have lined up for you?

Right now just busy with the USA and Canadian tour, then it’s back to Europe for some gigs there. I do plan to come back to the States, I’m already looking at Miami, I’ve heard so much about WMC, maybe hosting my own night down there, and just getting to check out whatever’s going on.