The Space Brothers Discuss The Past, Present, and Future of Trance – EDM Identity

The Space Brothers sat down with us at Dreamstate SoCal this year to chat about their role in the trance community, changes in the scene, and more!

From the early days of the dance music scene to this day, Ricky Simmons and Stephen Jones have been spinning trance, scorching dancefloors, and keeping the classic sound alive and well. Better known as The Space Brothers, this duo has truly become legends in the genre with huge tracks released over the years like Forgiven and Shine.

Helping form the genre into what its become today, theyve stayed consistent as the standard-bearers of the true trance sound while the rest of the scene has shifted and changed over the decades. Gracing the stage at major trance festivals like Luminosity Beach Festival and playing shows across the United Kingdom as well, their sets are revered for taking all who attend on a journey into the depths of the genre.

Most recently, The Space Brothers headed across the pond to play a stunner of a set at Dreamstate SoCal and luckily, we were able to catch up with this iconic duo. Read on to get the lowdown on this legendary duo as they give their insight on the scene and more.

Steve: Phenomenal! Obviously weve heard a lot about the festival and saw all of the footage but the experience is unbelievable. Such a warm and exciting crowd. Well be back next year if invited.

Ricky: Its nice to go back to those older records, around 1994-ish, that era, stuff that people have forgotten about. Its nice to go back to the stuff we used to hear when we went clubbing. We play alot of classic sets with tracks that have influenced our own current music

S: A lot of people resist playing old stuff but we still like playing that kind of thing dont we? To mix it up with current stuff is the best way to do it because otherwise, it can seem like youre playing a set from decades ago. But when you can mix it in with new remixes and reworks of what weve done in the past, it works.

R: Were lucky because we have quite a big catalog so loads of people are always remixing our stuff, and its nice to hear what other people are doing with our tracks. It really keeps things fresh.

Both: The internet. changed everything.

S: Not playing vinyl anymore, even though we did one recently. With these old fashioned, things called records. [Laughs]

R: And the old fashion thing called jeopardy that comes with playing records. [Laughs] In a nice way cause you feel like youre flying instead of playing with a remote-controlled toy with.

S: The thing that I was reminded of recently that most people wouldnt understand nowadays is when you could have a record that was quite hot and only two or three people would have the record for maybe months thats not a phenomenon that exists anymore where you can keep something a bit of a secret anymore. Its a shame we havent got that magic of having a track that can build for months where not everyones hearing it.

R: Once a DJ plays it and its out there on the internet everyone hears it.

R: More intimate clubs. You come to festivals like this and theyre amazing but more regular weekly clubs. I miss the fact that you could go to a club and thered be a residence DJs there and sorta the same crowd every week theres not much of that now, not in London anyway.

S: Yeah the number of clubs that have closed down in London even in the last five years let alone in the last 20 years is unbelievable. In the 90s when we were first kinda starting out, like I said, there were loads of clubs. So thats a shame, but thats what evolution and progression are all about things change.

S: It wasnt particularly the great club ever but we played at this club in Thailand called The Green Mango. We played it at the turn of the new Millennium.

R: It was on the beach, and the club after-

S: Nope, youve gotten that wrong, I remember because I had chosen the song when the clock struck twelve Wasnt a trance song by the way, it was All You Need Is Love by The Beatles.

R: South America. Id like to play in Argentina. Ive always heard people going on about the vibe there.

S: Buenos Aires is an amazing city, wed love to play there.

R: I listen to so many different things Jon Hopkins. Hes not new new, but every time I hear his new stuff its always completely nutty.

S: If were talking about non-trance, like non-dance music. A band Ive loved over the past few years is a band called Jungle, which is a weird band from England that has a sort of Earth Wind and Fire vibe, sorta funky, groovy music.

R: The mushrooms in Campania. [Laughs] I mean technically its a cuisine, right?

S: I think Thailand had the best food, I love Thai food.

S: Always help others, thats my message.

R: Thats what the trance family is about, sticking together and helping each other out theres something special about that.

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The Space Brothers Discuss The Past, Present, and Future of Trance - EDM Identity