Richard Durand Dutch DJ and music producer Date of Birth: 05.04.1976 Country: Netherlands

1. Biography of Richard Durand
2. Early Career and Collaborations
3. Solo Work and Hits
4. Evolution and Recent Success
5. Signature Sound and Equipment

Biography of Richard Durand

Richard Durand, born Richard van Schooneveld on April 5, 1976, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is a Dutch DJ and music producer. He started his music career officially in 2005, but his breakthrough came in 2007 when he was mentioned by Dutch DJ Tiësto in DJ Magazine. That same year, DJ Magazine placed Durand in their list of "Top 100 DJs" based on voting results.

Early Career and Collaborations

Durand's early musical creations included techno-trance singles "Make Me Scream" and "Slipping Away," released on the label "Terminal 4." However, his real success came with remixes of Tiësto's singles such as "Lethal Industry," "Flight 643," and "Break My Fall." Durand gained popularity through his remixes of "Smack My Bitch Up" by The Prodigy and "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol.

Solo Work and Hits

In 2008, Durand created a remix of "Toca's Miracle" by German trance group Fragma and "In And Out Of Love" by Armin van Buuren. His solo works include the composition "Weep," featuring vocals by Deborah Anne Dyer, known as Skin, the lead vocalist of British group Skunk Anansie. The track "Weep" was produced in collaboration with Perfecto Records.

In 2009, following the release of his debut album "Always The Sun" on Magik Muzik and Black Hole Recordings, Durand released a remix of Simon Berry's (known as Art of Trance) composition "Madagascar." The album "Always The Sun" spawned three singles - "Into Something," "Always The Sun," and "No Way Home."

In 2011, Richard presented his second album, "Wide Awake," featuring several vocal singles including the title track "Wide Awake" recorded with Ellie Lawson. The tracklist also included "Night And Day" with vocals by Christian Burns and "N.Y.C" performed by Jes. Richard.

Evolution and Recent Success

In 2012, Durand revised his approach to releasing music with the album "Richard Durand vs The World" on Prologic Music. In 2014, he started the year with the release of two club hits, his single "Morning Light" and a remix of Svenson's track "Sunlight Theory." Both hits reached the "Top 5" in Beatport charts.

Throughout his career, Durand has performed at various festivals in Europe, including Dance Valley, Summer Of Love, RMI Trance Xplosion, Planet Love, and Coloursfest. He has also made guest appearances at iconic music events such as Godskitchen, Inside Out, and Gatecrasher.

Signature Sound and Equipment

Durand's distinctive sound combines dynamic and sonic contrasts, blended with progressive trance and cutting-edge techno, with a constant influence of electronic music. Known for his technical expertise, the Dutch DJ creates his unique sets using a 4-deck player and a variety of effects.