Ferry Corsten

Ferry Corsten is a Dutch DJ and producer from Rotterdam, born in 1973. He begins releasing music in 1991, first making underground hardcore gabber before moving into club and trance music. His work spans electronic styles including trance and progressive trance, and his output is not limited to one genre.

Career and releases

Corsten establishes Tsunami dance label in 1997 with Robert Smit and Purple Eye Entertainment, then leaves the label and Purple Eye in 2005. He then starts Flashover Recordings in 2005. His releases on Flashover include the track Who's Knockin'? with a Flashover remix, followed by Fire. He also compiles and mixes a range of compilation albums, including the Trance Nation series for Ministry of Sound, which sells millions of copies worldwide. The 2002 edition is the latest Trance Nation compilation he mixes. Other mixed CDs he compiles include Creamfields, Tsunami One, Dance Valley 2001, Passport: Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mixed Live: Spundae @ Circus Los Angeles, Live at Innercity, World Tour Tokyo and Washington, and others.

Albums and aliases

He releases several solo albums, including Looking Forward under the name Ferr with John Matze in 1996, Out Of The Blue as System F in 2001, Right of Way in 2003, Together as System F in 2003, L.E.F. in 2006, and Twice In A Blue Moon in 2008. L.E.F. stands for “Loud. Electronic. Ferocious.” and also gives its name to events he organises.

He uses many aliases and project names, including 4x4, A Jolly Good Fellow, Albion, Bypass, Cyber F, Dance Therapy, Delaquente, Digital Control, East West, Eon, Exiter, Ferr, Firmly Undaground, Free Inside, Funk Einsatz, Kinky Toys, Lunalife, Moonman, Party Cruiser, Pulp Victim, Raya Shaku, Sidewinder, System F, The Nutter and Zenithal. He also works in projects and groups such as Alter Native, Blade Racer, Discodroids, Double Dutch, Elektrika, Energiya, Fernick, Mind To Mind, Nixieland, Penetrator, Project Aurora, Riptide, Roef, S.O.A., Scum, Selected Worx, Sons of Aliens, Soundcheck, Spirit of Adventure, Starparty and The Tellurians.

Collaborations and recognition

Corsten works with Tijs Verwest, also known as DJ Tiësto, in Gouryella and Vimana, and with Vincent de Moor on Veracocha. He also works with Benny Benassi on FB/FB feat. Edun, a one-off project that includes Edun, a Russian/Nigerian gospel and electronic vocalist. His collaboration with Ramin Djawadi on Prison Break Theme (Ferry Corsten Breakout Mix) becomes widely known through the television series Prison Break.

He is voted Best Producer of the Year at the Ericsson Muzik Award in London in 1999, and receives Best Remix for Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix) at the Dancestar 2000 awards.