Signum

Signum is a Dutch electronic and trance duo from Zoetermeer, in the Netherlands. The group consists of Pascal Minnaard and Ronald Hagen, and has been active since 1997.

Formation and early releases

Minnaard and Hagen meet at high school, where they discover a shared interest in making music. After losing contact for a time, they both continue producing separately before working together under the Signum name. Minnaard first records for the Dutch BPM Dance network, including an early release on 4-Play, before using Signum for later material on Jinx, an imprint linked to BPM Dance.

Their first release together is What You Got for Me in 1997. It becomes a club anthem and is reissued in 2001 on TidyTrax, reaching the UK Top 40. Around this period they also remix Travel as Bulgarian.

Further production work

As well as Signum releases, the pair work under their own names as Ron Hagen & Pascal M on tracks including Forever, Take U There and On Stream. They also collaborate with British producer and DJ Scott Mac on Coming On Strong, another club hit.

Signum are in demand as remixers and rework tracks by Lost Tribe, Blank & Jones, ATB, KayCee, Straydog, Alice Deejay & DJ Jurgen, Yves Deruyter and Spacebrothers, among others. Later remixes include material by Delerium, Laura Turner, Misja Helsloot, and DJ Danjo & Rob Styles.

Signum releases and aliases

After focusing on original productions, Signum release Solar Level, followed by First Strike, Cura Me, Second Wave and Third Dimension, all on Jinx. First Strike receives support from DJs including Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, DJ Tiësto, Marco V and John 00 Fleming. The duo also record The Wrong Shake under the alias D-Factor.

When demand grows for updated versions of First Strike and Second Wave, they use the Signum Signal guise for reworks with a more tech-trance leaning sound.

DJ career and later work

Signum begin performing their own music live and make their UK debut with a three-hour set at Gatecrasher in July 2001. They go on to play clubs such as Godskitchen, Gatecrasher, Passion and Slinky, and appear at festivals including Global Gathering, Homelands and Summer Sound System. Their touring also takes them to Australia, Spain, Japan, Ireland, Canada, Africa, Switzerland, Germany, Malaysia, and to Ibiza and Mallorca.

In 2003, after BPM Dance ends, they move to Armada Music. Their first release there is Push Through on A State of Trance, the label named after Armin van Buuren’s radio show. In 2004 they team up with vocalist Anita Kelsey for Come Around Again, and later release The Timelord, which is chosen as a Future Favourite on Armin van Buuren’s show and reaches number one in several dance charts worldwide.

They also remix Serenity by Armin van Buuren. Their music is associated with trance, tech-trance, techno and progressive styles.