He has just launched his new album, manages the infamous Balance record pool, and has an impressive DJ track record and discography to boot. A light shining bright and a true ambassdor of dance music in the States, we had the time to catch Chris Fortier just before his gig at Earth, at Amsterdam's Paradiso

So after a long wait for us Chris Fortier fans, your artist album, As Long As The Moment Exists has just been released. An artist album is much more personal compared to a mix CD. Knowing this, how does it make you feel releasing it, are you more nervous about the reactions compared to the mix albums you have done, since it is so attached to your personality?

The artist album is more personal as a general thing, but I will say that it isn't by much, because I put a lot of my heart and soul into my mixed albums too. I just don't get a handful of records and mix them up in one afternoon. I take a lot of care and pain in the selection process for tracks to be on a DJ mixed album. The Balance 007 album I worked on for 6+ months crafting it. and that is only about 6 months less then I worked on my artist album for. I think with the artist album, you get to go into tangents and explore music outside of a club or danceable thing, and this opens up more freedom. In fact, I am very close to each and every track, actually every note of every track. This artist album is one of hopefully many more to come as I move and expand my production later and later into my career.

The title of your album As Long As The Moment Exists sounds like you take life as it comes. Could you explain a bit more about the title of your new album?

I think it simply comes from the idea of taking each opportunity and making the best of it you can. Really putting your stamp on it so that you can be proud of it for the rest of your life. I am fortunate to be able to do what I love and follow music I love and I do not take it for granted at all. I also don't think the opportunities are automatic either, so when I decided to make the album at the end of 2005, I wanted to make something with this mindset in case I never get a chance like this again.

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