Elles de Graaf. Her name might not sound too familiar to most, but trance music freaks could have heard her in many a trance track. Examples? She has provided vocals on Armin van Buuren's worldwide smash hit The Sound Of Goodbye and Dust.Wav, as well as Blank & Jones' Flaming June.

2003 saw the release of her debut Circles Of Why, produced by Raz Nitzan and Adrian Broekhuyse, after which she went on to work with Ferry Corsten in 2004 as well as supporting Armin van Buuren during his Imagine tour in 2008. 2009 will see a lot more exciting projects involving Elles hitting the scene... and we strongly advise you to watch this lady! We recently teamed up with Elles for a short interview.

Your biographies show that you have been in music and dance schools ever since you know yourself. Do you believe music should be taught with the same intensity as science, math and other traditional core courses or is music something that cannot be taught and must come from within?
I think there needs to be a certain talent & creativity from within, but I also think that in a music school you will speed up your talent and learn the other sides of music.

What would you see yourself doing other than singing and dancing? Is there anything you wanted to be that you have not become and wish you could?
Sports academy then! But since that's very close to dancing/singing... Well, my other dreams were becoming a jetpilot or a cartoonist. ha ha. Unfortunately these two careers were impossible for me.

Are you satisfied with the way your career is going?
If I look at the big picture, yes I am very happy on how that it is going. But if I look at the moments itself where I try to make steps and move on, its very frustrating, cause I'm too impatient. You know in music, things need there time to be created and then picked up.

Are you working on any new projects right now?
We are creating yay. But as always I can't tell anything unless its official and that takes time again.

Mind Of The Wonderful from Blank & Jones is another great track with meaningful lyrics and your extraordinary voice. Do you write your own lyrics?
Unfortunately no, I don't write myself. Raz Nitzan has that talent. And the great thing about it, is that I always feel perfectly where he is writing about... ha ha.

Flaming June and Closer To Me as well as Circles of Why and many other great hits of yours create an unsatisfying feeling in that the listener can never be satiated with your voice. The listener wants to listen more and more and does not get tired of your voice or the song. Maya Simantov a female vocalist who has collaborated with Israel's Offer Nissim brings out similar feelings in that her voice like your voice is the type that the listener can never be full of. Do you think you could do a duet together?
Its a great compliment to the team to hear that. A collaboration huh, let me think about it and speak with the others cause I never decide things like that just by myself. Thx 4 the idea!

Which individual or individuals contributed the most to your music career and have your parents played any significant role?
The school I came from played a important role for connections to the right people. I also looked outside the box of dancing and then finally I met some great producers with the same visions and feelings for it as me. The right time at the right place counts... then you can meet anybody you dream of.

How did you meet Raz Nitzan and Adrian Broekhuyse?
Via a collegue & friend of mine who introduced us, cause they were looking for an artist for a new project (who could perform the drama they wanted he he). Then I created my own audition... and guess who passed by?

How were you introduced to Armin Van Buuren?
He came to my audition/presentation. That's how I was introduced. At that time I did not really know who he was to be honest. (That's a stress factor less right). He was working with Raz & Adrian... and there and then the whole project started.

Ever since the “Sound of Goodbye” and the recent remake of it, it seems like your cooperation with Armin Van Buuren has ended. How is your relationship with Armin Van Buuren?
Well.. the collab for the 'Sound of Goodbye' went well but towards the end of it and while creating 'Dust Wav' there were different ideas between the producers and Armin. Thank god over the years its perfectly fine again and they work together again for many other songs. My relationship with Armin good. We get along well with the Armin Only shows.
But in the years before, we hardly worked together... We went mostly each our own way with 'The sound of goodbye'. That was just the way it was.

“Sound of Goodbye” brought lots of success and recognition to you. How was it during those times of sudden recognition and worldwide exposure?
Those times of touring around the world are absolutely the best. Fist of all I looooove performing, so I always feel perfectly where I should be at those moments. I knew about the exposure already due to other music projects and hits with other groups before, so for me it came natural. Of course its great to been recognized for what we do and create.
The craziest time with fans was in the early days when 'The Sound of Goodbye' became a hit in the U.S.A.

Do you enjoy traveling? What is the most that you enjoy from being an internationally recognized trance/dance singer?
I don't enjoy travelling... I LOVE it. he he. I can continue forever. The world is full of surprises and beauty. I mostly love travelling with a little bit of extra time on my hands, which I don't always have. What I enjoy the most is performing and again the travelling. Meeting fans and foreign people and see there reaction on our love for music. To do what you love to do is a privelege and I treasure it!!

Has your career positively or negatively impacted your personal life? Are you satisfied with the way your personal life is going?
ha ha good questions! Its been mainly positive, because my life is unstable & surprising, and I'm very used to that life style. But sometimes its very hard to leave the people you have created around you, again and again. Its getting harder each year to be honest.

Thank you for your time and for giving 365mag.com and music lovers all over the world a much deeper light into you.
Thank you. I hope you'll have a fine time reading & spread the love for trance, yay!