BT

Grammy-nominated film score composer and trance legend Brian Transeau is back with his first dance music album in seven years. Danny Turner explores his stunning studio and obsession with technology

- Danny Turner

Few electronic artists have displayed their passion for sound, technology and innovation with as much enthusiasm as Maryland-born producer Brian Transeau (BT). From his first album, Ima (1995), BT has adopted a pioneering approach to music-making, segueing into film soundtrack, TV and video game scoring, with each project informing the next over a diverse catalogue of releases.

Not just a technology geek but an inventor, BT is famed for creating iZotope’s Stutter Edit sound-processing plugin and, more recently, Stutter Edit 2, BreakTweaker and Phobos with Spitfire Audio. Following two full-length multi-movement experimental albums in 2019, The Lost Art of Longing sees Transeau return to the classic trance sound he’s best-known for, binding 25 years’ experience into a project he describes as a journey of deep personal significance.

Dance music is increasingly moving towards the release of singles and EPs over albums. Is that something you’ve had to fight when it comes to selling music?

“Yes, every day. From managers to lawyers and agents, I’ve respectfully let representatives go for telling me something has to be done in a certain way. They tell me that people’s attention span is so small that you have to put out one song every month for x years and have a certain social media output and I’m like, you know what? No you don’t. I was blessed to go on tour with a demigod superhero of mine, Howard Jones. Watch how he interacts with the world and how his fans have stayed with him for so many years selling out 5,000-seater rooms in ways that other big artists can’t. He’s not worried about his Spotify monthly listen or having a song out every month – he’s making music that makes people feel more connected.”