Misja Helsloot

When Misja Helsloot received the chance to compile the inaugural entry in Tiesto's Black Hole Recordings In Trance We Trust series, he broke free from the feral trance events he had been running on his own in Rotterdam and connected with an international audience that had previously been out of reach. The sudden wave of moderate recognition set in motion an unexpectedly constructive shift. Armed with a platform to release six years of stored tracks and, more importantly, a sincere excitement for a scene that aligned with his approach, he issued three further mix albums across the following two years: Forbidden Paradise, Vol. 10, The Creation -- Day One, and The Creation -- Day Two. Appearances before thousand-strong crowds at Oslo's Subcity and Rotterdam's Danceparade widened his profile still more, and the arrival of early studio efforts under the names DJ Misja and 2 Men Strong helped build a sizable underground following for his uncluttered manic energy and hard East European beats.