Artist Spotlight: Richard Durand
First of all, congratulations on creating the ASOT 2026 anthem. Can you give us a closer look at your creative process and how the track was made?
I was approached by Armin with the question of whether I would like to make a track together with him. He had received vocals from Dicosis and asked if I could do something with them. As I usually do when I receive vocals or start working on a remix, I sat down at the piano. From there, the first melody emerged, and I wrote a musical piece that perfectly matched the atmosphere of the vocals. When I played it to Armin, he was immediately enthusiastic. After that, we continued working together on the rest of the track, and that’s how the record gradually took shape.
When the anthem was first played in front of a live ASOT audience during the ADE Special, what was going through your mind?
The first time the track Always You was played live was a magical moment. Seeing a packed venue with everyone turning on their phone flashlights gave me goosebumps. It was special to experience how much emotion and connection one track can create within a crowd. For me, that is the power of trance: music that feels universal and can evoke the same emotion anywhere in the world.
Years from now, when you look back at 2026, what do you think you’ll remember most about creating this anthem?
When I look back on this project later on, the moment Armin asked me to collaborate will probably stand out the most. That initial moment, the invitation to create something together, was very special. Fortunately, the vocals turned out to be beautiful and perfectly suited for a strong trance record. From that point on, everything fell into place. The rest is history.