There’s a certain freedom that comes with knowing yourself and for Tim Green, that self-discovery has unfolded across a two-decade career defined by shifts in the sounds he produces and creative leaps that he has taken. Green has quietly become one of electronic music’s most versatile and respected figures. From his aliases APIR and Invisible Minds to his long-standing relationship with Sven Väth’s Cocoon Recordings; not to forget his ties with Lee Burridge’s All Day I Dream, Green’s catalog bridges melodic house, techno, electronica, and beyond.
As a producer and a DJ, he continues to prove that exploration is not only a creative choice but also his way of life. In an exclusive interview with EDMNOMAD, Tim Green reflects on his creative process, his label families, and the lessons that keep him moving forward in an industry built on change.
Exploring Identities Through Aliases
For an artist as prolific and diverse as Tim, navigating fan expectations can be a challenge. He’s released everything from alternative pop under the moniker Invisible Minds to the darker, more industrial techno of APIR. He explains that these projects are not just creative outlets but a practical way to manage his musical identities. “I think the exploration for me is obviously the most important part,” he says. “The name is usually a bi-product of the music being vastly different to the music I am (or was at the time) known for.”
This separation, he adds, is as much for his listeners as it is for himself. “You have to respect that people expect a certain sound from an artist,” he says. “If I feel like deviating to a vastly different sound, I think it makes more sense to use an alias. Just so people can compartmentalize the music better. Plus truthfully, sometimes it helps myself compartmentalize the music as a creative. It’s another persona in which you can switch to and explore as if you were a different person.”
This fluidity is a core part of his creative process. While some tracks begin with a specific mood or goal, others are born from pure spontaneity, a melody or a sound that tells him which direction to go. “It doesn’t take me very long to know which direction and mood I want for the track,” he explains. “Usually quite early on, there will be an element, or many elements that give me a certain feeling about the song. So I already know which way to push that song further.”
Partnerships & Labels
Few relationships have shaped Green’s early journey like his work with Sven Väth and his label Cocoon Recordings. His journey that led him to the more emotive landscapes of All Day I Dream and Lost Miracle. He speaks with genuine affection about his long-standing relationship with Lee Burridge. “Lee Burridge has been a friend for such a long time,” he shares. “I was a fan of ADID from some of the very early days when the parties started. I was always attending the parties when I got the chance to, just because I loved the music and vibe so much.”
This musical kinship has allowed him to fully embrace a sound that feels most authentic to him. It’s a direction that is perfectly captured in his latest release on the label, the entrancing three-track Body Stars EP. “It’s why I’m so happy to be a part of this family,” he says. “Because it meant so much to me musically. I was really able to find my feet with this label, and I think I finally found a sound that was the most truthful to myself and the direction I felt most comfortable exploring.”
This sense of belonging is a key contrast to his time with Cocoon Recordings. A label for which he has immense respect. “Sven is one of my all-time favourite DJs, and he’s always been such a big supporter of my music,” he says. “I always was the odd one out on the label though in my opinion. Not in a bad way, but I was never a full-on techno artist. In my own way, I liked to experiment with the genre. I think that’s why Sven has always loved my music, to be honest. As I was trying things differently.”
From Studio to Stage
Recently, Green took to the stage at Balance Croatia, a progressive house festival which hosted its first edition and one that has left a lasting impression. “This was one of the best shows I’ve ever played, to be honest!” he says. “It was such an incredible festival with an amazing crowd and vibe throughout. Every DJ had such a good time playing there, we all felt such amazing love from the festival and audience.”
When it comes to performing, he prefers a flexible approach. “My approach to performances always depends on the moment,” he notes. “I have an idea of where I’d like to go before I start playing, but I try to just see where the flow takes me.” He believes his music is adaptable enough to work in any environment, whether it’s an intimate club or a sprawling festival. “My goal with my track selection is that it can mostly work in any situation,” he adds.
The Challenge of the Remix
Beyond his original productions, Tim Green is a master of the remix, having re-imagined tracks for artists like Ben Böhmer to Paul McCartney & Wings. It was the latter that proved to be one of the most challenging, due to both the reverence he holds for the artist and the technical complexities of the project. “The first concert I ever went to was Paul McCartney at Earls Court [London] in 1993, I was 9 years old,” he recalls. “Plus, fun fact, we actually share the same birthday: 18th of June!”
The pressure to do justice to an icon was immense, and the process was far from simple. “But it was so hard to remix because I struggled to deliver the song structure and song progression I heard in my head,” he says. “It took many attempts to find what I think flowed the best and what gave the best suspense through the song. Again just because of my own high exceptions I had for the remix, I really wanted to deliver.”
He also underscores the importance of honoring the original, an approach he took to heart when remixing Ben Böhmer’s ‘In Memoriam,’ a deeply personal track written for Ben’s late father. “You can sometimes just “abuse” the original track if you just remix it mindlessly.” he notes. “I felt very honoured to be trusted by Ben to remix this particular track,” he says.
The Future of Sound
Two decades into his career, Green’s creative process has evolved significantly. He now feels a new sense of freedom in the studio, having overcome the anxieties of his early days. “Honestly now I feel much more confident in what I’m doing,” he says. “Which in turn makes me much more relaxed and able to be more spontaneous.”
This spontaneity is also what excites him most about the future of electronic music. He sees the blurring of genres as a return to the roots of the culture. “I think people are caring less and less about being strict about the sound they should pursue,” he observes. “I hope we can go back to this again in the future. Which I’d really love, because music should just be fun.”
He is unconcerned about the rise of AI, viewing it not as a threat but as a potential new tool. “At least from my point of view, I don’t even know what type of song I’m going to write next. So there is no way AI would know,” he says. “My music and sound is completely shaped by my life, experiences, tastes, influences… PLUS my musical and technical ability. And all of those things are changing all the time day by day. That’s what makes me unique.”
What’s Next for Tim Green
With a wealth of unreleased music and a renewed sense of purpose in the studio. The journey for Tim Green is far from over. He continues to search for the perfect balance between musicality and the dancefloor, fusing disparate sounds to create something new and uniquely his own. As he puts it, “I just love fusing different sounds together to make new interesting songs.” And for anyone who’s listened to his music over the years, that much is abundantly clear.
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