Roman Messer: How He Became a Leading Trance DJ, Producer, and Label Owner

Some fifteen years of fascination with the world of electronic dance music. Nearly a decade of hands-on experience within it as a full-time music producer, DJ, and label owner. A skyrocketing career growth from a beginner musician to a traveling artist who rocks stages all over the world and has released four well-received studio albums to date. The title of Roman Messer’s latest one, “Written In The Stars”, might as well be an apt description of his success in the world of trance music.

Still, being one of the top 50 producers in the world according to TrancePodium – and playing DJ sets at international events like Untold, A State Of Trance and Trancemission – isn’t only due to Roman’s undeniable talent, but just as much due to his relentless work ethic. Hailing from Russia, Roman has worked with fellow artists and labels from all over the world, from Netherlands to the US, and helped jumpstart the careers of other local musicians through his label family Suanda Music. By now, Roman Messer is pretty much a household name for trance fans, and there are very solid reasons for that.

As a producer, Roman Messer has released four artist albums, most recently in late 2021, covering a wide spectrum of trance music but preferring the energetic, driving sounds that are a great fit for peak time moments in DJ sets. High-octane uplifting trance, thundering basslines of tech and progressive tech – whatever the style, Roman’s production skills are responsible for some serious anthems. “Serenity”, his vocal work with Cari, was one of the 15 best tracks of 2019 as voted by the listeners of A State Of Trance. In 2020, he was hand-picked by Armada Music to create an official remix of Armin van Buuren’s “In And Out Of Love”; in 2022, he released a cover of Delerium’s “Silence”. His original works and remixes reach listeners both through Roman’s own label Suanda Music and through releases on other respected labels in the scene such as A State Of Trance, Armind, Who’s Afraid Of 138?!, Statement!, Coldharbour and Black Hole. His tracks, both vocal and instrumental ones, are a staple in the sets of trance heavyweights. Roman has worked extensively with the likes of Cari, Roxanne Emery, Betsie Larkin, and Christina Novelli, has had numerous tracks featured in A State Of Trance Year Mix compilations that serve as summaries of trance music in a given year, and recently had a special feature in the official Trance Mission playlist by Spotify themselves to celebrate the release of his latest studio album. Just about every trance fan in the world has heard his name – nearly half a million monthly streams on Spotify speak for themselves.

As a DJ, Roman has rocked numerous dancefloors both in small clubs and at huge festival arenas, from Untold in Romania to A State Of Trance in Utrecht, from Suanda Music club events at home in Russia to Tranceformations in Poland. Whether he is controlling the crowd to the sounds of his quirky tech trance tool “#LeftRight” or presenting his albums in the A State Of Trance radio show studio with a live DJ mix, getting his fans to sing along to his vocal anthems like “Lately” or tearing the roof off with instrumental bangers like his several collaborations with Davey Asprey, Roman is always giving his all behind the decks – and it shows. Always smiling, jumping up and down with the crowd to his own sounds and those of the Suanda label that he runs, he is there to serve the crowd and make sure that they get what they came for, and some more on top. Even in his studio sets, like his weekly Suanda Music radio show or his special classics mix for A State Of Trance, his energy behind the decks is undeniable.

Suanda Music, Roman’s brainchild, has grown from its inception in 2013 as a fledgling independent record label to a notable brand in the trance music scene. As a label, Suanda enjoys nearly weekly appearances in major podcasts and radio shows that bring its music to numerous listeners worldwide, and, according to 1001Tracklists, was one of the top 25 labels across all electronic music genres in 2021. Suanda Music has served as a springboard for many young talents both from Roman’s home country and around the world; artists from Indonesia, Denmark, United States, Germany to name a few trust Suanda with releasing their singles and artist albums. Over its almost decade-long history, Suanda has expanded to cover nearly every modern style of trance music and some on its fringes, with the most recent addition, Suanda Future, catering to the emerging scene of progressive tech trance and future rave. In addition to label work, Roman Messer runs an eponymous weekly radio show broadcasted on social media, with a live DJ mix showcasing the latest and the greatest of the label’s output, has hosted several dedicated club nights under the Suanda brand featuring the label’s artists, and has launched a yearly series of Suanda Music compilations with a selection of hottest tracks across 2 CDs.

Roman’s journey that started in 2012 with his first track release has seen him reach heights that his past self could only daydream of. Ambition. Dreams of a new life. A decade later, those words became the titles of his first artist albums. What will the future bring for Roman? If you haven’t already, tag along to find out.