DJ Energy became one of Europe's most popular trance DJs during the late '90s/early 2000s, his success mostly confined to Germany, Switzerland, and the surrounding countries. In his native country of Germany, his popularity paralleled that of other trance superstars like Paul van Dyk. However, in countries like the United States or England, for example, few even knew his name. This irony prevented DJ Energy from attaining the widespread acclaim that true superstars like Paul Oakenfold and John Digweed were able to attain. DJ Energy's emphasis on melodic trance partly explained his lack of widespread appeal. In countries like Germany, melodic trance was very popular at the time, while the U.S. and the U.K. tended to favor progressive house. ~ Jason Birchmeier