The longest lasting one-day festival in Holland, 18HRS, will again be taking place this year. On July 12th the team of organizations who host a stage: Strak, Kris Kross, Elrow and Click, will try to top last year with a solid line-up and diverse stages. At the Objektivity stage Dennis Ferrer will make an appearance behind the decks. The American has become a household name through his sound which is a blend of tech and soul.
Ferrer is quite literally an exceptional producer, in that he writes 90% of what you hear on one of his records, from lyrics to melodies to beats. His specialty is songs (‘That’s what I grew up with and that’s what wrong with this business, there’s not enough songs’). With ‘The World As I See It’, he wanted to redress this imbalance: with a healthy representation of song-based house – or dance music with feeling and a message. ‘This is who I am, this is not my job, this is what I love to do: when you get one of my records,there’s quality – you’re not getting cheated, I put my heart in it.’
He is just as outspoken about his inspirations, which to him can come at any time or place, striking at the most unexpected of moments, and you have to be prepared: ‘You can be taking a shit and be humming something and come up with a lyric and then have to run to the studio or write it down,’
[youtube id=”VPCHEA96oS8″ width=”620″ height=”360″]
Ferrer provided the catalyst that began breaking down dance music’s Iron Curtains: Ferrer’s monstrous collaboration with Jerome Sydenham, ‘Sandcastles‘, got the ball rolling and straddled the tech-soulful divide. Ferrer is a well rounded producer/song-writer. He’s produced a myriad of styles (ambient, acid techno, tech, gospel, Afro, soulful), and has learnt from masters including Damon Wild, Kerri Chandler and Jerome Sydenham. It’s an apprenticeship that many aspiring producers would trade their right arm for, and by combining this with strong ideas and passion, his consistency and quality over the last five years has been peerless.
Dennis Ferrer isn’t known as a prolific remixer, but when he does turn his hand to something you can be sure that the result will be worth the wait. His November 2012 remix of “Underground” has been hammered across Ibiza all summer long, and for good reason. Developing the chords of the original beautifully and adding a devastatingly infectious organ lead-line, Ferrer builds and builds before unleashing huge, pounding keys for a truly breathless finale, shooting the track straight to Nr. 1 on the Beatport Deep House chart.
As always with Ferrer the best is yet to come. With a deep knowledge of the past and a constant push for the future, Ferrer remains one of the greats in house music – a leader and innovator whose enjoying the buzz around him but keeping on pushing the limits. We hope this unique individual will be able to please the Amsterdam crowd during 18HRS Festival. Just put on his mix and decide for yourself..
Objektivity Stage: Dennis Ferrer (USA) | YOUSEF (UK) | Konstantin Sibold (DE) | André Hommen (DE) | SIRENA | FULL LINE UP |
July 12 | 18HRS Festival | Tickets | Balkenhaven Zaandam |
