On your Facebook page you placed a photo of you and Jaydee, calling him your mentor. How did this happen?
I used to join him on gigs in the early days. He had an impeccable taste in funk and rare grooves and I was lucky he was able to teach me some of that stuff. He was also one of the first with a FM radio show which focussed on house music. The way he did that show, showed so much passion for the scene. His boss told him that house would die a quick death the next year, but he kept on pushing for that sound. That’s what I really admire about him and inspired me to host a radio show. I still have the ambition to grow as a Radio-DJ. If a national radio station, like 3FM would ask me, I definitely wouldn’t say no.
Rotterdam is, of course, a much-cherished town, what do you think of the current state of house & techno over there?
I think Rotterdam at the moment is doing so well with clubs like Perron, Maassilo, Factory 10 and one of my favourite at the moment: Toffler.
There was a lot of terrain to win in the underground. For a while it was very hard. But all the competition has been very good for the development of the local scene. It has spawned some great initiatives like Give Soul, Nino & Frankie, Triphouse; all new collectives that manage to find a certain audience.
The popularity of house and techno has given birth to an enormous rise in the sheer amount of festivals. In your opinion, are there too many?
Well first of all it’s crazy I’m playing about 25 festivals this summer with guys like Benny Rodrigues and De Sluwe Vos probably doing even more.
Club culture gives birth to these festivals even though it’s dynamically different: Lots of different artists, exotic locations, huge crowds and one-hour sets. Clubs have to push themselves hard, but it is still the place where new kinds of music come into existence. Festivals will never be able to replace that.
Speaking of Benny Rodrigues, you two occasionally share the decks. How would you describe him as a DJ?
He is what you would call a DJ’s DJ, and a respected name among Dutch DJ’s. He has so much love for the music. I’ve known him since he was a teenager. At the time I was doing a different radio show and every time we gave away tickets for an event there was this young kid constantly calling the studio. He was even too young to go, but he wanted to win tickets for his dad. That was Benny! We invited him over because of his enthusiasm.
A while after that, he started working at a local record store with the same enthusiasm and honesty. Normally you would have to suck up to the person behind the counter to get the good records, but Benny was different. He would sell any record to anyone, no matter their reputation.
Do you actually still go out by yourself?
Well sometimes I do. Last time I went to Nina Kraviz in Toffler, but my schedule doesn’t always allow for it. When I host a night, I always stick around to check every artist of course.
During ADE I always take the time to go out. Last year I was in Trouw for the night by Rush Hour. Ron Trent was playing an amazing set. Even though the mixing wasn’t perfect his set blew me away. His track selection made up for any mixing flaws.
Are there any goals you have left?
Well, I remember when I went to Indonesia years ago and I sat in the backseat of a taxi when Jaydee’s track Plastic Dreams started playing on the radio. That is the kind of moment I want to experience with my own record. To hear my own track playing in a place far away.
You are also playing Free Your Mind Festival, is there anything you are looking forward to on that day?
Normally I walk by the DJ’s that I know on the line-up for some banter and to listen to the usual festival gossip. There are lots of names I’d like to listen too, but I would really like to see Seth Troxler play in a festival setting.
Jamie Jones | Seth Troxler | Guy Gerber | Art Department | Ben Sims | Hot Since 82 | Mathias Kaden | Marek Hemmann | Super Flu | Andre Galluzzi | Butch | Christian Burkhardt | more
6 June | Free Your Mind | Tickets | Arnhem