As a born and raised Utrechter, how has growing up in this city shaped your musical journey?
This city has shaped me every step of the way. I’ve always had a tunnel vision for music, which my parents greatly encouraged from the very first moment I expressed interest in musical instruments. They signed me up at the local Koorschool (a primary school with a heavy focus on singing and music theory), and from there on, I spent all my time in bands, music schools, jam sessions, and bedroom studios to record things. Utrecht has a thriving community of musicians and singers, all of whom really enjoy working together. At times, it has felt like I am a member of this big musical family where projects are just conjured out of thin air.
What made you decide to get into electronic music?
One T.Raumschmiere concert was all it took. I was 15 years old and had just performed with a band at a local festival, the DaDa music night in Utrecht. I walked into a room with the most incredible noise blasting through the doors. I saw him attempting to jam his microphone into a monitor speaker, capturing the feedback noise and then distorting it to the rhythm of a kick drum—and it was incredible. So much noise, so much energy… I’d never seen anything like it. That night—and every night after that one—I started experimenting with electronic production.
I have a lot of old tracks lying around that were my attempts at dance music; I even had an alter ego for it, titled Litterboy. I also made chill-out stuff under the name Sweaterpal. Don’t ask. Just know that Kyteman was not born without siblings.
From your earliest musical experiments to now—what’s something about your own sound that you never expected?
I never expected that I would completely abandon acoustic instruments and fully commit to electronics in this way. For a while, I thought this was just a phase and that I just needed to hobby around for a bit until I got serious again. It’s been more than 10 years now, and I feel like I’m just getting started. My comfort zone has completely shifted, and I wouldn’t even know how to go back to how I used to do things—even if I wanted to. Who knows what the future brings, but for now, I’m right where I need to be.
Which places in Utrecht felt like a creative playground for you? (Back then vs now)
Back then, there used to be a jazz café called SJU Huis. They hosted weekly jam sessions—I think I was 12 the first time I went. It was just so wonderfully low-key; there were barely any people, and it felt like the perfect environment to safely try things out on stage.
Over the years, this place grew into one of the most important pillars of the local hip-hop scene too—that is, until one day, they were forced to close. To this day, I still feel like the heart of our city was ripped out when SJU left. It was nothing fancy, no one knew it existed, and it probably wasn’t sustainable at all. And still, I miss that place so much.
How do you see Utrecht’s role in the broader Dutch music scene?
Eh, not sure. I’ve seen this place change so many times that by now, my views are probably outdated as hell. I’ve always felt that we do best when we’re not looking at other places too much. I see a lot of new faces in the studios and venues, which I think is a very positive sign.
What do you expect from your evening at WAS. ?
I’m not quite sure what to expect just yet. WAS. has been in the works for many years now, at one point, it became a running gag that WAS. got marked as TBA in my calendar… just for no real reason, it never worked out. so I’m just super excited that finally, we’re making this happen. I am very much looking forward to the sets by Ignez, Olivia Mendez and stranger, very happy with how this lineup came together. It’s gonna be a long night, but I’m sure we can keep the energy going.
What are spots you regularly visit/recommend and why?
Hah, I’m a total goblin. I hardly ever go outdoors, so I have no idea about cafés or coffee places in town. You may find me at one of our many bouldering gyms every now and then, or nerding out over a game of Magic: The Gathering at Lab. Other than that, I’m either in the studio or at home.
If you could create the soundtrack for a movie, documentary, or series, what would you want it to be about?
Please let it be a horror movie! I love horror with a passion. It would be so much fun to look for weird raspy noises and death rattles on this machine. Other than that, sci-fi is a no-brainer. I think that would be a great match too.