As a true inhabitant of Utrecht, how do you perceive the city’s impact on fostering musical creativity?
I see Utrecht making significant headway in nurturing a creative environment. More and more venues are popping up lately, each offering its own unique style and scale like NAR or Kabul A GoGo.
But also, initiatives like Birdcage Radio are very important, fostering creativity by giving up-and-coming DJs a platform to perform with professional equipment and record mixes.
Do you recall a particular moment that shaped your musical journey so far?
One of my first encounters with electronic music in Utrecht was in the Winkel Van Sinkel. Dam Swindle (Detroit Swindle at the time) was playing, and I was really into their productions at the time like The Break Up and The Wrap Around. It had those deep stabs and vocal cuts that I really liked. That period, when I also visited Cub Trouw, in Amsterdam for the first time, was a gateway for me to discover new music and artists.
Eventually, I delved into DJing, and one standout moment here in Utrecht was opening The Zeezout x WAS. edition, setting the mood for the night ahead of Sedef Adassi. The main room’s smoky, intimate atmosphere and unique architecture allow me to delve into more melancholic sounds and explore different sounds. So I’m very excited for opening the edition on the 28th with some downtempo and trip-hop oriented tracks.
Do you feel like there are differences between the crowds of different cities in the Netherlands?
I think it still varies depending on the venues and line-ups. Overall, I feel that Utrecht has become more international due to the presence of expats and exchange students, which I believe adds to the crowd. It might be a stereotype, but in my experience, they tend to let loose more easily during a night out, especially when it comes to dancing. This diversity can also bring new music influences, as some of them are dj’s introducing sounds from their home countries
Are there any other spots you’d recommend?
Besides music, I’m very into art house movies, and Louis Hartlooper is definitely my go-to art house cinema. The Art Deco ambiance perfectly complements the programming.
I often worked at the La Vie location of Stadstuin. A great spot in the city center where you could easlily connect with other freelancers, share thoughts about freelancing, or discuss projects. Unfortunately, they closed last year.
What’s one thing you’d like to see change or grow in Utrecht in the coming years?
While Utrecht continues to advance as a creative city, I think there’s still more potential to be realized. It would be great to have meetups with Utrecht-based producers for talks and showcases with local artists. Where we collaborate on tracks and share creations. I attended a similar event called Your Up in Utrecht years ago, but it seemed to be a one-off.
During the week I also work as a freelance designer. Even though there are some great Utrecht-based agencies like Kaliber Interactive, Born 05, Clever°Franke and Studio Airport, this still doesn’t match with the number of students pursuing creative studies in and perhaps careers as well.
You quite recently dropped The Algorythm EP, what can we mostly find on your Instagram algorithm?
I use two Instagram accounts. One is dedicated to music-related content and features a lot of memes, such as those from accounts like sl1200tje, Prog Sucks, and The Archbishop of Banterbury, as well as trending topics like Game of Thrones and the Olympic Games. My other account focuses solely on design-related content, including brand identities, campaigns, typography, architecture and clothing stuff.