_D_o you want to know when your favorite DJ will be playing some tracks, or are you curious about new Dutch voices in town? In our #DutchDanceAgenda, we post monthly updates on who is playing when and where, and we highlight different Dutch DJs that are spinning their decks in the US at the moment.

Let’s face it: the best party is a Dutch party. As a brand, a passion, and a movement, “Dutch Dance” has dominated the international dance scene for years. Many Dutch DJs have gathered a worldwide following and fly all around the globe to entertain one energetic crowd after the other. Proving that established dance icons and fresh talent do not need to stand in each other’s way, Dutch legends like Tiësto and Hardwell have been taking the new generation underneath their wings.

From underground talent to household names, the Netherlands’ party scene has built the reputation for harboring everyone’s kind of DJ. However, with so many successful and famous DJs coming from such a small dot on the map, it is almost impossible to keep track of all their performance in the United States. Luckily, we did exactly that, so for the latest updates tune in on our Twitter and Facebook page! Also, be sure to check out our Soundcloud to hear all the latest, Dutch-produced tracks and live-sets.

This month, we have interviewed Mark Sixma at his gig at the Mercury Lounge in New York City, read it below! Also be on the lookout for tours by Ferry Corsten, R3hab and Spag Haddy, as they are both racking up an impressive list of venues in the upcoming months. Read the full agenda below the featured interview of this month.

Featured Interview with Mark Sixma

DutchCultureUSA had a chance to talk to international DJ & Producer Mark Sixma at his show at the Mercury Lounge in New York on December 14. The Dutch DJ, who is not unfamiliar with traveling around the globe to play his energetic music, shares some of his views on his career, his future aspirations, and about the US music scene.

As a proud product of the city of Breda (alongside Hardwell and Tiësto), what do you think that city has to offer that, for example, Amsterdam does not, and how do you think it shaped your career?

Because the city is smaller in scale it’s much more “gezellig” (cozy) as we Dutchies say. People know each other and help each other out. I think that’s why there are so many good DJ’s and producers there, we learn from each other.

Would you say you did anything differently from your Dutch DJs peers that makes you special coming up as a DJ?

I have a background in classical music. I studied piano for many years and that has certainly influenced the music I make.

As a Dutch DJ with roots in Breda, what differences do you experience between the Dutch and American scene?

While I think the Dutch are good at making music, we are not the best at showmanship. We can definitely learn a thing or two from the American scene in that regard!

"When growing up I was a big Michael Jackson fan! When I started DJíng, Tiesto was a big example for me" Mark Sixma

In a career spanning over more than a decade, what would you consider your favorite US venue or festival that you played at?

I would have to say Ultra Music Festival and also Escape were absolutely insane to play!

You have worked together with the likes of Armin van Buuren, W&W, and KSHMR, but do you have a favorite artist or a childhood icon that you admire?

When growing up I was a big Michael Jackson fan! When I started DJíng, Tiesto was a big example for me.

Are there any career-paths or career goals that you wish to explore further?

I would love to do the score for a movie or video game!

Outside of your career, what would be on your personal bucket list?

Space travel! Maybe one day 🙂

What can the American audience expect of you in the near future?

After New York, I’ll be travelling to Seattle shortly on January 18th and I just confirmed a very big festival that I had on my wishlist for a while, but it’s too early to announce. . .

Agenda

Afrojack

Nick van de Wall, better known as Afrojack, started his career at the age of 14, as he performed at local pubs and clubs, and earning additional income with designing websites for fellow musicians. In 2007 he released “In Your Face”, the first recording under the Afrojack name. He received international success with the song “Take Over Control” featuring Eva Simons, which charted in 10 different countries. He took part in Episode 2 of ‘Behind The Speedo’, which is a comedy series by Redfoo. Currently, Afrojack is listed as number eight in the DJ Mag Top 100.

Events:

January 25 | Story Nightclub | Miami Beach, FL

January 26 | Avant Gardner | Brooklyn, NY

Bassjackers

Best friends since high school, DJ, Marlon Flohr, and producer, Ralph van Hilst came together in 2007 to create the Dutch duo known as Bassjackers. The duo exploded onto the scene and in 2011 their dancefloor bomb “Mush Mush” was picked up by Tiësto and released on his label Musical Freedom.

Since then, Bassjackers have reached massive new heights in their career with numerous chart-topping bangers and hit-collaborations with the likes of Martin Garrix, Afrojack, KSHMR, and Showtek, to name a few, as well as remixes for A-list artists including Rihanna, Enrique Iglesias, and Ne-Yo.

Events:

January 12 | Academy Nightclub | Los Angeles, CA

January 25 | City Center | Champaign, IL

Ferry Corsten

Hailing from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Ferry Corsten’s lustrous career is exemplified by a passion for music that began as a hobby and spiraled into a full-blown profession. Today, as it was in the beginning, Corsten’s skills lie in his ability to coax the maximum emotional impact from electronic dance music of all genres, not just trance, but also progressive house and electro. He remains and has always been ahead-of-his-time, making music that becomes a template for others to follow.

Events:

January 11 | Pure Nightclub | Sunnyvale, CA

January 12 | Time Nightclub | Costa Mesa, CA

January 18 | The Church Nightclub | Denver, CO

January 19 | Hawaiian Brian’s | Honolulu, HI

January 25 | Schimanski | Brooklyn, NY

January 26 | Sound-Bar | Chicago, IL

Laidback Luke

Born in the Philippines, raised in Holland, Luke van Scheppingen, known as Laidback Luke with no exaggeration is the reference point of the dance scene for the thousands of clubbers these days. His unlimited energy brightly results in both stunning live sets and ongoing anticipated studio hits. The Dutch heavy weight house master is loved all over the globe: they worship him in Amnesia on Ibiza, they sell out his Super You&Me event wherever it goes to, and they put him on the 20th place on By-All-Means-Wanted TOP 100 DJs list. With the crazy energy that Luke conveys and the martial arts that he practices, rest assured his future will be out of this world!

Events:

January 11 | Marquee | New York, NY

January 12 | Echostage | Washington, DC

January 26 | Time Nightclub | Costa Mesa, CA

Mark Sixma

Mark Sixma is an artist whose music is known by the core heart of dance music fans on a global scale. Born and raised in the capital of dance – Breda, the Dutch city that provided the world scene leaders such as Tiesto and Hardwell – he is responsible for some of the most revered timeless dance music and EDM-anthems.

Mark Sixma is one of the only dance music artists to knock himself off the #1 spot in Beatports trance chats, claiming both the #1 and #2 positions simultaneously. Besides his original tracks, which have been featured in video games and movies, Mark also collaborated with Armin van Buuren, W&W, and KSHMR to name a few.

On the live front, the long-time DJ/Producer brought his highly energetic performances to the biggest venues and the world’s largest dance music festivals like Creamfields, TomorrowWorld, A State of Trance, and Ultra Music Festival whilst gaining acclaim from the majority of the top DJ’s in the world on his originals and monumental remixes.

Events:

January 18 | The Underground | Seattle, WA

Martyn

Throughout the many layers of his winding 16+ years in electronic music, Holland native (now Washington DC resident) Martijn Deijkers, aka Martyn, has always stood in a genreless scene of his own. Though his influences are wide-ranging, Martyn’s music is deeply inspired by the futuristic and melodic aspects of Detroit and Chicago.

His rhythmically diverse sound floats across D&B, dubstep and various strains of bass music, just as smoothly as it traverses house and techno, and encompasses abstract ambient soundscapes. Based on musicality and energy in equal parts, Martyn’s layered tracks are a rapt exploration of melancholy, futurism and dancefloor hypnotism.

Events:

January 18 | Kremwerk | Seattle, WA

R3hab

Performing and recording under the name R3hab, EDM artist Fadil El Ghoul started his career in 2008 producing the track “Mrkrstft” for Hardwell. He teamed up with Hardwell once again in 2009 on the single “Blue Magic,” and worked with Afrojack in 2011 on “Aces High (Prutata).”

He subsequently garnered prestigious 2014 slots at Tomorrowland, Future Music, Creamfields, and Summerburst, and that same year he put out the 12″ “Androids,” “Flashlight” with Deorro, and “Ready for the Weekend,” which were among some of his biggest-selling singles.

He also landed a featured spot on Calvin Harris’ 2014 album Motion, and a DJ set at the Coachella Music Festival followed in 2015. In 2016, he teamed with the R&B vocalist Ciara for the single “Get Up.”

Events:

January 19 | Haven Nightclub | Atlantic City, NJ

Richard Durand

Richard Durand has been one of the most technically accomplished DJs in dance music for over a decade. Utilizing 4 x CD decks and effects units, his DJ sets are a whirlwind journey of cutting edge tunes, big samples, slick mixing and technical wizardry behind the decks. Add to the equation his undoubted ability to work a crowd into a frenzy and a clear passion about his music and the people in front of him on the dance floor and you have all the right ingredients for a truly devastating DJ package and a legend of his own kind.

Events:

January 11 | The Underground | Seattle, WA

Sick Individuals

Meeting at the conservatory for music in the Netherlands, Rinze ‘Ray’ Hofstee and Joep ‘Jim’ Smeele formed an instant connection bound by a shared love of music composition and electronic dance music. Drawing influences from Daft Punk, Bingo Players and Swedish House Mafia, their infectious blend of big beats and progressive house melodies quickly garnered them serious attention in all the right places. Coming from the Netherlands, the pair has released on some of the world’s most influential imprints: Revealed Recordings, Spinning Records, Warner, Interscope, Def Jam, and Capital. Official remixes for Rihanna & David Guetta, Madonna, Moby, Rita Ora, Avicii and Icona Pop have peppered the global radio airwaves, ensuring their sound reaches millions of ears in all four corners of the planet.

The duo has notched up an impressive array of appearances at the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals – Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, Sensation, Mysteryland, Electric Zoo to name but a few – Sick Individuals continue to set new boundaries with each passing year.

Events:

January 11 | Clé Houston | Houston, TX

January 12 | Marquee | New York, NY

Spag Heddy

Straight from the kitchens of Pastanistan, Spag Heddy delivers your daily need for tomato bass. Releases like Oh My! [Never Say Die], OG Meatball EP [Buygore] and the official remix for platinum hit Don’t Let Me Down (The Chainsmokers ft. Daya) made waves in the world of bass music, and have secured him a spot amongst the bass lords.

Spag gained fame in the bass market giant USA with several headlined tours, from festival main stages to intimate and raw spots, leaving every witness destroyed with a snapped neck. Don’t miss out and be embraced by his noodly appendage.

Events:

January 25 | Avant Gardner | Brooklyn, NY

January 26 | The Intersection | Grand Rapids, MI

Tiësto

Highly regarded by both DJ Magazine and fans of electronic dance music, Tiësto launched his career as one of the world’s foremost trance DJs, due in part to his legendary six-hour live sets, and went on to embrace a more pop-oriented EDM approach. The fifth Tiësto studio album, A Town Called Paradise, appeared in 2014 on Casablanca. It featured the most pop-oriented productions of his career and a slew of guest vocalists who included Ladyhawke and Icona Pop. Tiësto appeared on DJ Mag Top 100 2016 as number 5.

Events:

January 10 | Hakkasan Nightclub | Las Vegas, NV

January 19 | Omnia Nightclub | Las Vegas, NV