Back | Articles

Dutch Dance Agenda: October

The latest schedule of your favorite Dutch DJs for the month of October

Do 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.

 

Afrojack

 

Featured Artist: Afrojack

Afrojack is not only busy with spinning all around the world as one of the top DJs on the planet: he’s also an entrepreneur and moreover a promoter of new musical talent. Music producers and enthusiasts around the world are invited to showcase their skills by taking part in Afrojack’s “Global Remix Battle I,” a global search to discover the most talented yet undiscovered producers. In partnership with PMC Speakers, the global search will seek to uncover a new crop of music producers and then give them a huge platform to have their talent noticed. The winner will be personally selected by Afrojack and will have the opportunity of a lifetime when their remix is released on his label Wall Recordings, and have a chance to get signed to Wall Recordings/LDH Europe. Afrojack is CEO of LDH Europe, part of the globally recognized LDH management company originally founded in Japan. 

Earlier this year, Afrojack announced a global vocal battle audition to find new singers for the next big pop act. This search is currently underway with many finalists now selected from around the world and recently flown to Japan for performances and auditions to Afrojack and the team of experts at LDH. This time, the contest is open to any music producer looking to get their work noticed on a global stage and be mentored by the dance music icon. The winner will have the chance of a lifetime to be signed to a record label and be managed by one of the premier international management companies in the world with an impeccable range of artists. Upon being signed, the winner will work very closely with Afrojack who will teach, guide, and help the producer grow as an artist professionally on a global scale. The winner will follow in the steps of other successful artists who Afrojack helped build careers for such as Quintino, R3hab, Fais, MC Ambush and many more.

Besides from his activities as a promoter of new talent and entrepreneur, Afrojack also racks up a pretty impressive US tour. In October, the DJ plays 11 shows throughout the US, so be sure to check out his tour dates and the rest of our the Dutch Dance Agenda Below! 

 

 

 

Agenda

  

 

Afrojack

Afrojack © Courtesy of the Artist

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

 

Angerfist

Angerfist © Courtesy of the Artist

Danny Masseling started making music at the age of 16. Beginning with 4-beat programmed loops and breakbeats, his interest in producing music started to grow.He began his career in 2001 after sending a demo to Mark Vos, also known as DJ Buzz Fuzz, director of BZRK Records. Vos liked the tape and signed Masseling, who then released his first EPs under the names “Menace II Society” and “Angerfist”. Masseling soon gained popularity in the “gabber scene” because of the aggressive style sound he made. His style is characterized by hard bass drums and vocals sampled from various media, especially films. During live acts with his MC, they almost always perform wearing specially designed ice hockey masks and black or white hoodies.

 

Events

 

Antal

Antal © Courtesy of the Artist

Antal Heitlager is many things: DJ, football coach, family man and the central figure at Amsterdam’s Rush Hour, a globally respected record shop, label and distributor based in Amsterdam. Though his taste is anchored by house and techno from Chicago and Detroit, his musical knowledge touches on many genres and most corners of the world, from South Africa to Brazil to Japan. It’s hard to say what ties his tastes together, but perhaps it’s his love for music that’s soulful, whether it was crafted with a piano or a drum machine. 

 

Events

 

Armin van Buuren

Armin van Buuren | Courtesy of the Artist

For more than 15 years, the Grammy-nominated Dutchman has been living to the rhythm of his own, international success. Armin van Buuren‘s 5 times number one position in the critically acclaimed DJ Mag’s Top 100 poll has been the result of his loyalty to fans, his creativity in the studio, the perseverance with which he hosts his weekly radio show “A State of Trance” and the energy he transcends to the crowds in front of him. Despite the heavy pressure that comes along with being one of the world’s most popular DJ, Armin has always kept his focus on the music. And that’s exactly what keeps him going.

 

Events

 

Bassjackers

Bassjackers | Courtesy of the artist

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

  

Bingo Players

Bingo Players | Courtesy of the Artist

Maarten Hoogstraten wasn’t like other kids his age. When he was 10, his friends were buying toys to play with, but Maarten was already spending his cash on vinyl and CDs. “You know how it starts,” he said with a chuckle. “I was the one who bought records when I was young, I bought lots of vinyl, seven-inches, twelve inches, and when CDs came about I bought a lot of CDs, growing up, I spent all my money on music.”

When he was a teenager, two events would change his life. An early music software program called ProTracker was released, and he would meet Paul Baümer, who would become his musical partner for the better part of the next 15 years until he suddenly passed away from cancer in 2013.  Though they didn’t start out as DJs, once the demand grew for them to play out live, they learned how to mix on CDJs. Soon, they became regulars on the EDM circuit, playing massive festivals, like Electric Daily Carnival, Tomorrowland, and Coachella. Maarten remembered: “I think we started to become better producers once we started to DJ,” noting that they would bring new tunes on the road and play for a crowd to gauge their reaction.

But in June 2013, at the height of their success, Paul suddenly fell ill. Maarten was stunned and didn’t know what to do. But Paul’s last wishes were for his best friend and his musical partner to keep making music. “He always said to me, ‘If you can find solace and continue what we started, please do so. Please continue the music. Carry on the Bingo Players flag,’” said Maarten. 

 

Events

 

Brennan Heart

Brennan Heart

Brennan Heart (real name: Fabian Bohn) has an impressive track record as a DJ and producer with over 100 releases. He’s known for his unrestrained efforts and perseverance, constantly improving his skills and studio setup. As a representative of Dutch dance industry, Brennan Heart is one of the leading brands in international hardstyle music. Tracks like ‘Just as Easy’ and ‘Lose my Mind’ contain his remarkable signature: harmonious melodies, catchy vocal lines and an impeccable production. ‘Lose my Mind’ is an instant hit on YouTube with over 8 million views, which is an outstanding number for a hardstyle track. In 2011, Brennan Heart entered DJ Mag Top 100 and embarked for his City2City World Tour, visiting several countries like USA, Canada, South Korea, Scandinavia and several European countries. He also established his own label, WE R Music and has released several albums under the label since 2012.

 

Events

 

D-block & S-Te-Fan

D-Block & S-Te-Fan, born Diederik Bakker and Stefan den Daas respectively, are a euphoric hardstyle duo from The Netherlands who started producing in 2004. Before becoming a duo, they both experienced moderate success as solo artists, but their coming-together gave them the most success with tracks such as ‘Built This City’ and ‘Alive’.

During their career, they have performed at many events including Qlimax, Mysteryland, Thrillogy and Decibel. In 2010 they were voted #73 in the ‘DJ Mag Top 100 ‘, crowning them as the top hardstyle artist of that year. In 2015, they released Beautiful World with their new house alias DBSTF – they still produce hardstyle with their original alias D-Block & S-Te-Fan.

 

Events

 

Droeloe

Droeloe | Courtesy of the Artist

This duo’s emphasis on their artistic strengths has seen them weave sonically and visually intricate stories through their music. Their signature skull has quickly become synonymous with progressive music and breathtaking art highlighted by their impeccable percussion-heavy sound infused with the catchiest melodies and stunning use of visuals.

They hit the electronic music scene in 2016 when San Holo brought them aboard bitbird where the duo released a string of singles through the rest of the year including “zZz” and “Wake the Warrior” establishing themselves as a new force to be reckoned with. The duo’s songwriting and producing continued to mature giving way to another string of hits across different labels such as Lowly Palace and Monstercat.

The duo returned to bitbird for their biggest piece of work to date – their debut EP A Moment In Time. Featuring five unique cover pieces and a beautiful visual storyboard, the EP was a hit amassing close to 25 million streams in less than a year and launching them on tour with San Holo on over forty-dates across four continents.

2018 has now seen the duo continue to find ways to extrapolate their unique DROELOE sound into a variety of styles plus make successful festival debuts at Okeechobee, BUKU, Coachella Do Lab, EDC Las Vegas, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and more en-route to a debut headline fall tour of their own.

 

Events

 

Ferry Corsten

Ferry Corsten © Courtesy of the Artist

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

 

Job Jobse

Job Jobse - Courtesy of the artist

Some people have no doubt about it: being a DJ is all they want to do. After learning the ropes at Amsterdam’s legendary club 11, Job began his adventure into electronic music with an internship at the renowned Innervisions label in Berlin. After moving back to Amsterdam to work as the booker of Trouw, things went uphill very fast. Job currently holds his own successful residency at the famous club – Drukpers, the first party ever held at the venue – and is also active as the label manager for the popular Life and Death label. With all Job has achieved so far and a current heavy touring schedule, including appearances spanning from Burning Man to Panorama Bar, one can only wonder where he will go next.

 

Events

 

Laidback Luke

Laidback Luke | Courtesy of the Artist

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

 

Martin Garrix

Martin Garrix | Courtesy of the Artist

Part of the explosion of Dutch EDM DJs who emerged during the 2012-2013 season, Martin Garrix kicked off his career in a high-profile way, first landing on the dance charts with his 2012 remix of Christina Aguilera’s “Your Body.” Born Martijn Garritsen, the then-16-year-old DJ spent 2012 remixing Aguilera, signing with Spinnin’ Records, and releasing the “BFAM” single in collaboration with Julian Jordan.

In 2013 he released his solo single “Animals,” which hit number one in the U.K. and reached the Top Ten in eight other countries. His Gold Skies EP rounded up those tracks, adding two more charting songs: “Tremor” and the title track. Garrix also found time to perform and mix the world over, resulting in being the number 1 DJ in the world today.

 

Events

 

Menno de Jong

 Menno de Jong | Courtesy of the Artist

Menno de Jong is primarily known as a Trance DJ and producer with an international following. Based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, de Jong was born on March 17, 1984 and was interested in music — classical as well as modern — at a young age.

Being classically trained on the piano and incredibly passionate about music led to him taking up DJing and producing in his early teenage years. he first established himself as a producer with the release of ‘Guanxi’ on the British label Anjunabeats in 2004. In the years that followed he took the Trance scene by storm with singles such as ‘Tundra.’ He went on to perform at major clubs and festivals worldwide, including EDC. 

 

Events

 

Noisia

Noisia | Courtesy of the Artist

United by a shared passion for progression, technical innovation and ruthless quality control (plus large amounts of gaming, hip-hop, and humor) Nik Roos, Martijn van Sonderen and Thijs de Vlieger have worked together since leaving school. Within two years of their 2003 debut release they’d already appeared on some of the most agenda-setting labels in drum & bass: Moving Shadow, Subtitles, Renegade Hardware, Shogun, Ram and many more. But even then they had no idea how successful their partnership would be.

A decade deeper: From their drum & bass roots Noisia has proceeded to stamp all over the musical map to become one of the most established and uncompromised acts in electronic music. From their unique, custom-built floating triple-studio complex in Groningen, they’ve created benchmark productions, established three respected labels (Vision, Division, Invisible), remixed rave titans such as The Prodigy and Skrillex, curated their own Noisia Invites festival and scored games such as Devil May Cry and Counter Strike and music for movies such as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Transformers 3. 

 

Events

 

Nthng

Nthng | Courtesy of the Artist

nthng is one of the hottest techno-sensation in the Netherlands right now. His style ranges from more minimal beats to the heavier stuff, which he typically combines in a single track. His latest album, It Never Ends (2017), was an absolute masterpiece that can be considered a continuation of Warp’s Artificial Intelligence series from a quarter century ago. At times the ambient vibe makes the music very soothing, while tracks like “Unity” and “Eternal” will get your feet off the floor.

The young Dutchman excels at flying high under the radar but is certainly one to keep an eye on!

 

Events

 

Oliver Heldens

Oliver Heldens | © Bart Janssen

Oliver Heldens caught the attention of Tiësto, when he released his single ‘Gecko’.  Tiesto immediately signed him to his label; Musical Freedom and released the track with vocals from British singer Becky Hill on June 23, 2014. Heldens also has a weekly podcast titled Heldeep Radio. His songs “Gecko”, “Last All Night” and his remix of Dr. Kucho!’s “Can’t Stop Playing” charted as top 5 singles in the UK, reaching 1st, 5th and 4th position respectively. Since 2015, Heldens has been performing under the alias HiLo as well.  

 

Events

 

Orlando Voorn

Voorn won the Dutch DMC DJ Championships in 1986 which meant the beginning of a large number of released tracks. As a professional DJ he released his first club tracks under the record label Lower East Side Records. Together with Detroit techno music pioneers Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Blake Baxter he produced tracks under various labels.[3] Voorn’s music is characterized by its variety of styles such as Techno, Drum n bass, Ambient, Hip hop and Electro. By many people Orlando Voorn is considered the first one to establish a connection (in music) between Detroit and Amsterdam.

 

Events

 

R3hab

R3hab | Courtesy of the Artist

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

 

San Holo

San Holo © Courtesy of the Artist

Sander van Dijck commonly known by his stage name San Holo, is not just a DJ: As DJ, Singer, Guitar Player and Lyricist, San taught himself to play guitar at an early age. He gained international recognition for his remix of Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode”, which currently has over 150 million views on YouTube. He has toured the world and has gained a credible reputation in the EDM world. In this next phase of his development, San Holo is taking the inspiration he gathers from bands like Explosions In The Sky, Sigur Ros and very ethereal soundscapes, beautiful melancholic music as he takes a leap with new sounds and music.  He is motivated by the fact that he’s never found a way to get that kind of vibe into the EDM music he was producing until half a year ago, when he realized that he could use guitars instead of a synth and still make it into a drop and a buildup.

San has released music on several record labels including Spinnin’ Records, OWSLA, Barong Family, and Monstercat. He is also no stranger to the Billboard Dance Charts, as his single “Light” soared to #13 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Chart. 

He also founded bitbird, a label which has released several of his singles including “Still Looking” and “Light”. San Holo’s first EP, Cosmos, was released via Heroic on 18 September 2014 and was in the Top 100 Electronic category of iTunes. 

 

Events

 

Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano

Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano, two notable personalities with a single goal: to entertain as many people as possible with their deep and funky house sound. As a DJ duo, they are irresistible. Put them in a DJ booth together and instant interaction and chemistry are there, with an eye for the audience and an ear for each other. Effortlessly adapting to one another seems to be no problem for these two best friends and partners in crime.

Besides performing, they are very busy with producing. Even that is something they do together. As if they don’t see enough of one another during gigs and their private lives, they’re also studio buddies. In May 2008 they released their first track ‘PINA’. One month later, Sunnery and Ryan released the club hit ‘Lift U Up’, featuring Melvin Reese and Chappell. After these successful productions, Sunnery & Ryan continued with tracks such as ‘The Desert’, which has been released on D.O.N.S.’s Kingdome Cuts, and several remixes such as Sander Kleinenberg’s ‘This Is Our Night’ and Kaskade’s ‘Dynasty’.

 

Events

 

Ummet Ozcan

Ummet Ozcan © Courtesy of the Artist

In an age where very few Artists break the mold and truly shine through as unique and innovative, Dutch/Turkish star Ummet Ozcan raises the bar and continues to surge in popularity worldwide.

Continuously garnering huge support from a broad array of the world’s top jocks like Tiesto, Hardwell, David Guetta, Avicii, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and many many more, Ummet Ozcan is firming his position at the forefront of the next generation of brilliant Dance Music Producers. With an unprecedented amount of artists seeking the formula for club-­‐friendly absolution, Ummet continues to deliver dancefloor- and festival essentials with each unique release and can frequently be found in the highest regions of the global charts. Ummet is also known for his softsynth and soundbank design for well-established music software houses like Rob Papen (Albino, Predator) and Acces Music (Virus).

 

Events

 

W&W

W&W © Patrick Diepstraten

After meeting up back in 2007 Willem van Hanegem & Ward van der Harst came together to form W&W and they haven’t looked back since. The past years this Dutch production and DJ duo have transcended the boundaries of genre and traverse the globe with their music and performances. Fusing styles and mixing influences, W&W combine the uplifting and melodic elements of trance with the raw intensity of electro and progressiveness of house to create a sound that is uniquely their own. Infectious, rebellious and highly energetic, their list of productions is championed by the likes of Hardwell, Armin van Buuren, Tiësto, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, David Guetta and more for its breadth, diversity and massive appeal to multiple audiences. 

 

Events

 

Yellow Claw

Yellow Claw | Courtesy of the Artist

Yellow Claw may not be a household name outside of the Netherlands but have a look at their YouTube channel and you’ll be hard-pressed to find one of their singles with less than 2,000,000 views. They take the newest sounds from the club and drive them off a cliff.

Hailing from Amsterdam, the trio first exploded into the scene after founding the Yellow Claw Thursday night party at the Jimmy Woo, which quickly gained a reputation as being one of the wildest and most unique parties in the city. The gang recently released their new album, “New Blood”, you’ll be sure to hear it at their shows!

 

Events

   

DutchCulture USA
 

Questions? – Get in touch with us

Back | To top

Your shortcut to
Dutch arts and culture
in the U.S.

Read more
sign up for our newsletter