This page will post monthly updates on who is playing when and where, and highlight different Dutch DJs that are spinning their decks in the US at the moment.
Do you want to know when your favorite DJ will be laying some tracks, or are you curious about new Dutch voices in town? In “Your Dutch Dance Agenda,” we will post monthly updates on who is playing when and where, and 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 been dominating the international dance scene for years. Many Dutch DJs have gathered a worldwide following, and fly all around the globe to move from one enthusiastic crowd to the other. Proving that established dance icons and fresh talent do not need to stand in each other’s way, Dutch legends like Tiësto have been taking the new generation underneath their wings.
From underground talents to household names, the Netherlands’ party scene has built the reputation to harbor “everyone’s kind of DJ.” However, with so many successful and famous DJs from such a small dot on the map, it is almost impossible to keep track of all Dutch DJs that are performing in the United States.
Don’t worry: we are here to help out!
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 seven in the DJ Mag Top 100.
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.
Uplifting music with samples from genres such as soul and gospel is Bakermat’s specialty. While studying Psychology in Utrecht at the age of 18, Lodewijk Fluttert produced music and played at student parties. When the internet picked up his tracks “Black Cat John Brown” and “Zomer”, his carreer really took off. His track “Vandaag”, a combination of a saxphone sample and the famous Martin Luther King speech “I Have A Dream”, became a great hit all over Europe when B1 recordings released it with an English title, “One Day.” Bakermat melodic sample based music brought him to festivals such as Tomorrowland.
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.
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.“I think we started to become better producers once we started to DJ,” he said, 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.
Thom Jongkind and Idir Makhlaf, better known as producer/deejay duo Blasterjaxx in the music industry, are anything but the same. While one is often prominent and empowering, the other prefers staying quietly in the background – a fairly high contrast in character. However, there is one significant reason for the phenomenal connection between these two personalities: their passion and love of music.
After the collaboration between the former Blasterjaxx duo ended, the two mutually decided Jongkind would continue with the label. Because Thom believed that Blasterjaxx would only be complete as a duo, he started looking for possibilities of a new, and this time around, perfect collaboration. In the meantime, Thom had been charmed by Idir Makhlaf for a while, who was operating by the name of Macosta. Only after a few collaborations it was already clear how well they hit off; a new Blasterjaxx duo was born with – what subsequently appeared – an unparalleled amount of talent and potential.
Together they plan on taking over the world with their unique sound, which is best described as a crossover between electro-house, progressive and big room.
Chuckie’s leading mixing skills and distinctive productions not only show an indispensable complement to the Dutch dance industry, the international dance-scene has also been giving him a warm welcome. Driven by ambition, enthusiasm and pure passion for music, his characteristic set makes the crowd go wild and his many productions reflect his true visionary in his craft works. Nowadays, Chuckie still continues to surprise the crowd with his mind-blowing style and his story is yet to continue.
Dutch DJ and producer Dash Berlin is recognized as one of the leading names in Trance music. As a true icon of the electronic world,Dash Berlin is no stranger to the DJ Mag Top 100 poll and was able to secure a place in the Top 10 for three consecutive years. He is well known for his breakthrough track “Till the Sky Falls Down” and has received several International Dance Music Awards. Dashers! Get ready to dance until the sky falls down with Dash Berlin.
After winning ‘The Dutch DMC Championships’, in 1989, Erick E was the official Dutch representative during the World Championships at The Royal Albert Hall in London. He fell in love with a new music genre and consequently made considerable contributions to the upcoming Dutch house culture, creating for example house classics such as ‘Pancake-Don’t Turn Your Back’, released on record label WORK.
He established his name as a DJ more firmly during the mid-nineties in Amsterdam Club RoXY. There, his infamous SWET nights caused long waiting lines at the door and it pushed Erick’s popularity to new heights. He was frequently found main stages of large festivals such as ‘Dance Valley’, ‘Sensation’ (international residency), ‘Mysteryland’, ‘Day At The Park’ and ‘Extrema Outdoor’. International clubs such as NOW & WOW Rotterdam, Amnesia Ibiza, Rex Paris and Catwalk Barcelona invited him repeatedly.
Fedde Le Grand is considered to be one of the most defining figures in the fast evolving genre of House music. His influence is felt continually throughout the electronic landscape; Fedde’s beats, grooves, melodies and rhythms surround us all and have done for many years. He belongs for nearly a decade as one of the top 30 most influential DJ’s according to the prestigious DJ Mag Top 100, has been credited countless awards and remixed the biggest artists around – from Coldplay, Madonna, will.i.am, Robbie Williams, Everything But The Girl, Fatboy Slim, to more.
At the age of 25, Robbert van de Corput, better known as Hardwell, capped off a 10 year journey when he was crowned World’s #1 DJ in the 2013 Top 100 DJs Poll cementing his position as the electronic scenes newest superstar DJ and becoming the youngest ever winner of the coveted Top 100 DJs award. In 2014 the Dutch megastar was crowned World’s #1 DJ for a second consecutive year. Having conquered almost every global territory from Asia to Africa, South America, Australia and Europe, the remarkable story behind this archetypal international DJ is one of devotion and relentless hard work. Currently, Hardwell ranks number two on DJ Mag Top 100.
Dutch DJ & producer Willem Rebergen, better known as Headhunterz, pulls off an admirable balancing act between his own creative freedom and the high expectations of success. He’s blazed his own trail, making music his very own, open-minded playground. In the past 15 years, Headhunterz has shown to be following his inner flow, with a unique sound that’s ever genre-bending, yet truly his. Outstanding performances at festivals like Tomorrowland, Electric Daisy Carnival and Ultra Music Festival, as well as more intimate venues like Ruby Skye, LA Exchange, ZOUK and Ushuaia, have wowed fans all across the globe.
Starting with small gigs in pubs on his 18th, Jobke Heiblom soon played for bigger crowds in clubs. Inspired by Tiësto because of his ideas about DJ-ing, as wel as by the productions of Afrojack, Laidback Luke and Vato Gonzales, he developed his own skills. Collaborating with Martin Garrix, Jay Hardway now has two big releases on his name: “Error 404” and “Wizard”. His “Inspire” podcasts are frequently online and Jay Hardway did some succesful remixes for Norwegian singer Margaret Berger and Dutch duo the Opposites.
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.
Joris Voorn is a record producer and Dj from Rotterdam, Netherlands. Raised in a musical family, music naturally became an important part of Voornʼs life from an early age. Electronic music first caught his attention in the mid- 90ʼs, and he started DJʼing in 1997. After developing a more focused interest in house and techno, Joris invested in the versatile MC-303 Groovebox and began to experiment with synth sounds and drumloops. In 2002 his carreer took off with the release of his EP “Muted Trax”, and with the 2003 release “Lost Memories” he really started to make a name for himself.
When Julian Doppenberg was signed by Spinnin’ Records on the age of 16. In a collaboration with another young Dutch DJ Martin Garrix he released the track “BFAM”, which immediately became a success. Collaborating with other artists such as Sander van Doorn and Firebeatz, Julian Jordan is able to make a name for himself. He brings a fresh spin to the dance scene, fusing some of its trademark sound and bombast with exciting new twists and influences. MTV cites him as “one to watch”, which is definitely possible with his busy tour schedule.
Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL, is a Grammy nominated and multi platinum producer, musician, and composer whose versatility is shown by creating both contemporary music as well as film scores. He is able to draw on his extensive knowledge of classical forms and structures while keeping one finger planted firmly on the pulse of popular music. When this eclectic background is paired with his skill as a multi-instrumentalist (he plays keyboards, guitar, drums, violin, and bass) and mastery of studio technology, a portrait emerges of an artist for whom anything is possible.
Holkenborg’s illustrious career started in the 1993 when he started industrial rock band Nerv and was also producing hardcore and metal bands like Sepultura and Fear Factory. Drawn by electronic breakbeats he started Junkie XL in 1997 debuting with the album Saturday Teenage Kick. Holkenborg went on to produce 5 more albums under the moniker while playing headline shows all over the world. In 2002 the producer remixer scored a number 1 hit in 24 countries with his rework of “A Little Less Conversation”. Following the success Holkenborg collaborated with celebrated artists like Dave Gahan, Robert Smith, Chuck D, and remixed artists such as Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and many more. In addition Holkenborg created the music for video games like Need For Speed, The Sims, and SSX and commercials for global campaigns like Nike, Heineken, Adidas, Cadillac and VISA. His films score play a major role in movies such as Kingdom of Heaven, Deadpool and the Dark Knight Rises.
Born in 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!
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, climbing as high as number three in DJ Magazine’s Top 100 list in 2016.
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.
Quintino is one of the true DJ’s with a lifelong passion for dance music and on the verge of becoming one of the leading forces in the global music scene today. His high profile work with the likes of Tiësto and Afrojack has made him a household name and his excellent DJ sets across the globe have made his position a highly respected name in the scene. Discovered by Laidback Luke at the age of 18, Quintino started to take his stature as a DJ and producer beyond the normal club scene, playing landmark gigs and high profile festivals. In between producing and releasing songs, Quintino keeps performing worldwide with an estimate of 250 gigs a year.
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.”
While only in his early twenties, Dutchman Sam Feldt has become quite the deep house tastemaker of his day. With amazing remix work as well as solid hits like the early 2015 release ‘Show Me Love’, which proved to be his definite claim to fame, he’s one of the DJs to watch when it comes to a new sound flooding the scene. Sam Feldt is definitely not a stranger to the house music scene. After working behind the scenes as a producer for a long time, perfecting his musical talents, he decides to show the world what he’s capable of by uploading his first tunes by the end of summer ‘13. Within a year Sam signs with Spinnin’ Records and releases his first track on the label.
It doesn’t take long for the young producer to get censed by international dance media as part of a new exciting wave of melodic deep house. With almost two million plays on SoundCloud and 250.000 plays in one week as well as a #1 Hypem spot for his remix of the Sander van Doorn & Firebeatz release ‘Guitar Track’, Sam established himself in the scene.
Sander van Doorn got in touch with the musical scene in the year of 1995 when he was sixteen years old. His brother’s latest gadget, a “Groovebox 303”, caught his attention. He was astounded when he first experienced the amount of creativity that could be put into creating music. Time and time again, Sander would borrow his brother’s Groovebox and his nephew’s vinyl records and he played the life out of those records. Since then, Sander’s heart belonged to music and it still does today.
Today, Sander has performed thousands of shows in every corner of the world and released numerous solo records, yet Sander is still part of a group of innovative and progressive artists. Sander’s creative process exists of re-inventing musical styles, taking risks in regards to the sound he creates and most importantly staying ahead of the masses.
With two full-length albums, numerous hit-singles, remixes of the worlds biggest artists, sold out gigs in all major venues and festivals worldwide, his own successful record label Doorn Records, and a weekly radio show named Identity, Sander van Doorn continues his musical journey into the heart of fans around the world.
Over the past two years Showtek have become more than an act; it’s a movement, a tribe formed by the producer duo and its fans that is united in its love for music, excitement, artistic freedom and adventure. Wouter and Sjoerd Janssen, aka Showtek, two brothers from Eindhoven have been making music for over a decade. Two rebels kicking against the shins of establishment, speaking a language the party crowd could believe in. It was in 2012 when they truly exploded onto the global dance scene with the release of ‘Cannonball’. Countless new fans joined, new productions got recognized and reached all corners of the planet.
Responsible for one of the biggest club hits of 2010, Dutch DJ Sidney Samson is one of the most in-demand remixers on the dance scene. Initially playing R&B and hip-hop tunes, he soon became influenced by the burgeoning Dutch house music scene, and eventually took a residency at the Matrixx nightclub in Amsterdam. fter forming his own label, Samsobeats, with collaborator Gregor Salto in 2007, he enjoyed success in his country with several singles. Three years later, a remixed version of “Riverside,” featuring Wizard Sleeve, gave him his international breakthrough
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 is 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 clubhit ‘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’.
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.
Wiwek, living in the small town IJsselstein in the Netherlands, is known for fusing electronic elements with tropical rhythms to create a distinctive and refreshing sound, which he likes to call “Jungle Terror”. The jungle terror style, created by himself, got inspired by his own Indian roots in combination with the love for Tribal House and Hip-Hop music. After releasing the highly anticipated tracks “Angry Birdz” and “On Your Mark”, two tracks that were among the most played tunes at Miami Music Week 2014, the Jungle Terror sound left its mark in the rapidly changing electronic music industry.
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 a 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 party at the Jimmy Woo, which quickly gained a reputation as being one of the wildest and most unique parties in the city.
Electric Zoo is New York City’s premier electronic music festival. Founded in 2009 and taking place in the beautiful Randall’s Island Park each Labor Day Weekend, Electric Zoo brings a wide variety of the top acts from around the world and across the spectrum of electronic music’s various sub-genres. With over 100,000 fans coming together from around the globe to the world’s favorite city, Electric Zoo is a chance to celebrate and connect.
September 2 – September 4: New York, NY.
September 2 – Septemer 4: San Bernardino, CA.
The movement began in the 1990s, and they called it Nocturnal Wonderland – a world of sights and sounds as vibrant and unique as those who have come, year after year, to behold its fantastical mysteries. In this place, owls keep a watchful eye over the landscape, cats flash mischievous grins, and curious creatures of all shapes and sizes move to the vibrations of the forest.
September 3 – September 4: Philadelphia, PA.
The Budweiser Made In America Festival is a massive musical celebration that takes on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway over Labor Day weekend. With dozens of top performers and multiple stages on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the two-day music festival, curated by Jay Z, is one of the year’s can’t-miss events.
September 17 – September 18: Huntington State Beach, CA.
Get your beach attire ready for the debut of the ultimate summer party and electronic music event: Sundown Music Festival. Produced by Activated Presents, the creators of Wet Electric and Silent Sun(sets), the festival will delight both electronic music lovers and beach partiers alike with four stages–the Wet Electric Main Stage and three Silent Sun(sets) Stages–in addition to zip lines, waterslides, rides, bars, art installations, vendor villages and more.
September 3 – September 4: El Paso, TX.
For the 2016 edition Sun City Music Festival, the event is ready to return to Ascarate Park this Labor Day weekend and transform El Paso County’s largest public recreational park into their smorgasbord of electronic music. Coming in at a whopping 448 total acres, Ascarate Park has always served as an excellent backdrop to host SCMF’s three stages of music, vendors, art installations, and mesmerizing production.
El Paso Texas
September 2 – September 4: Chicago, IL.
Returning for its seventh year to its home at Union Park, North Coast Music Festival is sure to be the it event for Labor Day weekend 2016 with its diverse lineup of musical acts whether you enjoy the thumping of the bass or the strumming of a guitar.
September 24 – September 25: Atlantic City, NJ.
On Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25, the waterfront festival Electric Adventure will fill the beach in Atlantic City. Relocating to the Steel Peer, it will also offer rides and attractions besides the diverse lineup.