Mirik Milan is the currently elected Night Mayor of Amsterdam (Nachtburgemeester Amsterdam). The night mayor is a “Rebel in a Suit” who asks and gives advice to all participants of the night: users, influencers, creative industry, mayor, city council, promoters and clubs and his office also organizes events in the benefit of the nightlife. The Night Mayor foundation was established in 2014 to professionalize the function of the night mayor, by setting goals and planning how to achieve them.
Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?
I was 16 and my friend took me to a famous Dutch nightclub called RoXY. Back than you didn’t to show you ID and my mature looks helped me to get in. RoXY was famous for it’s advent-garde scene. The Dutch house scene started there in ’88. The venue dramatically burnt down during the funeral of one of it’s owners and creative directors when he sadly passed away days before in his sleep. The people, the atmosphere, the night noise from the smoke machine. I knew at that moment Nightlife would be an important part of my live.
Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?
Beginning of May we were in Berlin for an exchange project called Enter the Void between Berlin, Budapest, Riga and Amsterdam. The event is about re-designing public space. How can young creatives take back the public space without damaging or betraying the law. How can you organize a free open air or rave party without being caught. Four days of brainstorm sessions with an amazing group of people. Closing the week with a Sunday party at Sisyphos and Berghain off course. Straight after clubbing we went on to the river Spree with a boat. That also helped! :-)
Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?
Amsterdam and my wife of course, got married last year. Amsterdam is such a great city to live in. It’s openminded look at nightlife and dance culture is really Important. Dance Music is seen as an engine for economic growth. Nightlife and all the festivals which are being organized are on a really good level. We have 130 +2000 dance music festivals in the Amsterdam area alone on yearly basis.
Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?
The moment I was asked to join Meubel Stukken and Joost van Bellen his Rauw party. Together with DJ Joost van Bellen we're running the Rauw club night since 2003. Rauw introduced artists like Erol Alkan, Boys Noize, Justice, Busy P, Crookers, Brodinski and Gesaffelstein to the Dutch dance scene.
Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?
More and more cities around the world are interested in have longer opening hours for night clubs. Because it helps the scene to growth and get better line ups but on the other hand it gets back on the problem side because all the people don’t leave the venue at the same time and spill out on to the street all a once. At the moment I’m writing this I’m in Cali Colombia to do a talk at the subject. For the last three month I have been doing an international talk in my role as the Night Mayor every week in a city around the world. Next up are Ibiza, Mumbai, Denmark and London.
Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?
I hope we will see more art and technology been added to the dance industry. What TodaysArt festival is already doing for years will come to mature. You see now at festivals that stages are becoming bigger, more technical. A new sub culture group will be looking for new stuff. Sub cultures shape mainstream culture. That is why it’s so important. In sub cultures you will have innovation and that is much needed in an ever changing dance music industry.
segunda-feira, 27 de junho de 2016
segunda-feira, 20 de junho de 2016
Hans Hess @ Dance Music 101
Hans Hess is Head of International Marketing & Brand Development at Egg LDN.
- Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?
At the age of 15/16 I bought Blues and Soul magazine which was writing about a new form of music that was making waves in Chicago at that time, and was eventually tagged ‘House’ music after the city’s legendary Warehouse Club where Frankie Knuckles played.At that time electro was really huge and I was deeply into it and the ‘House’ sound was a natural progression of the sounds around and the DJs started fusing electro and house together. As House Music started to break through more and more with tracks like ‘Jack Your Body’ I started dabbling in putting on nights in the North of England, which were a huge success and then I realised that maybe I could forge a career in this.
- Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?
I believe parties are places where people go to have fun but this has become more and more difficult with the whole emergence of the VIP culture. Also the characters which you used to see at every party are not so prevalent but there’s never been a time in my career when I’ve not had fun being involved running record labels, promoting events and generally raving and connecting with people who share the same love of music and good times. I have to say that I had real fun at Zaina Raadt’s free party for all lovers of dance music at the Rio Music Conference, which engaged all kinds of people from the favelas to the more well-off parts of town, and where everyone, including me had a smile on their face and which was huge fun. Can’t wait for next year’s RMC :-)
- Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?
Obviously my family without a doubt but my second love is the passion that I have for dance music and that flame will never be extinguished. There’s nothing more pleasurable than hearing a unique track on the dancefloor and I’m buzzing having just returned from Sonar from the Frankie & Sandrino track ‘Acamar’, which is also huge in Ibiza right now.
- Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?
Winning the Muzik Magazine Music Week Award for Best Independent Record Label Of The Year with Eukatech/UCMG Records was absolutely amazing. Standing in front of 2,000 of your peers and pals and about 26 International radio and TV stations to receive the award was such a good feeling, and I was doubly chuffed to celebrate it with my wife and work partners at that time. I still treasure this award and it stands proudly on a shelf at my home.
- Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?
As I mentioned earlier club culture has seen a massive emergence of the VIP culture and it’s all gone rather upmarket. For instance, now Glastonbury has 20 wristbands for different divisions of VIP areas and there’s also VIP areas at Burning Man Festival, so you can imagine it’s not so inclusive. It’s not so much based on the dance floor but really though it’s still all about the music and hanging out with like-minded party people.
- Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?
The design element in clubs and production is where I see it heading as it becomes more important to put on a show and return to the theatrical side of putting on parties and events. That’s what we’ve been focusing on at Egg LDN through successful events like our Berlin Berlin and Gold Diggers parties, and we’re working with international companies to bring cutting edge design and production to the club as part of its natural evolution. It’s not just about booking the latest big name DJ and and a few lights - people want value for money in an inclusive environment where people can come together and enjoy themselves and feel free and safe. The industry must never lose sight of the fact that’s its all about bringing people together in an entertaining way using all the sophisticated elements now available.
- Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?
At the age of 15/16 I bought Blues and Soul magazine which was writing about a new form of music that was making waves in Chicago at that time, and was eventually tagged ‘House’ music after the city’s legendary Warehouse Club where Frankie Knuckles played.At that time electro was really huge and I was deeply into it and the ‘House’ sound was a natural progression of the sounds around and the DJs started fusing electro and house together. As House Music started to break through more and more with tracks like ‘Jack Your Body’ I started dabbling in putting on nights in the North of England, which were a huge success and then I realised that maybe I could forge a career in this.
- Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?
I believe parties are places where people go to have fun but this has become more and more difficult with the whole emergence of the VIP culture. Also the characters which you used to see at every party are not so prevalent but there’s never been a time in my career when I’ve not had fun being involved running record labels, promoting events and generally raving and connecting with people who share the same love of music and good times. I have to say that I had real fun at Zaina Raadt’s free party for all lovers of dance music at the Rio Music Conference, which engaged all kinds of people from the favelas to the more well-off parts of town, and where everyone, including me had a smile on their face and which was huge fun. Can’t wait for next year’s RMC :-)
- Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?
Obviously my family without a doubt but my second love is the passion that I have for dance music and that flame will never be extinguished. There’s nothing more pleasurable than hearing a unique track on the dancefloor and I’m buzzing having just returned from Sonar from the Frankie & Sandrino track ‘Acamar’, which is also huge in Ibiza right now.
- Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?
Winning the Muzik Magazine Music Week Award for Best Independent Record Label Of The Year with Eukatech/UCMG Records was absolutely amazing. Standing in front of 2,000 of your peers and pals and about 26 International radio and TV stations to receive the award was such a good feeling, and I was doubly chuffed to celebrate it with my wife and work partners at that time. I still treasure this award and it stands proudly on a shelf at my home.
- Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?
As I mentioned earlier club culture has seen a massive emergence of the VIP culture and it’s all gone rather upmarket. For instance, now Glastonbury has 20 wristbands for different divisions of VIP areas and there’s also VIP areas at Burning Man Festival, so you can imagine it’s not so inclusive. It’s not so much based on the dance floor but really though it’s still all about the music and hanging out with like-minded party people.
- Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?
The design element in clubs and production is where I see it heading as it becomes more important to put on a show and return to the theatrical side of putting on parties and events. That’s what we’ve been focusing on at Egg LDN through successful events like our Berlin Berlin and Gold Diggers parties, and we’re working with international companies to bring cutting edge design and production to the club as part of its natural evolution. It’s not just about booking the latest big name DJ and and a few lights - people want value for money in an inclusive environment where people can come together and enjoy themselves and feel free and safe. The industry must never lose sight of the fact that’s its all about bringing people together in an entertaining way using all the sophisticated elements now available.
segunda-feira, 13 de junho de 2016
Antoine Buffard @ Dance Music 101
Antoine Buffard is the CEO of Trax Magazine, the leading French Dance Music publication for almost 20 years.
- Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?
Probably when I started DJing, ten years ago, and saw the effect it could have on people. It corresponded to a lot of things I already loved: selecting tracks into coherent playlists (which I was doing for my blog at the time), feeling the crowd to bring people together, taking risks (you can fuck up everybody's night if you mess up and I was way out of my comfort zone at that time), getting people to love things they would have never imagine they could love. Ten years later I never had so much fun doing it!
- Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?
I went to the AfrikaBurn with my two best friends... Not sure how to explain how good it was. Every time I tried, it's like trying to describe the first time I had sex. It was amazing... Nothing like the image I have of the American Burning Man. Or maybe what it was 30 years ago. It's unlike any event I've been to in my life. And I have been to quite a few...
- Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?
I love anything I find weird. Our industry got very professional, which is good in a lot of ways, especially business wise. But I got into this industry because I want to be challenged all the time. Every single day I keep finding new music from every single place in the world and I still get amazed by how creative and futuristic people are.
- Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?
I would say the day I became the head of Trax Magazine. I grew up reading it, it's been the leading French publication for almost 20 years and running it is a huge challenge! The pressure is high, we had to go through an impressive amount of shit, but I feel very proud to see the quality of the team in place today. I never thought I could be leading anything, and I'm learning new things every day. But, after putting the rest of my life aside for years, I now realize how much has been done and I feel proud.
- Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?
There is a great trend of new kinds of ghetto houses in France right now. The traditionally elitist world of electronic music here is now facing the rise of new incredibly talented artists, everywhere, who don't need to go through the whole industry bullshit to find an audience. When they finally do, after having millions of views of YouTube, they can deal with a major company without being crushed. A lot of people are slowly getting bored of four by four vintage Techno/House (and its subdivisions). I don't know if we can call that a "trend", but I think more and more people are trying to find out what's beyond that music that has been around for 30 years, what's beyond the party that gives you what you expected. Times are tough and music is comfort for many. But I think we are ready to look forward again. If the industry in place doesn't make place to those artistic anomalies, and keeps selling the same shit over and over, it will be replaced by more forward-thinking players.
- Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?
I don't know... China? ;)
- Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?
Probably when I started DJing, ten years ago, and saw the effect it could have on people. It corresponded to a lot of things I already loved: selecting tracks into coherent playlists (which I was doing for my blog at the time), feeling the crowd to bring people together, taking risks (you can fuck up everybody's night if you mess up and I was way out of my comfort zone at that time), getting people to love things they would have never imagine they could love. Ten years later I never had so much fun doing it!
- Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?
I went to the AfrikaBurn with my two best friends... Not sure how to explain how good it was. Every time I tried, it's like trying to describe the first time I had sex. It was amazing... Nothing like the image I have of the American Burning Man. Or maybe what it was 30 years ago. It's unlike any event I've been to in my life. And I have been to quite a few...
- Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?
I love anything I find weird. Our industry got very professional, which is good in a lot of ways, especially business wise. But I got into this industry because I want to be challenged all the time. Every single day I keep finding new music from every single place in the world and I still get amazed by how creative and futuristic people are.
- Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?
I would say the day I became the head of Trax Magazine. I grew up reading it, it's been the leading French publication for almost 20 years and running it is a huge challenge! The pressure is high, we had to go through an impressive amount of shit, but I feel very proud to see the quality of the team in place today. I never thought I could be leading anything, and I'm learning new things every day. But, after putting the rest of my life aside for years, I now realize how much has been done and I feel proud.
- Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?
There is a great trend of new kinds of ghetto houses in France right now. The traditionally elitist world of electronic music here is now facing the rise of new incredibly talented artists, everywhere, who don't need to go through the whole industry bullshit to find an audience. When they finally do, after having millions of views of YouTube, they can deal with a major company without being crushed. A lot of people are slowly getting bored of four by four vintage Techno/House (and its subdivisions). I don't know if we can call that a "trend", but I think more and more people are trying to find out what's beyond that music that has been around for 30 years, what's beyond the party that gives you what you expected. Times are tough and music is comfort for many. But I think we are ready to look forward again. If the industry in place doesn't make place to those artistic anomalies, and keeps selling the same shit over and over, it will be replaced by more forward-thinking players.
- Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?
I don't know... China? ;)
segunda-feira, 6 de junho de 2016
Tristan Hunt @ Dance Music 101
Tristan Hunt is Partner & Director of Business Development at AudioLock, the world's leading music specific anti-piracy service according to Google's stats. He is also an elected member of the Executive Board of the Association For Electronic Music where he represents the sector of Technology and Software.
Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?
Back in 93' a friend leant me a copy of The Prodigy's 'Experience'. That chance loan of the band's debut album changed my world. I grew up listening to music, thanks in part to my dad's modest but quality vinyl collection, but it was the rave boys from Braintree that got me hooked on dance music. However it was only when I went to university in '99 that I realised that I actually wanted to work in the scene professionally. Time spent clubbing in my undergrad year, when I should have been studying, led to a season in Ibiza. There on The White Isle I blagged a job VJ'ing for the likes of Manumission, Amnesia, Pacha and Privilege. It was working at these legendary nights that gave me the taste for wanting to work in the scene long term. Last year, and 16 years on from my first Ibiza season, I found myself collaborating with The Prodigy's record label to protect the band's sixth studio album 'The Day Is My Enemy'. Given that they got me into the scene, that felt pretty epic.
Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?
I'm lucky to laugh often in work and at play, having fun is a big part of my life. I caught up with an old friend last night at Applebees, a great seafood restaurant in London's Borough Market. My next passion to dance music is food and we got to combine the two with some after dinner clubbing which was pretty spot on.
Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?
My family and friend's mean the world to me so they're always number one. However, as I write this looking out the window today, I'm reminded of how much I love the first green buds of spring. The arrival of these and other blooms signals the end of our dreary winter and the start of long sunny days and warm summer nights plus all the parties that go with them. The freedom to dance outdoors can't be beaten.
Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?
That's a tough call as over the years there's been a few. I guess I'd have to share joint first place with two moments in particular. Four years ago I joined a then little known music anti-piracy service called AudioLock. That was the start of something special. Fast forward to the present and we now protect many of the biggest names in electronic music. Through my role there as Director of Business Development, I have been afforded the opportunity to build relationships with the likes of Defected, Spinnin', Ultra, Armada, Hospital, RAM, Cr2, Toolroom and Ministry of Sound to name but a few. Working with such legendary labels has been, and continues to be, an incredible experience. Balanced next to this was last year getting elected to the Executive Board of the Association For Electronic Music. That was definitely a career high, and an especially memorable Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) as it was there that our newly formed Executive Board was announced. To be given the opportunity by my peers of representing the interests of our industry is an enormous privilege and something I take very seriously.
Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?
In Britain the UKG scene (UK Garage) is quietly on the ascendance whilst EDM's international popularity continues to wane apace. Smart event technology like electronic chipped wrist bands, which enable cashless entry and drinks payments, are becoming evermore common and will soon be the norm. At an industry level the canny team behind ADE have been providing such wrist bands to their delegates for many years and to great effect.
Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?
I think that on many fronts dance music is entering an exciting new era. On a recent visit to SXSW it was clear that VR technology is finally becoming affordable and is on the cusp of going mainstream. The ability for clubbers to attend events remotely via VR headsets, powered by their smart phones, will be game changing in helping extend the audience reach of club nights and festivals worldwide. In these same events right now more nascent technology is being deployed to ensure that royalty payments (owed on the music that DJ's play out in their live sets) get correctly allocated to those that actually make and own the music. Such positive work has been championed by not-for-profit trade bodies like AFEM and will help ensure our industry's continued success.
Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?
Back in 93' a friend leant me a copy of The Prodigy's 'Experience'. That chance loan of the band's debut album changed my world. I grew up listening to music, thanks in part to my dad's modest but quality vinyl collection, but it was the rave boys from Braintree that got me hooked on dance music. However it was only when I went to university in '99 that I realised that I actually wanted to work in the scene professionally. Time spent clubbing in my undergrad year, when I should have been studying, led to a season in Ibiza. There on The White Isle I blagged a job VJ'ing for the likes of Manumission, Amnesia, Pacha and Privilege. It was working at these legendary nights that gave me the taste for wanting to work in the scene long term. Last year, and 16 years on from my first Ibiza season, I found myself collaborating with The Prodigy's record label to protect the band's sixth studio album 'The Day Is My Enemy'. Given that they got me into the scene, that felt pretty epic.
Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?
I'm lucky to laugh often in work and at play, having fun is a big part of my life. I caught up with an old friend last night at Applebees, a great seafood restaurant in London's Borough Market. My next passion to dance music is food and we got to combine the two with some after dinner clubbing which was pretty spot on.
Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?
My family and friend's mean the world to me so they're always number one. However, as I write this looking out the window today, I'm reminded of how much I love the first green buds of spring. The arrival of these and other blooms signals the end of our dreary winter and the start of long sunny days and warm summer nights plus all the parties that go with them. The freedom to dance outdoors can't be beaten.
Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?
That's a tough call as over the years there's been a few. I guess I'd have to share joint first place with two moments in particular. Four years ago I joined a then little known music anti-piracy service called AudioLock. That was the start of something special. Fast forward to the present and we now protect many of the biggest names in electronic music. Through my role there as Director of Business Development, I have been afforded the opportunity to build relationships with the likes of Defected, Spinnin', Ultra, Armada, Hospital, RAM, Cr2, Toolroom and Ministry of Sound to name but a few. Working with such legendary labels has been, and continues to be, an incredible experience. Balanced next to this was last year getting elected to the Executive Board of the Association For Electronic Music. That was definitely a career high, and an especially memorable Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) as it was there that our newly formed Executive Board was announced. To be given the opportunity by my peers of representing the interests of our industry is an enormous privilege and something I take very seriously.
Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?
In Britain the UKG scene (UK Garage) is quietly on the ascendance whilst EDM's international popularity continues to wane apace. Smart event technology like electronic chipped wrist bands, which enable cashless entry and drinks payments, are becoming evermore common and will soon be the norm. At an industry level the canny team behind ADE have been providing such wrist bands to their delegates for many years and to great effect.
Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?
I think that on many fronts dance music is entering an exciting new era. On a recent visit to SXSW it was clear that VR technology is finally becoming affordable and is on the cusp of going mainstream. The ability for clubbers to attend events remotely via VR headsets, powered by their smart phones, will be game changing in helping extend the audience reach of club nights and festivals worldwide. In these same events right now more nascent technology is being deployed to ensure that royalty payments (owed on the music that DJ's play out in their live sets) get correctly allocated to those that actually make and own the music. Such positive work has been championed by not-for-profit trade bodies like AFEM and will help ensure our industry's continued success.
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