Edo van Duyn @ Dance Music 101

Edo van Duyn is a co-founder in the Brazilian talent agency Plus Talent and also Director of Tours & Events with SFX South America.


Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?

I fell into club life and dance music almost by accident. I was living in London in the 90s, and was a Journlist for TimeOut magazine. One weekend David Swindells (who was the editor for the Club section reviews) asked me to go and review some clubs... So I spent the whole weekend checking out clubs… I was hooked. From there i got to know every club, every doorman, every DJ in London… I’d go to Velvet Rooms on a Wednesday to see Carl Cox play for 500 people and stand next to the bar with Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong hanging out amongst the crowd... relaxed… that was just normal London... an amazing time. Just music. No Co2 or Green rooms… just great house, techno. Garage and jungle music everywhere. I then started doing parties in London and well… Somehow I ended up in Brasil ;)


Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?

Actually couple of weeks in London. I met with some of my oldest friends from when I was growing up in the UK. Nothing beats childhood friendships…


Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?

My family. I would do anything for them. I have a small group of friends that i also consider family. I’m very loyal. Like a pitbull ;) Family is everything.


Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?

When we broke Dj Marky and Patife onto the world stage and Marky broke into the UK pop charts with ‘LK” in 2002. Then people took notice and realized we weren’t just a bunch of crazy kids from East London and Penha LOL


Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?

The ‘Day-Time” experience is what is really dominating… I also prefer this. Music wise there’s a lot of change. A lot of mid-range artists will disappear. The underground scene is stronger than ever from Techno to Drum n Bass - you just need to know where to look. And the big, established, legacy acts are also doing better than ever... Names like Armin, Steve Angello, Guetta etc… because they have legitimacy, they have relevance (still produce consistent good music) and quite frankly, they’re on another level…. It’s no surprise some of the established names still strong have a strong “base” of actually having been and still are great Djs. They have Dj skills…. That’s actually unusual in the business. Brazil is a whole other story... Here - as usual - things are just polarized between the so-called ‘underground” and the “commercial” side of things…. I love Brazil but I have to spend time abroad to keep my faith in the diversity of dance music. And it’s stronger then ever I am happy to report ;)

Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?

More diversity. More independent Artists and smaller boutique and locally-created Festivals. And Dance Music will start to have a stronger voice. The only thing we need to do more is get more ‘political’. Dance music doesn’t stand up enough to the BS we see out there… IS, racism, the divisive politics of Trump etc... Dance music is all about Unity and Diversity and would love to figure out a way to mobilize the millions of dance music fans out there…. That said, I do see a positive generation out there. The world is not as fucked as the media makes it out to be.

Rogier van Twuijver @ Dance Music 101

Rogier van Twuijver is the founder of Dance Consultant, which advises artists and companies that are interested in the Dance Music Industry and, after many years of working in the international dance industry managing DJ/Producers and taking a part in successful events like Audio Obscura, he decided it was time for Dance Education and then partnered up with The School of House, an educational platform for Dance Culture founded by Jan Maarten Hartong, alongside with Frank Klein and Victor Coral.


Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?

The first track of which I realized I was listening to trance music was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR81-VT3kj8 Nikolai – Ready to flow. I was a rock fan by heart, but my room mate and best friend Jeroen de Wit played this record each morning, so this changed my music taste for sure. A couple years later, Jeroen Fontein, Eelke Kleijn and Jerry van Schie taught me all about progressive house and then my life changed forever.


Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?

That was last week, when I celebrated the wedding of a good friend, surrounded by friends, with our loved ones. The greek philosopher Epicurus says that the most important life is to life a self sufficient life surrounded by friends – and he is right. That’s why I have friends and real fun happening almost every week I guess.


Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?

I love doing the things I love doing the most. This is the reason the love of my life came into my life as well, my lovely girl Sanne.


Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?

After years of managing DJ producers and organizing dance events with Audio Obscura, I decided to make a career move. I work for The School of House now and we educate dance industry professionals. Instead of pushing artists or dance events, I’m currently trying to make our industry more professional, in order to give something back to a scene that gave so much in the past already.


Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?

There is so much happening at the moment, so much of everything that I can’t tell the trends. But with the streaming of music itself and the online coverage of the international festivals there is house music everywhere. Dance music became so big that everyone is trying to create his own unique environment in it’s own style and with it’s own following. That’s not how house music once started: House is a feeling, not a concept.


Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?

The dance industry became a main genre in the music industry already, which makes it a significant part of the general economic environment itself. Dance is one of the main export products of The Netherlands and I’m sure other countries will follow. The blend of the dance industry and other industries will be complete soon: We have an office in A’DAM Tower in Amsterdam, here you see it happening: Companies like Gibson, ID&T, Sir Adam hotel, Look Out, MADAM club and all kind of creative agencies are present in this one tower, all working together like equals.

Matt Abbott @ Dance Music 101

Matt Abbott is a co-founder of Label Worx, which over the past 9 years has grown to become a leading provider of services tailored specifically for the needs of an independent record company, from worldwide distribution, pre-release promo campaign tools, royalty management software and much more.


Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?

Back in 1990 when I was at school, our class were asked to take a song in to all play in assembly. A boy in our class turned up with Black Box Ride "On Time” on a 7” vinyl and it was the most amazing thing I had ever heard. It was at this moment I fell in love with dance music.


Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?

Believe it or not. We actually have fun every day working in the dance music industry. It’s like working with your best mates talking about cool stuff, tech and music all day. Meeting new people daily that are in to the same thing is really cool too. We all have fun in the office and a lot more work gets done this way, without it even feeling like work.


Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?

Coffee… No… Cured meats… No… Studio gear… No… Cheese.. No…. Dance Music…. All of the above?


Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?

It has to be the moment Myself and Chris, the other director of Label Worx, were sat in Gatecrasher one night and actually came up with a slightly drunken idea to start Label Worx… We are now the largest distributor of dance music in the world and this all started from a slightly tipsy idea when we were out clubbing! This moment has defined us as a company and me as a person. Always listen to even the boldest of ideas.


Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?

We are currently seeing the rise of Techno on a global scale. Techno is now outselling every other genre of dance music on Beatport and it’s great to see it growing as big as it is. Techno has gone from an underground warehouse kind of vibe, to a fully-fledged festival scale sound. This is amazing to see at the moment.


Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?

The download market is declining rapidly and streaming will inevitably be the big dog in the game. Labels and artists need to embrace this now as we are already seeing the change happen faster and faster. It won’t be long before it is only DJs buying downloads and consumers completely switching to streaming options only. This is already starting to happen with our younger generation and they are our future.

Clarissa Pantoja @ Dance Music 101

Clarissa Pantoja was with AB-Inbev as its Global Head of Music (until November 2015) and is currently its Global Corona Communication Director (from December 2015).


Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?

Electronic music was part of my entire youth. I started to hear drum and bass really young and I was always in love with the energy of the sound. The moment I knew I that I belong to this culture was when I went to my first festival in 2008, called Transcendence at Chapada dos Veadeiros, Brazil. I was so impressed with the music, people style and the community feeling that I knew I belong to that big family.


Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?

On my last trip to Ibiza. I am a big fan of the Balearic Islands and have been visiting Ibiza for the past 3 years. On my last trip I had a lot of friends together and we had this remarkable night at Pacha with Solomun.


Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?

Travel...! I just love to experience new cultures, meet new people, new scenes.


Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?

When we launched “Budweiser Made for Music” in China last year in partnership with Tiësto. It was fascinating to be part of a music culture development by bringing electronic music for a country that is still discovering the scene. We launched an exclusive track and music video that was a huge success all over the country.


Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?

I see a huge movement happening towards the underground movement. Music is moving from “hands in the air” to “moving the hips”. This change also has an impact on the type of experiences people want to get. I see them each time more connected to specific scenes, like label parties.


Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?

It is fascinating to see how electronic music went from something extremely niched to a much broader audience. I think people will get each time more educated on the different types of sounds and this will generate a huge transformation on how people consume music.

Ryan Saltzman @ Dance Music 101

Ryan Saltzman is a Partner, VP and Senior Agent at The Bullitt Agency, founded in 2000 and which has been one of the most preeminent agencies representing some the world’s leading music producers and DJ’s. With offices in Los Angeles, Washington, DC and Barcelona, it has established itself as a staple in the electronic music industry by maintaining a distinct level of excellence.


Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?

I attended my first rave in 1998 when college friends convinced me to check out a party called Buzz in Washington, DC. I was used to the bar scene nightlife, which was quite segregated at my university and where the night usually ended in fights -- but at this party everyone was super friendly and inclusive. I think it was at this moment that I knew I wanted to be a part of this scene.


Laugh / Joy: when was the last time you had real fun?

I make it a point to have fun wherever I am! Most recently, I had the pleasure to attend one of my favorite annual events - Timewarp festival in Mannheim, Germany. This truly exceptional event that for one night has arguably has the biggest underground line up in the world. Timewarp has come to signify the beginning of the festival season and almost everyone from the underground music scene attends. It gives all of us within the industry a chance to reconnect, leave our inhibitions at home, and truly let loose to some amazing music.


Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?

At the risk of sounding cheesy, I will have to say my wife. She is an amazing woman who is quite talented in the fashion world, and she provides me with the unconditional love and support that helps to make me a better person.


Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?

The most significant moment in my career to date was when I was formally made a partner in my company (The Bullitt Agency). I started my career at Bullitt as an unpaid intern, despite the fact that I was already a fully licensed lawyer at the time. I worked relentlessly – coming into the office on weekends, taking on any tasks assigned to me, and learning the details of every position within the company. Becoming a partner signified that all my hard work was for a higher purpose and it confirmed for me that I had chosen the right vocational path.


Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?

The music scene is always undergoing change. From the minute a genre becomes popular, it’s only a matter of time before said popularity fades. The EDM bubble is dying a slow but certain death, and underground is becoming the new taste of the moment. But even this seems to be changing as people grow tired of deep house and are looking to more harder styles of tech house and techno (ie: Joseph Capriati, Dubfire, Marco Carola, etc). And then this, too, will eventually start to change.

With respect to events – clubs are starting to see less bottle service sales, which typically means that door and drink costs will need to increase to make up the difference in profit. This could hurt bigger clubs as clubbers opt for smaller venues that don’t have to worry about large overheads and can book more quality and versatile artists at affordable ticket prices. The festival bubble seems to be popping as well, but smaller niche events have the potential to thrive IF done properly (in both concept AND execution).


Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?

The dance music scene is in a delicate place at the moment. Advances in technology and social media have created an exponential increase in fans, music, and events; but this opening of the flood gates has created more quantity than quality. There seems to be a lack of creativity among many of the people within our scene -- artists and promoters are trying to simply replicate what others are currently doing, and clubbers can’t (and likely won’t) keep paying every week to see the same DJs playing the same shows, attending the same festivals with the same line ups, etc. I foresee a recalibration of the market in the not too distant future, and the strong and innovative will survive. There will likely be a push towards more live electronic music, rather than just DJs mixing behind decks. And the nightlife scene will become even more interactive, perhaps incorporating elements of virtual reality within it.

Mirik Milan @ Dance Music 101

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.

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.