With fixtures including the Amsterdam Dance Event, a large pool of internationally recognised artists and labels, and counting storied clubs such as the now-defunct Trouw, the Netherlands is a global player in electronic music.
During the past year Tsepo and Love Over Entropy are two names that have emerged in a new wave of Dutch talent. A ‘DJs DJ’, Tsepo has become known for the sort of considered sets that propelled him to a residency at Trouw, which he held until their close. Love Over Entropy came to attention with his ‘Tonii’ EP in 2015, for which Dixon’s ‘Retouch’ of the track quickly became a summer anthem. Both men are tipped for further breakthroughs in 2016.
Ahead of their gig in London for Moodroom Collective at London’s Red Gallery this Saturday, we caught up with the pair to talk about their origins and the state of play for electronic music in the Netherlands right now.
How did you both find electronic music? Which records or parties, in particular, were pivotal for you?
LOE: I got into electronic music around 1989. My entrance was via Eurodance, but I quickly developed a love for Detroit techno and the kind of music that Warp were releasing. For much of the 1990s I was into IDM and Drum and Bass. When minimal came along in the 2000s I returned to House and Techno but by then had lost my appetite to go to parties regularly. I wouldn’t say that what I do now is the result of my clubbing days, but I will usually stick around when playing to see others perform for inspiration.
Tsepo: My first experience with electronic music was at the age of 7 or 8 when my parents got me a CD with gabber and house. I listened, and still do listen, to K&D sessions by Kruder & Dorfmeister. That was the first mix CD I listened to where I thought “How did they make these transitions so smooth”. For me it’s still one of the best mix CDs ever made.
LOE: Two pivotal records for me are ‘The art of stalking’ by Suburban Knight (sometimes also called ‘The worlds’) and ‘Nort Route’ by Balil. The former showed me how otherworldly electronic music could be; the latter how beautiful and emotional.
Amsterdam has become a capital for electronic music in recent years. How do you find it measures up to the press? Is there a strong connection between producers there?
LOE: Questions like these make me think though why as an artist I’ve never really been part of a scene! I’m not into the scene and generally don’t follow the press. Maybe it is because with any scene comes pack behaviour. As with any community, rules develop about what fits and what doesn’t. Not only do I think this is very tiresome, it would probably also hold me back as an artist. I’m all for connecting with likeminded artists, but only to make me move forward, not because they happen to live in the same city as I do. I hooked up with one of my favourite artists recently, LA-based producer Jon Charnis. During one of our conversations he told me: “You make me wanna do better music”. Apart from that feeling being mutual, that’s what connections between producers are about for me.
Cool. Tsepo, you’ve played all throughout Holland this year – Trouw withstanding, what venues and festivals have deserved attention?
Tsepo: Paradigm in Groninger! The sound is really good; the venue is really good, the crowd is really good – I think that says a lot! In Amsterdam, Studio 80 were doing a good job until they closed; De School, the club by the group that made Trouw what it was, is another really, really, good club too.
For me though, the best venue in the Netherlands is Woodstock 69. It’s located on the beach and opens in the summertime. I played with Konstantin Sibold (pictured above) this summer, such a fun place. When you run a beach venue in Holland you have to break it down and put it in storage during the winter. Unfortunately the storage facility burnt down about a week ago. They’re currently trying to rebuild the set so I think it should be back open in summer.
The best festival in my opinion is Lowlands Festival. I played there last year, and before I played a lot of friends told me, “This is going to be your favourite festival in the world.” I was the start of the night programming and Skepta closed the day schedule on the same stage. When I got to the decks the whole venue was packed with sixteen to eighteen year olds and I thought, “Wow, this guy must be really, really big.”
There was a one-minute changeover and when I started I thought, “I have to do completely my own set as it’s a big festival and I need to be my best.” I didn’t want to crowd please that early into my set in order to keep any lingering Skepta fans. I was booked to play my way, not as the DJ to play after Skepta.
It’s an incredible festival. It feels like a small village and you can expect really diverse programming. You can do what you want, you can dress how you want, you need to go and see it for yourself.
You mentioned Trouw, how did you come to get involved there?
Tsepo: I was already in touch with Nuno dos Santos (who runs Something Happening Somewhere, home to Love Over Entropy’s first EP) through Soundcloud. He had uploaded a track he produced called ‘Hamming’ that I really wanted. We got talking; he listened to a few of my sets and introduced me to Olaf Boswijk.
What made Trouw, and your time as resident there, so special?
Tsepo: I think everything was in perfect balance: the staff, the room, the DJs that were booked and the crowd. The most memorable moment I had was walking into the club for the first time: it was love at first sight.
LOE, when did you start producing? Is Love Over Entropy your first project or one of many? Is there a backstory to the name?
LOE: When I moved to Amsterdam in 1992 I met some people with synths and drum machines, which inspired me to get some gear and start exploring myself. I started producing around 1993, but it wasn’t until 2001 that I first began releasing music, and under a different name. As for Love Over Entropy, it’s not just pretence. The name means something to me and helps me make decisions as an artist. It gives flavour to what I do, so to say. It’s a decision of mine that I do not explain what it means – there’s a joy in making meaningful connections yourself, and I would not want to take that joy away from anyone.
Photo Credit: Miryam Faken
Fair enough. Tsepo, despite your release on Kompakt with your remix of GusGus’ ‘Airwaves’, your success to date seems to come from your standing as a DJ rather than a producer. Do you feel a pressure to increase your output as a producer?
Tsepo: No, not at all. I think people book me because of my DJ sets rather than my productions. To be honest, I don’t produce that much anymore; I find it more satisfying finding records and playing them in front of a crowd, especially when you draw a reaction even greater than you expected.
Do you have any tried and tested formulas that guide your sets?
Tsepo: If I’m playing two hours I will set aside 30 or 40 tracks the day before that I think will be the vibe of the party. It’s always a mixture as I play for the crowd and I play for myself. I’m not afraid to try tracks that could or couldn’t work but are my favourites.
In terms of playing, it really depends! I don’t start with a big break, but something with a good kick to see how the crowd reacts. I try to gauge and balance when I should play the big room tracks and ones that are more reserved. It’s a matter of reading the crowd. I’m always reading and reading and reading the crowd until I know which direction I will go. If I play big room tracks eventually you can see the crowd getting tired and then will take two steps back.
LOE, your track ‘Tonii’ was quite an anthem for many this summer; few producers get the chance to say ‘Dixon’s remixed my work’. How did the link with Dixon and Muting the Noise come about? How important is the support of more established artists in gaining exposure and establishing a healthy touring schedule?
LOE: Nuno Dos Santos from Something Happening Somewhere posted on his Facebook that he had some new Love over Entropy demos in. Dixon sent him a message asking to hear them and after thought about releasing a couple of them on Innervisions. That didn’t happen, but he liked ‘Tonii’ so much he wanted to do a remix.
Support from established names has some advantages. It makes it easier to explain to people what I do and at which level I do it for one – ‘Dixon remixed one of my tracks’ is pretty easy shorthand to use in conversations! – and it has definitely expanded my reach. But the lasting effects shouldn’t be overestimated. Nobody books me because Dixon remixed my track, and rightly so. That would be the wrong reason. In the end I feel that gaining exposure and establishing a healthy tour schedule boils down to one thing: making the best music you can. So it’s a nice boost, and I wholeheartedly thank Dixon that he did the remix, but I feel I still have a lot of work before me. And that’s fine. What comes quickly goes quickly.
What is your process while producing? How do you balance creative spontaneity with measured attention to detail?
LOE: I feel there are usually three phases when I make music. The first is coming up with the basic idea, which is usually little more than a melody with a beat. It will be around 10 channels and I have tons of these. If I like the idea so much that I think I can turn it into a track, I’ll take it to the next phase.
This means adding drums, field recordings, synths and so on to it. This is usually a pretty intense 1-day session where I let my creative juices flow unimpeded, although I keep in mind that I am creating a track and not a collection of sounds. When I feel I have enough possibilities to finish the track, I move on to the next phase, by which time a project could have between 50 and 70 channels.
In the last phase I look at everything critically and if it doesn’t work in the track, it’s out. No mercy. Most of the time, finishing a track is a rather trivial matter as I already have a pretty clear idea of the composition. I then focus on the details: making transitions work, refining and adding sounds where needed. I take my time with this and I think that is one of the key elements to my sound. A typical project will be down to 25-35 channels at the end.
Tell us about some labels, producers or DJs coming out of Holland that have really raised the bar in the last year or two.
LOE: That would have to be Olaf Stuut and Polynation. Their music has this loose live feel to it, which is something I would love to incorporate into my tracks. That doesn’t mean I’ll simply copy their sounds, as I think it’s more about approach. Luckily I know these guys personally, so I can always pick their brains.
Tsepo: One of the best labels not only in the Netherlands but in Europe for me is Nous’Klaer Audio. I can give you an explanation but is easier to give a listen to the new album by Mattheis – Kindred Phenomena. Also check out their upcoming releases or their previous ones, all of them are lovely records!
Where are you headed in 2016, are there any other plans up your sleeve?!
Tsepo: I don’t like to plan too far ahead so for now it’s just digging and playing music and see where it gets me! I can say I have around 10 to 15 festivals confirmed! That’s already a lot, but we have a big festival culture in the Netherlands.
LOE: I have 2 releases planned, and looking for 2 more this year. There should be a new EP on Something Happening Somewhere in April and a new EP on Lossless right before the summer. But you never know with the crazy waiting times to get vinyl pressed nowadays.
Apart from that I will do some remixes. 2015 was an exciting year for me, and I feel that in 2016 I have to prove that I’m worth my salt, which is a challenge I’ll happily take on.
Love Over Entropy and Tsepo play London on 6 February at the Red Gallery, Hoxton at Moodroom Collective’s first party of 2016. For more information and tickets visit: www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?790371