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Dutch producer Mason has spent more than two decades carving out a unique path through electronic music. From the global success of ‘(Perfect) Exceeder’ to acclaimed releases on labels including Armada, Club Bad, Club Sweat and his own Animal Language imprint, he’s built a catalogue that comfortably sits between underground club culture and crossover appeal.
Now, Mason has revived his much-loved Nite Rites series with the release of ‘Nite Rite Alpha’. Originally conceived as a platform for his more uncompromising and leftfield club productions, the series returns with a new release every full moon, alongside free downloads, exclusive merchandise and forthcoming vinyl compilations.
The reboot has already been met with strong support. DJs plays include Vintage Culture, Purple Disco Machine, Claptone, Jamie Jones, Sasha, Mousse T, Shiba San and Roger Sanchez. It proves there’s still a healthy appetite for Mason’s wonderfully off-centre approach to club music.
To celebrate the recent return of Nite Rites, we asked Mason to take us on a journey through the records that have helped shape his career.
Mason – Fashion Killa feat. Stefflon Don
“This record started life as a Beatport #1 called ‘Papapapa’, which I released on Loulou Records. The track did so well, and had so much room for a vocal, that Island Records signed it and we started looking for the right artist to bring it into a more pop realm.
Azealia Banks delivered an incredible vocal and we had all the promotional wheels in motion. Buzz was building and everything seemed set for a big release until she went on a 24-hour Twitter rant involving all kinds of offensive remarks, attacks on the queer community, other artists and racial slurs. Overnight we pulled the whole release.
Luckily, Stefflon Don stepped in and delivered a kick-ass vocal that completely saved the record. It went on to become the main theme for America’s Next Top Model, which then led to fashion brands wanting to be associated with it. The track ended up in advertising campaigns, catwalk shows and all sorts of fashion-related projects.
It feels like a record that has lived five different lives. I still get the occasional Azealia Banks fan in my DMs demanding that I release her version.”
Mason – The Screetch
“‘The Screetch’ was the first record I ever properly released on a label, and it felt like the beginning of a new chapter.
Before that, I was mainly a DJ who happened to mess around with studio gear on the side. The track was embraced by a surprisingly wide range of DJs and industry people, which gave me confidence that I wasn’t just adding to the noise. I was actually contributing something of my own and had something to say musically.
Even today, despite its simple structure, I still think it’s quite an outspoken one-of-a-kind record. It has the same character and identity that has stayed with it over the years.
There’s also something cool about being young, having less context and just making whatever you feel like in a very free way. There was no strategy and the tune wasn’t well thought through. It was simply what came up on the spot and was finished in a few hours.”
Tiësto feat. Mason – Lethal Industry
“I’m originally trained as a classical violinist. I was quite serious about it from the age of six and maintained a disciplined practice routine until I was about twenty-five.
At the same time, I’d been DJing since my teenage years and occasionally brought an electric violin to gigs for fun. Tiësto saw me perform with it at a show in Peru and called me the following week to ask whether I’d like to join him as a violinist for his Tiësto In Concert shows. At first I thought it was a prank call.
This was back in 2004, years before ‘Exceeder’ and before I’d really released anything of my own.
I toured with him for about a year, performing at shows all over the world while he was the biggest thing out there. As an added bonus, I often got to play warm-up DJ sets before his performances and occasionally the official afterparties as well.
The experience was incredible and a unique chapter. It also got me quite warmed up and experienced with touring life before the real deal started with ‘Exceeder’.”
Mason vs Princess Superstar – (Perfect) Exceeder
“I can’t really talk about my catalogue without mentioning ‘(Perfect) Exceeder’. It’s the record that completely changed my life.
A lot has already been said about it. It was produced on my kitchen table. Originally, it started life as the B-side to an Italo disco track because I thought it was too simple and obvious. Later, it became a chart hit and somehow charted again seventeen years later thanks to Saltburn and TikTok. Remixes from artists like David Guetta and Jax Jones followed, along with countless other twists and turns.
For me, though, the story is something else too. The record gave me the freedom to build a long-term career on my own terms. That freedom allowed me to explore the sounds I was genuinely interested in rather than constantly chasing daytime radio or mainstream success.
I realised a long time ago that I’m quite indie and left-of-centre by nature. I love pop music and I love making vocal records, but the straight-up superstar dance music career was never really me.
So no private jets.
Instead, I’ve had a deeply fulfilling musical life. For more than twenty-five years I’ve spent virtually every day working on music I genuinely love, both for myself and for others, with a fanbase that seems to appreciate exactly that.
Sure, I’ve probably heard ‘Exceeder’ a few times too many by now. But it’s also the key that unlocked an adventurous and exciting life and music career, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Mason – Boadicea feat. Roisin Murphy
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Roisin Murphy, so getting the opportunity to work together was a real pleasure.
She arrived at a London studio heavily pregnant, fresh from a Paris catwalk show.
Over the years I’ve done plenty of sessions with artists, but watching her work was really inspiring.
She brought along a huge scrapbook filled with photographs, clippings, articles and sketches. It served as a creative starting point and helped shape the direction of the session.
In this case, it eventually led to an oddball song about the legendary warrior queen Boadicea.”
Mason – Giving Up
“A few years ago I created a female vocal group called The Masonettes. They performed Motown-inspired close harmonies, complete with choreography, and joined me on tour.
One of the songs we performed together live on stage was ‘Giving Up’. While other Masonettes records achieved more commercial success, this one always meant the most to me personally.
Special shoutout to the video’s directors, as the video, which was shot at my house, captured my life during Covid quite well.
Later on, Mark Knight reworked the track and released it on Toolroom. In a nice twist of fate, it finally became a chart record after all.”
Mason – Nite Rite Delta
“I started the Nite Rites series a few years back and they were just too much fun to make. Non-compromising oddball club tools, numbered, without any rules, released on each full moon through my Animal Language label.
The concept gained a bit of a cult following, so I decided to reboot the series this year. I’m throwing one on Bandcamp and DJ stores each month and working my way through the Greek alphabet. Nite Rite Alpha, Nite Rite Beta and so forth.
‘Nite Rite Delta’ is a little example of just how off-centre these records can get.
Releasing them feels incredibly free, creative and fun because everything happens completely on my own terms. They’re also set to be bundled together on vinyl and streaming services soon.
If people dig them, great. Otherwise, that’s fine too.
Should it be the latter, I’m sorry, because there are plenty more to come.”
Mason
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