An upper-echelon European DJ like Martijn Ten Velden doesn’t have any trouble booking gigs close to home. But in a world where the party scene is global, every big DJ must make the eventual exodus to the States. No stranger to the international clubbing circuit, he’s spun in some of the biggest clubs in the world and now he’s finally making his debut U.S. tour. ClubPlanet recently spoke with Martijn about what he’s got in store for party people on this side of the pond.
ClubPlanet: What have you been up to lately?
Martijn Ten Velden: I played at Global Gathering in the UK, I played at the Dance Valley festival in Holland as well as in Russia. I’ve also moved to Dubai. I lived in London for 18 years so it’s a big change. I’m still traveling every weekend to do gigs and tomorrow I’m playing Ministry of Sound in London. Dubai is so modern; it’s really cool.
CP: Why have you waited so long to do a U.S. tour?
Martijn Ten Velden: It’s better to wait and do it right the first time around. It’s hard to get a proper work Visa in the U.S. You really need to prove that you are going to bring something to the economy. It was a five or six month process to get the Visa. I’ve played at WMC in Miami but that’s kind of sneaky. If they catch you, you aren’t allowed to re-enter the country for five years.
CP: Why do so many good DJs come out of Holland?
Martijn Ten Velden: The dance culture and music culture has been around since the beginning so we have a head start. In 1988 it was the summer of love. It’s such a small country: there are 14 million people, I don’t know why there are that many good DJs. Maybe they’ve got too much time on their hands to practice (laughs).
CP: Is it because the crowd in Holland is so tough?
Martijn Ten Velden: I built my whole career in the UK, but when I come back I find that they’re all fighting for positions. It’s very competitive, a bit backstabbing. If you have an off day they say you’re rubbish. I’ve seen so many top DJs fall flat on their face in Holland. The crowd doesn’t react but it doesn’t mean they don’t like it. I’ve seen one of my favorite DJs fall flat on their face. He didn’t know to keep going and not care how they react. He started playing hits but they still wouldn’t dance, he would go deep again and they still wouldn’t dance and he would start playing harder and they still wouldn’t dance. By that time the crowd was confused and he was confused. It’s a quite tough place to play.
CP: How important is it gain exposure in the United States?
Martijn Ten Velden: It’s very important. It’s a very big territory and so much good music comes from the states. It’s such a musical country.
CP: You are a former hip hop-turned-house DJ. Why did you decide to make the transition house?
Martijn Ten Velden: I started liking house parties more because there was less attitude. In Europe, old school hip-hop parties were all about having a party and having fun. There wasn’t a lot of attitude. It became very dark and I started going to house parties and I thought “wow this is how hip hop parties used to be!” I really got into house in the end of the 90s. I was in the clubs in 1988 listening to the acid house, but I was never majorly into it until later.
CP: Has your hip-hop background played a role in your house music production and DJing?
Martijn Ten Velden: Yea I think so. I cannot really define it myself. I think it’s an influence that’s just there, and I don’t know how it comes out. I think it’s in the grooves and the sounds.
CP: Who are your biggest influences?
Martijn Ten Velden: I really love Booka Shade, they’re really inspiring to listen to. I really like Gui Borrato, it’s very uplifting and inspirational music. I used to like Timbaland before he became totally worn out. I’m influenced by a lot of old funk, like Parliament Funkadelic, Sly Stone all that kind of stuff, lots of funk. I’ve got a big 70s vinyl collection. In the old days when I was doing hip hop I’d always be searching breaks, for little 4 bar drumbeats. I’ve been collecting old soul and funk since then. I still listen to it and love it.
CP: Who is your favorite producer to work with?
Martijn Ten Velden: The best and most talented guy I worked with is Mark Yardley from the Stanton Warriors. He’s really good to work with, so musical and so talented.
CP: You’ve worked with producers from all different genres. Do you think it’s important to extend out and not have one sound?
Martijn Ten Velden: Definitely. You can learn new tricks as well and it keeps it fresh. I would get bored just doing one thing all the time. I always change my sound slightly and I think that helps as well. I get bored quickly. I like to hear something fresh all the time.
CP: What do you think about Miami?
Martijn Ten Velden: It’s cool. When I first went, there were a lot more up-and-coming producers and DJs trying to give out their CDs. Since everything is digital now people just send their demos via e-mail instead of spending $2000-$3000 on a week in Miami. This year I played four gigs and it was really cool. I really enjoyed it. I meet a lot people there I only see once or twice a year. It’s really cool just hang out and catch up.
CP: What should we expect in terms of your sound?
Martijn Ten Velden: Very fresh new sound. I play tech house with a lot of musical moments and nice big drops. It’s not going to be one boring, predictable set. I like to go on a journey and the crowd plays a really big part in that. I like to play a record people won’t expect me to play, maybe a remake of a really famous classic in there towards the end of the night. I’m going to play some new tracks as well. I’ve got a new single that’s almost finished so I’m going to be playing the demo. I do a lot of re-edits and bootlegs that I don’t release. I love mixing and looping with CDs, setting all the points up and playing around with the arrangement. I love the challenge of mixing. You have to have to have courage sometimes. If you are playing on a big system with all the faders open and you loop one of the tracks it can easily fuck up the whole mix. Usually it’s totally fine but you’ve got to be quick.
CP: Is it good to take risks as a DJ?
Martijn Ten Velden: Taking risks is totally cool. A lot of people even like hearing a mix that’s not 100%. Some people like it when they hear the next record coming in and it’s slightly out, it gives it a bit of an edge. Mixing is really important, but it’s also important to have a nice tune selection. Dave Mancuso plays disco records from start to finish. At the end of the day tune selection is the most important thing.
CP: What are you plans for the immediate future?
Martijn Ten Velden: I’ve got a US tour, and when I come back I’m doing three gigs in Russia. After that I’m going to Bolivia and Columbia. In winter I’ll do an Australia tour and Brazil tour. It’s going to be nice because London gets grim in the winter. I am going to focus a lot more on producing. I’ve got two singles on the go. I’m working on a track w