Local Rockstars: Job Jobse talks Trouw and 5 Days Off

Mar 5, 2013 | by Chloë Arkenbout | Music

About the author

Born and raised in Amsterdam, lives to dance and dances to live on electronic music, has a small vinyl addiction, appreciates a little sarcasm now and then, thinks musicals are annoying and loves those moments where you lose track of time completely.

Whether you went out last weekend to check out an uber-geeky beat magician or a depressingly awesome indie rock band, we all know there’s always some serious musical talents rocking around the Dam. You might not recognize them all yet, but don’t worry, you will soon. In this series of interviews we talk to remarkable artists about their music and their inspirations.

This local hero breathes electronic music. He is label manager for Life and Death and played with Dixon, Pachanga Boys and Todd Terje amongst others. He’s also a resident at Trouw where he hosts his own party there called Drukpers. Not to mention his gig at 5 Days Off Friday as well. I’m talking about Job Jobse.

If you don’t mind me asking, is Job Jobse your real name?
“Yes, it is! My parents just thought it was funny, bunch of hippies. My dad always used to say that when he got a son his name would be Job Jobse. I like it and I was never bullied or anything. When I started playing it was clear I was going to use my real name. It’s just a little difficult to pronounce abroad though.”

You’re a Trouw resident. What’s so special about Trouw?
“I used to work at Trouw as a programmer, it’s like my home port. Came there all the time as well before I worked there, I know a lot of people there so it’s always nice to play or go out there. As a club, there’s nothing that compares to Trouw. Of course you can have a great night in Studio 80, the Melkweg, or at an off location. Trouw’s programme, however, is spot on every weekend. I’m very proud that I can be a part of Trouw. This also helped me a lot as a DJ.”

Tell me one of your favourite tracks.
“That’s a tough one. There is a lot of great new music at the moment. I like Mano Le Tough, I’ve been following him for a while now. He also played a couple of times at Drukpers, my party at Trouw. His debut album was recently released and I really like it.”

You’re a manager for Life and Death. What is it you do for the label exactly?
“I make sure the music gets there, which means taking care of the artwork and pressing the records. Together with Tale Of Us and DJ Tennis I also think about what’ s going to get released.”

Is it easy to combine this with playing?
“Yeah, I don’t have to do a lot during the week anyway. This is a nice way to be dealing with music the entire week.”

Are there Amsterdam based DJs you like?
“I’m really proud of the Trouw residents such as Sandrien, Cinnaman and Tom Trago. They’re all really good and I’ve seen them grow. They made some big steps abroad and they’ve established Amsterdam on an international level. Robert Bergman, who’ll play at the next Drukpers, is one to watch as well. He just lives and breathes music like nobody else.”

Let’s talk 5 Days Off. What do you think of the concept?
“It’s very cool. I like how it goes on for a couple of days at different venues, to give it a festival vibe. I remember days that I had to run in the rain and snow between Paradiso and the Melkweg because there were so many things I wanted to see. They incorporate so many different styles, I like the diversity. They also have an eye for new talent. I feel honoured to be playing there.”

What do you think of the lineup you’re in this Friday?
“Great! It’s too bad Maceo Plex got cancelled, but Tensnake is a nice replacement. I work a lot with Tale Of Us so it’s not a coincidence that we’re playing on the same night. Because I work for Life and Death and often play with the guys from the label, people tend to think that’s the only sound I play, which is totally not true. Sometimes people are really surprised when they hear me because they expected something different. The same goes for Tale Of Us; a lot of people expect this ‘underground pop sound’ which is really popular right now, but they actually never play that.”

What are your plans for the future?
“I’ve started working on some music, which will hopefully lead to my first release this year. Next to that I will continue DJing of course. It’s going really well lately and with bookings in places like Zurich, Miami and Malta in the next two months I have a lot to look forward to.”