WEITER is bringing Rock-‘n-Roll back to Amsterdam’s house scene
Amsterdam’s dance scene is a very cosy one, everyone is friends with everyone and going to most of the night clubs feels like partying in someone’s living room. Your friends are the DJs and the DJs are your friends; the atmosphere is often intimate. I appreciate this about our little town, but sometimes you yearn back to the nights of yore when artists were real stars and going out meant seeing a Rock-’n-Roll legend in action. Well, it seems we might be going back to those days a little bit, as that man Olivier Weiter has turned to rock history for inspiration for his new night WEITER. (..more)
Amsterdam joins the Pan-European creativity game CONVERSE STREETS
CONVERSE STREETS is a pan-European game that encourages us to celebrate the unique creativity of our local area by showing off our most original moves. What’s this all about you say? Special Cameras will be set-up in De Pijp, Noord, Stadionbuurt and Bijlmer to capture whatever the trademark moves of Amsterdam are. Anyone can join, with anything from dance routines, skate tricks, MC battles to ball-skills, as long as they are an expression of who you are. (..more)
Mixtape Monday: “Single nOte Music ON” by Michael Jacques & Bob Nagel
This week we have two guests in our series that have both had a solo Mixtape Monday before. Dekmantel's Michael Jacques and Squz's Bob Nagel are no strangers though. The two friends found out they have a rare kind of chemistry after a few spontaneous b2b sessions at afterparties. Both vinyl collectors decided that this bromance was meant for more and bigger stages, so they're taking it to the road. Expect to see them around more often, most probably with an extra long closing set. (..more)
Mixtape Monday: Owh my funkin’ Monday morning by Halve Soul
This week we have DJ duo Halve Soul in Mixtape Monday. Only one year ago, Roberto Balzarelli and Dieuwer Duijf started Halve Soul together with a new monthly night in Le Patron. Their aim was to bring a different kind of sound, which evolved into a highly danceable four quarter funk with a small obsession for the bass line. They got picked up by local promoters ZeeZout and Paardenkracht who were both also on the rise, and this led to gigs in Paradiso, AIR, Chicago Social Club, Buiten Westen and Valtifest. Enjoy! (..more)
Hot Chip returns to the Melkweg and in our heads
Five men strong British electropop band Hot Chip has been one of my personal favourite bands ever since their amazing album The Warning in 2006. Songs such as Over and Over and Ready For The Floor remain on high rotation years later, something that doesn’t happen to a lot of bands I like. This year they’ve released what is already their fifth album, In Our Heads, and this warrants them finally coming back to the Melkweg for the first time since 2008. (..more)
Mixtape Monday: Summer Closing by Cardboard Motel
Cardboard Motel is the brainchild of Sebastiaan Smink, also known from his other projects Loops and Sminque. After starting in 2011, a very diverse career has unfolded: music for a Fashion Week show and a theatre production, original releases, and club and festivals gigs as a band, live electronic act and DJ are all on Cardboard Motel’s resumé. Sebastiaan calls Cardboard Motel a cross-genre project, which is described best as deep, melodious, intelligent and versatile. We have this set playing in our office right now, I suggest you do the same. (..more)
Mixtape Monday: Sunday Groove by Enrique’s Groove
One of our good friends from Amsterdam dance scene is Roy, aka Enrique’s Groove. Whether you find him behind the decks, managing the bars at big events, hosting his own party or just chilling out, he is always doing it in his trademark style: relaxed, honest, friendly and very committed to quality. He made this week’s Mixtape Monday for us, and his track selection is based on the groovy sounds of the DJs that will be spinning records at his outdoor mini festival Sunday Groove on, you guessed it, this Sunday. (..more)
Mixtape Monday: Chillin’ like a villain by Hellie Berry
After only one year behind the decks disco DJ Helena Naeff, a.k.a. Hellie Berry, has already scored herself a residency at the Chicago Social Club’s successful night de Nachtdivisie and experienced playing for a sold-out Paradiso. All this didn’t come from nothing of course: she was raised on a diet of soul and funk from Aretha Franklin, Etta James, James Brown and Sly Stone by her mom. Music comes from the heart, and nobody proves this more then Hellie Berry. When you see her in the booth, she will be all smiles and literally shining, while pumping out deep house and nu-disco tracks from both today and from long forgotten times. (..more)
Mixtape Monday: Dog Day Afternoon by Aron Friedman
Music being ‘a feeling’ is a cliché often propagated when describing house. However, this statement barely scratches the surface of Aron Friedman’s sound. Communicating through music, instilling a crowd with dormant emotions while skillfully crafting a vibe, Mr. Friedman makes you live his music! Aron started spinning 12”s back in ’99, and has been cultivating his artistic development ever since. Being at the cradle of legendary nights like Mono, Traffic & Crackhouse, Aron became not only a key DJ in the Amsterdam scene, but also one of its chief promoters. (..more)
Mixtape Monday: Lockdown Festival Mix by DJ+
When dubstep became ‘big’ a couple of years ago we loved it, it was fresh, new, and it made us want to dance. One of those DJs who did, was DJ+. Starting out with IDM and other experimental electronic music over a decade ago, DJ+ picked up these new frequencies as one of the first in Holland. But it didn’t stop there. Moving on quickly, Paulus – his real name – became resident at the (in)famous Lockdown parties and at Melkweg’s dubstep concept Sonic Warfare. He still plays at the former by the way, next at Lockdown Festival. (..more)
