[AS PUBLISHED IN MALAY MAIL]
Dutch dynasty
By Jordan Barnes
A NATION famed for churning out world-class DJs, Maurest West is the hottest emerging talent to come out of Holland.
Still in the nascent stages of his career West, 20, has some of the industry’s biggest names in his corner.
The latest to collaborate with him is Niles Hollowell-Dhar, better known as Kshmr, who will take the youngster’s short-lived career to dizzying new heights.
There is major support too from compatriots W&W, Willem van Hanegem and Wardt van der Harst.
The pair put West on their label Mainstage Music a year ago before introducing him to bigger stages across Europe.
They first met at a Koningsdag (King’s Day) show last April.
West watched on backstage as W&W closed to “a sea” of 20,000 people, with “all the pyro and fireworks.”
“You get a totally different vibe from songs you’re used to hearing in your bedroom than when you hear them live,” he said.
The trance-focused duo are largely to credit for West’s imminent success having taken him under their wing.
“I went back and started recording thinking ‘How will this work in front of a big crowd?’”
Not bad friends to have, West has shared the bill with W&W on a number of occasions since, most recently playing to 2,000 partygoers at KL Live on his Asia debut.
But you’d be mistaken for thinking it was all smooth sailing.
West, acclaimed for hard-hitting beats and tunes that push boundaries within the EDM genre, from electro house to progressive, began making music at just 15.
The “ball started rolling” one year later. There was instant success when debut track Formula was released on Spinnin’ Records in 2014.
“I thought, ‘Wow! I could be doing this as an actual career?’”
Reality then hit him in the face, as he put it.
His next three tracks were all rejected.
Armada picked up one of them, Medusa, and that was enough to grab the attention of locals.
His first opportunity to perform live came by chance aged 17.
He was designing posters for Dreamland Music Festival 2015 in Hilversum when the event organiser caught wind he had recorded his own music and offered him prime slot, seemingly on a whim, for the occasion.
“It’s a pretty big advantage, being from Holland,” West confessed.
“The country is small and from the beginning you’re really close to everything you need in your career.
“Every group of friends knows at least one guy making music. It’s a really up-and-coming thing.”
“You know how every boy used to dream of being a soccer player? The new soccer player is being a DJ,” said West.
When W&W stepped in things kicked up a notch.
His currently untitled track with enigmatic Los Angeles producer Kshmr is nearly complete.
Versions of the song have sprung up on YouTube after it was played at Ultra Music Festival, Miami in March, such is the anticipation from fans.
Just hours prior to flying out to Kuala Lumpur, West said he was “mind-blown” by the latest update Kshmr had sent across.
Kshmr of Indian family background, who just played KL himself in February, is renowned for an EDM sound bent on the influence of South Asian instruments.
“It was like listening to an epic by Hans Zimmer,” West said of the single. “With an orchestra included.”
The song has all the potential to be a career-definer, particularly with the amount of attention Kshmr is getting with his otherworldly new music.
West is doing his best to keep his feet on the ground.
“I feel responsible for being Dutch and producing good music,” he said of his nationality.
Holland has long been the hub for the world’s leading electronic artistes, with pioneers Armin van Buuren, Tiesto and Hardwell setting trends in clubland for as long as West has been living.
Perhaps he is the spark that will inspire a new generation of listeners.
“I don’t really feel pressure now. I’m definitely still progressing.”
Dutch dynasty
By Jordan Barnes
A NATION famed for churning out world-class DJs, Maurest West is the hottest emerging talent to come out of Holland.
Still in the nascent stages of his career West, 20, has some of the industry’s biggest names in his corner.
The latest to collaborate with him is Niles Hollowell-Dhar, better known as Kshmr, who will take the youngster’s short-lived career to dizzying new heights.
There is major support too from compatriots W&W, Willem van Hanegem and Wardt van der Harst.
The pair put West on their label Mainstage Music a year ago before introducing him to bigger stages across Europe.
They first met at a Koningsdag (King’s Day) show last April.
West watched on backstage as W&W closed to “a sea” of 20,000 people, with “all the pyro and fireworks.”
“You get a totally different vibe from songs you’re used to hearing in your bedroom than when you hear them live,” he said.
The trance-focused duo are largely to credit for West’s imminent success having taken him under their wing.
“I went back and started recording thinking ‘How will this work in front of a big crowd?’”
Not bad friends to have, West has shared the bill with W&W on a number of occasions since, most recently playing to 2,000 partygoers at KL Live on his Asia debut.
But you’d be mistaken for thinking it was all smooth sailing.
West, acclaimed for hard-hitting beats and tunes that push boundaries within the EDM genre, from electro house to progressive, began making music at just 15.
The “ball started rolling” one year later. There was instant success when debut track Formula was released on Spinnin’ Records in 2014.
“I thought, ‘Wow! I could be doing this as an actual career?’”
Reality then hit him in the face, as he put it.
His next three tracks were all rejected.
Armada picked up one of them, Medusa, and that was enough to grab the attention of locals.
His first opportunity to perform live came by chance aged 17.
He was designing posters for Dreamland Music Festival 2015 in Hilversum when the event organiser caught wind he had recorded his own music and offered him prime slot, seemingly on a whim, for the occasion.
“It’s a pretty big advantage, being from Holland,” West confessed.
“The country is small and from the beginning you’re really close to everything you need in your career.
“Every group of friends knows at least one guy making music. It’s a really up-and-coming thing.”
“You know how every boy used to dream of being a soccer player? The new soccer player is being a DJ,” said West.
When W&W stepped in things kicked up a notch.
His currently untitled track with enigmatic Los Angeles producer Kshmr is nearly complete.
Versions of the song have sprung up on YouTube after it was played at Ultra Music Festival, Miami in March, such is the anticipation from fans.
Just hours prior to flying out to Kuala Lumpur, West said he was “mind-blown” by the latest update Kshmr had sent across.
Kshmr of Indian family background, who just played KL himself in February, is renowned for an EDM sound bent on the influence of South Asian instruments.
“It was like listening to an epic by Hans Zimmer,” West said of the single. “With an orchestra included.”
The song has all the potential to be a career-definer, particularly with the amount of attention Kshmr is getting with his otherworldly new music.
West is doing his best to keep his feet on the ground.
“I feel responsible for being Dutch and producing good music,” he said of his nationality.
Holland has long been the hub for the world’s leading electronic artistes, with pioneers Armin van Buuren, Tiesto and Hardwell setting trends in clubland for as long as West has been living.
Perhaps he is the spark that will inspire a new generation of listeners.
“I don’t really feel pressure now. I’m definitely still progressing.”
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