Interview With Bakermat On His Very First North American Tour
Straight from the Netherlands, the DJ/producer is known for his soulful sound and noticeable instruments in his songs. From his very first track to the more recent hit “Teach Me”, Bakermat has been rising quickly.
We caught up with Dutch DJ before his sold out New City Gas debut, and here’s what he had to share with us!
CNL: You’re very influenced by soul and jazz music, and there are a lot of instrumentals in your music. Who were your soul and jazz inspirations when you were younger?
Bakermat: Well, the first record I really liked was James Brown, and then I got into jazz and listened to a lot of Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, and Miles Davis, and those were the guys I loved and still love. I have a huge jazz collection, I think I have all the records from Miles and Coleman, which I listen to a lot, almost daily.
CNL: You were studying Psychology in college, what got you onto a musical path?
Bakermat: Very randomly, actually. I was in my third year studying Psychology and I had exams and was really bored, so after I cleaned all my room and had nothing else to do but actually study I thought “let’s download some software”. I downloaded a music software and started playing around with music and actually made my first track that day, Zomer. I posted it online after my roommates liked it and pressured me to put it up, and that’s how it all started. Super random, not planned at all.
CNL: When things are meant to be, they just happen!
Bakermat: I guess so!
CNL: What, or who, got you interested in music in the first place, at the young age of 12?
Bakermat: I think my mom and dad. She’s an opera singer and I always went to her concerts which got me into classical music very young. But then, at 12, my dad, who likes a lot of soul and jazz, introduced me to it. That was the day he showed me the James Brown record and I went crazy. I loved it right away.
CNL: What influences you when producing? Artists, songs, genres maybe?
Bakermat: Well, I don’t have a genre that I specifically like. I guess other dance producers, the older guys like Fatboy Slim, Moby… I love the “OGs” of dance music. They really influence me. I like the old stuff too, like music from the 20s and 30s.
CNL: How do you feel about hosting your own stage at Tomorrowland in 2014, and getting recognition from legendary artists like Pete Tong?
Bakermat: It makes you feel so good. It’s something I never really thought would happen but it’s the best thing in the world to host your own stage at one of the biggest festivals. I had so much fun because it allowed me to invite all my DJ friends, and it’s also an honour. To say it in one word it’s weird. But good weird.
CNL: You’re coming in very strong at a time where deep house is on a quick rise. In your opinion, in what direction is house music headed?
Bakermat: I think it’s going back to the roots. It’s all started in Detroit and Chicago with techno and house, and it evolved into EDM which is almost like the last stage, because it’s so extreme. I think we’re going back to the roots with house keys and classical instruments and the fun of dance. It’s coming back, like a cycle.
CNL: You’re currently working on a debut album and undergoing your first North American tour, what’s next for 2015?
Bakermat: Well, the album is coming up and it’s really diverse. I experimented a lot to show I don’t have only one trick and I can produce many different kinds of sounds. On the album, I have tracks without a beat and some with 100 bpm, just to show it’s not about the genre but the type of music, like chords and melody. I also have a lot of exciting festivals coming up in the summer, which I can’t reveal too much about just yet. Some really exciting stuff coming.
CNL:Would you say 2015 will be even bigger and better than 2014?
Bakermat: Yes, definitely. 100%.
CNL: Ultra or Tomorrowland?
Bakermat: Very hard, but I would say Tomorrowland, because I hosted my own stage.
CNL: Europe or America?
Bakermat: Extremely difficult question! I can’t compare the two, they’re so different.
CNL: Indoor or outdoor venues?
Bakermat: Outdoor. I think the whole music fits with the sunny vibe.
CNL: What other music do you like beside what you produce?
Bakermat: I listen to everything, literally. I don’t have any genre that I don’t like. I don’t believe in that kind of classification.
CNL: Craziest city to play in?
Bakermat: Paris.
CNL: One thing you must bring on tour with you beside DJ equipment?
Bakermat: My scarf. I can’t live without it, even in the Summer.
CNL: If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Bakermat: Italian food. For sure.
Thanks @BakermatMusic for sitting down with us for a chat! Cc @Canadanightlife pic.twitter.com/Dw9zmZhwbB
— ariana (@arianabbanana) April 4, 2015
There are no comments
Add yours