Serious Amsterdamage

Like it or not, Amsterdam is officially the new dance capital of Europe.

Think of Amsterdam and one of the following things will probably pop into your head fairly swiftly; bicycles, red lights, canals, marijuana – and while a combination of all four of these may be a little dangerous, in moderation it is understood that it’s one of the world’s most ‘fun’ cities. However, unless you’re a resident, what you may not immediately associate with Amsterdam is music.

That’s all about to change.

Amsterdam is officially the new dance capital of Europe. Not convinced? Just look at the evidence. For one, it hosts the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) which attracts thousands of clubbers and industry types from across the world to mingle, work, party and discuss the scene. A place where big name DJs long to perform, collaborations are forged to produce next year’s anthems and one of the places where the future of the dance scene is mulled over, disputed and ultimately decided.

Far from being confined to a long weekend of hedonism though, Amsterdam’s club scene is experiencing a renaissance with new venues and some of the most forward-thinking promoters and club-owners on the circuit. “Amsterdam has traditionally been one of the greatest cities in the world for nightlife” confirms DJ Roog – one half of Dutch duo Hardsoul, who are at the forefront of all that happens on the Amsterdam dance scene. “What’s happening now is that Amsterdam has become the new capital for lots of alternative styles of music; it’s kind of becoming the new Berlin”.

It’s not hard to see why this kind of talk is fast becoming popular opinion among those with their fingers most firmly pressed on the pulse, with the calibre of clubs that the city boasts surpassing cities vastly bigger than the modest ‘Dam. From Studio 80’s stripped-back, no-frills interior favoured by the techno crowd to Club NL, where A-listers Naomi Campbell and Mick Jagger can be found rubbing sholders with us mere mortals, the choice for the discerning clubber is an enviable one. Not to mention arguably Amsterdam’s most glamorous club; Jimmy Woo, which is based on the concept of a fictional Chinese triad tycoon who enjoyed throwing extravagant parties in an uber high-tech club environment.

As Hardsoul, Roog and brother Greg have been fighting for their home city’s place on the global scene for more than a decade. “Because of Amsterdam’s great party people we have some of the coolest parties on the planet!” enthuses Roog; exhibiting a passion that has been rewarded on their latest undertaking.

Along with fellow Dutchmen Rene and Gascon aka Chocolate Puma, they have mixed Defected In The House Amsterdam ’09; the latest offering from label giants Defected Records. The latest in the acclaimed ‘In The House’ series, this is the first compilation that focuses on a city rather than an artist – further proof that those in the know are investing heavily in the Dutch capital. “What we wanted to do was to include all the new sounds we bring, such as traditional soulful and to what people call ‘minimal’ today “says Roog of their mix. “We wanted to put that all in the mix and not just be about only one sound, so we decided to go across the board. It goes from traditional soulful to minimal tech-house and everything in-between because we’re into so many different aspects of house, and we wanted to show that on the CD”.

While Hardsoul move across a varied soundscape on their mix, Chocolate Puma’s is unashamedly upfront, ‘main room’ house. “It reflects what we’re currently playing” explains Rene “which we felt was very important to do with the mix. We are still holding back a bit because we haven’t included some of the tracks we play in our sets as we thought they wouldn’t make sense on a CD which people will then play in their car on in a shop. I think those tracks are perhaps too hard, and would work best on the dance floor. That said, we really tried to transfer our energy from our sets onto the mix and are really happy with the result.”

In fact, every track on the compilation – like their live sets – is either a Chocolate Puma remix, production or re-edit, making it part artist album, part traditional mix compilation. “It’s very satisfying for us, it just feels right” says Rene. “A few years ago we decided to just play our own productions and in doing it that way, we can keep really focused on what’s happening on the dance-floor, and can then see how we can translate that in the studio. It works really well for us”.

To add to the appeal of the comp, Hardsoul and Chocolate Puma have combined to produce a track especially for the it; ‘R2G2’. “They’re fucking geniuses!” exclaims Roog when asked about the credentials of their counterparts. “Godfather’s of the Dutch house scene; that’s all we can say about them.” “We’re very happy with the track” chuckles Rene “and we think that it reflects both the soulful side of Hardsoul and the slightly ‘tougher’ beats of Chocolate Puma.”

So as far as box-ticking goes, Amsterdam excels in pretty much any category you’d like to throw at it. International dance event that rivals – and in some people’s eyes surpasses – the infamous Miami Winter Music Conference? Check. Dedicated compilation from one of the world’s most experienced dance labels? Check. A host of clubs more than ready to accommodate even the most seasoned clubber? Check. But all this would be mere dressing if it were not for one key ingredient. “There are a lot of creative people over here, and once in a while I think everything just locks in, and the scene in a city just becomes bigger because more people can influence each other” Rene explains. “As well as that there are a lot of producers/DJ’s, a lot of young guys and girls who are doing really well, and maybe that reflects the city as a whole.”

And what an attractive reflection it is. Let’s just hope we can get involved before everyone else does.

Defected In The House Amsterdam ’09 is out now on Defected Records