A DJ’s Guide To Finding The Perfect Beat
Growing up, the radio played an integral part in getting me hooked on new music. Electro, early house, Miami bass and Italo disco were all being mashed together, and the most important records and forward-thinking sounds were being played on stations like De Wilde Wereld and Radio Stad Den Haag. The Soulshow broadcast homemade megamixes submitted to De Bond Van Doorstarters every week. “Just Give The DJ A Break” by Dynamix II was a big hit for instance, and people would call in to hear it again and again, but more widely appreciated records from the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Twilight 22 and Afrika Bambaataa were also getting a lot of play. Hearing “Planet Rock” or “The Message” for the first time as a kid back then would’ve blown your mind, no matter where in the world you lived. If you had any kind of funkiness in your bones, that is.
I spent a lot of time sitting in front of the radio taping everything I liked. It was fun to edit out the spoken intros and stick excerpts together to end up with the whole, uninterrupted track. The thing that set Dutch electro apart was its fusion with Italo basslines, which was started by I-f. That technique has been hijacked by more mainstream artists, which turned a great idea into shit, but in general, electro will always remain for the freaks. It’s danceable, but it’s not as easy as a four-to-the-floor beat. I’m convinced that people will always produce it, even though it’s like the future music of the past. Somebody has to keep looking for the perfect beat.
I-f, “I Do Because I Couldn’t Care Less”
Probably the most aggressive electro track ever made. A personal favorite and in my bag 80 percent of the time.
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Electronome, “Bass Commander”
This EP is one of the best package deals you can get. All four tracks rock.
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Mr Pauli, “Lo Mas”
This has a lovely breakdown at the end of the track which is perfect for mixing. Arguably Mr. Pauli’s best track ever!
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Novamen, “Lies”
This one wasn’t in the CBS top 100 three times for nothing.
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DJ Technician, “Never Ever”
Genius lyrics set to an amazing beat and sparse melody, complete with the sound of a telephone disconnecting. Keep trying, my dear.
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Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, “Watskeburt”
Super cool production. It’s really weird that this track became a national hit in the Netherlands, and (I think) even in some other countries to a minor degree.
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Los Hermanos Rodriguez, “The Hague Is The Plague”
A fun brainfart by Bunker Records founder Guy Tavares and Danny Wolfers AKA Legowelt.
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DJ Overdose, “Drift Away”
I am almost satisfied with how this came out.
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I-f, “Playstation #2”
I-f is a true master of the TR 808—he’s up there with Mr. Mixx and The Egyptian Lover. This one is so damn funky.
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Get It Boyz, “Shake That Booty”
A beat and some vocal samples, what more could you want?
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DJ Overdose‘s earliest releases came out on seminal Dutch labels Murder Capital and the Bunker, and more recent material has appeared on L.I.E.S., Creme Organization and more. He also operates as Model Man and has collaborated with DJ Technician as Get It Boyz, with Ingmar Pauli as Novamen and with Alden Tyrell as The Hasbeens. His joint remixes with I-f were issued under the moniker Los Muchachos Gruesos.
Published December 18, 2015.