This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)
This man has been in the music scene for several decades. From hip-hop and rapping in a Dutch hip-hop group to DJing, organizing events, and running a record label. In this edition of MY FIRST GIG, DJ/producer Bas Kaspers, who recently embarked on a new musical adventure named Turn up the Bas Music & Artists, talks about his debut: "I got to fill in for JP."
“Was I raised in a musical environment? No, not really. My father liked some rock, and my mother enjoyed soul. That meant that on Sundays, you might hear Fats Domino, Fleetwood Mac, or something from Motown playing, but that was about it.”
Piano Lessons
“Despite that, music runs in my veins. I remember playing around with a cassette recorder when I was six, recording singles and pretending to be a radio DJ – I loved it. When I was about eight, my parents thought I should take piano lessons. I did like the piano, but my old-fashioned, conservative teacher made me play all these heavy classical pieces. That sucked all the fun out of it for me, and I quit.”
Ghettoblaster
“That all changed when rap music came along. A small group of us would hang out on the schoolyard, listening to and rapping along with those tracks. We copied cassette tapes from each other, and sometimes someone would bring a ghettoblaster from an older brother. We only listened to English-language rap and tried to rap along.”
"The Wrong Crowd"
“In high school, I quickly went off track. I got into graffiti, carrying around spray cans that I either bought or stole. My jacket was often covered in paint. I also fell in with the ‘wrong crowd,’ which led to fights and other bad behavior. I was definitely testing my boundaries. Of course, with my pre-university education level, I wasn’t going to make it far like that – I barely scraped by in secondary school. Since I was always drawing, my mom thought I should go to graphic design school. So I did. The program was okay, but I quickly realized that the graphic design industry wasn’t for me.”
Osdorp Posse
“Meanwhile, I had a part-time job at Albert Heijn. I must have been around sixteen or seventeen. Two guys from Osdorp Posse also worked at the same store. Back then, they weren’t famous yet – they had just released a demo, but no album. When I first heard their music, I thought it was amazing! Dutch-language rap! Totally awesome! At first, I had to convince my friends, but soon they were hooked too. I bought an Amiga, started writing raps, and our group, West Klan, got picked up in Osdorp Posse’s slipstream. We were invited to feature on their third album on the track “De Posse“, and then Dutch hip-hop exploded as a genre. We got a record deal with Djax Records (Miss Djax’s label) and spent a week in the studio recording our album. After its release, we got a lot of media attention and toured the Netherlands and Belgium, performing at various venues and festivals like Eurosonic Noorderslag.”
"Not Done" in the Hip-Hop Scene
“At the same time, house music was emerging. I once went to a party at Sporthal Zuid – it wasn’t hardcore yet – but I liked it. There were a lot of beautiful women, which was cool, but musically, it didn’t click yet. A few years later, when I first tried MDMA, it finally clicked. Suddenly, I felt the music. Hip-hop started feeling cold and distant, with angry rappers standing with their arms crossed. This, on the other hand, was fun and warm! Eventually, I would perform with West Klan at a show and then head to a house party afterward. That was absolutely not done in the hip-hop scene – just like mentioning drugs in our lyrics. I remember performing somewhere and seeing graffiti backstage that read: “Bazis (my rap name) is a dirty house-loving f*.”* (laughs)
Fun Factory
“In 1994, the Fun Factory opened in Hemkade, and the sound I heard there – a mix of hard house, trance, and techno – completely changed my taste. One night, I met Lars Johansson there. We hit it off right away and decided to hit the studio together. We made hard trance and hard house tracks, even producing a track for the West Klan album. At the same time, I started organizing underground parties for about 300 people at venues like The Catacombs or The Rehearsal House in Amsterdam.”
Spider Willem
“The more I watched DJs perform, the more fascinated I became. The way a single person behind the booth could control the entire vibe – it was amazing! So I often stood behind the DJ, watching what they were doing. I was a huge fan of Spider Willem back then. His sets at Hemkade were incredible – trance with energy and emotion. Pure magic! That’s when the itch started – I wanted to do this too.”
Driver
“I kind of saw Spider Willem as my role model back then. Together with Xander Esser, we often tagged along with Willem as his driver when he had gigs. We’d hang out backstage, enjoying all the perks that came with it, hopping from one party to the next. The downside? I had to carry his record case and sometimes help decorate his mushroom parties.” (laughs)
Outland Records
“Before long, I was visiting all the record stores myself, spending hours hanging around. Think Groove Connection, Rhythm Import, and Midtown in Amsterdam, as well as Trancentral by Alexander Koning in Haarlem. Eventually, I even landed a job at Outland Records, working in the basement alongside Bart Skils. Working in a record store rapidly expands your network. During this time, I also organized many small parties under the name KGB or together with DJ Rossi.”
That Queasy Feeling
“And that’s how we get to my first truly big gig. I think I was about nineteen or twenty at the time. One day, there was a huge event at Hemkade where JP was supposed to play. But he couldn’t make it and called me to step in. Of course, I said ‘yes!’ And: ‘Wow!’ Because suddenly, I went from playing for a few hundred people to a few thousand! I was super excited. Naturally, I felt some nerves, but that’s normal, right? That queasy feeling in your stomach just before you start… Luckily, after two transitions, it fades, and you really get into the flow.”
Neatly Arranged
“As always, I had picked out a set of records for my crate. I had them neatly arranged: three possible opening tracks, a few middle tracks, and some for the finale. Over time, I’ve learned that I rarely make it to those last ones.” (laughs)
Echo and Effects
“It started off a bit rocky. DJ Cellie had played before me and left the effects on the then-new Pioneer mixer activated. I opened with ‘Humate – 3.1‘ (Mijk van Dijk Remix) and didn’t notice anything until I started mixing in the next track – turns out the effect was still active on the other deck’s channel. I couldn’t figure out why the mix was bouncing until I noticed the echo and realized the effects were still on. Oops. Once I fixed that, the set went smoothly. At least, I think it did, because back then, I was usually playing slightly buzzed.” (laughs) “Yeah, I liked that. I still have really fond memories of that first gig.”
Dancing Along
“Of course, you learn something from every gig. Like handling pressure so it gets easier the next time. Or just having fun dancing along while playing.”
Compilation King
“In 1999, I landed a fulltime job at a record label housed in a massive villa in Hilversum. The boss thought producing my own music would be a conflict of interest, so I consciously gave that up. Instead, I created and curated a ton of dance compilations, like ‘Trance The Ultimate Collection‘. I was the compilation king back then!” (laughs) “I also oversaw the artwork and produced TV and radio spots. Those compilations sold like crazy. Unfortunately, the owner wanted to be the next Duncan Stutterheim and started investing in events, which flopped. The result? Bankruptcy.”
Artist Management
“And me? I started my own business doing what I’m doing again right now: label and artist management. I also developed compilation concepts that I produced for major labels like Universal, Sony, and BMG, set up tours with Jan Vis, or organized bigger events with Q-Dance at the Heineken Music Hall (now AFAS Live).”
Wooferland
“In the summer of 2004, I was walking my dog in the Amsterdamse Bos and spotted a field hosting a wedding. Perfect for a party, I thought. I immediately asked who I needed to talk to, which turned out to be the forestry department. Under the guise of a ‘private event,’ I got permission for a small gathering. I wanted to throw a party featuring DJs and music from the Amsterdam underground scene of the mid-90s. To promote it, I wrote a full-on mission statement: back to the old days, back to togetherness, with everyone – including the kids, since many had already embraced family life by then. Together with Lars Johansson and Daan Prudon (Ambient Daan), I took on the organization. We invited DJs from back in the day, like Dano, JP, Martijn, Rossi, Diablo, and Franky D. Lars came up with the name Wooferland, which seemed like a minor detail at the time.”
“How did the event go? Let’s put it this way: the forester was not amused afterward. The first Wooferland was an absolute hit, and instead of the 250 people we expected, nearly a thousand showed up. And well, the rest is history.”
Back to My Roots
“After the third edition of Wooferland didn’t turn out to be the financial success I had hoped for, I ended up taking a steady job at Cloud 9 Music, a sister company of Armada Music. I worked there for 12.5 years, building an entire label division from scratch. By the time I left, about 15 people were working there. After that, I spent 5.5 years at Q-Dance Music, which I left at the end of last year.
“Now, it’s time for the next step – back to my roots. Since February 2025, I’m working independently again, focusing on music and artist management, consultancy, and publishing. I’ve seen trends come and go – trance waves, EDM waves, urban waves – and now, the harder styles are trending again. There’s a lot to professionalize in the hardstyle scene, and I see opportunities there.”
People's business
“If an artist in EDM stands out, they quickly find themselves surrounded by experienced labels, managers, and an entire team. In hardstyle, you don’t really see this, and I want to change that. There’s still a lot to professionalize in the harder styles, and that presents opportunities. But I’ll never tie myself to just one genre – I never have.”
“The music industry is a people’s business – you have to be likable and earn trust. I’ve always been honest, transparent, and full of energy. With my vast network and deep experience across all aspects of the industry – from kids’ hits to hardcore, and Top 40 to club classics – I trust my instincts. This new challenge is bringing all my skills together.”
Who is Bas Kaspers?
With over 30 years of experience in the dynamic music and entertainment industry, Bas Kaspers is recognized as a true veteran. His extensive expertise spans nearly every aspect of the business, where Bas Kaspers has consistently played a crucial role in achieving major successes across a wide range of functions – from artist to artist manager, from DJ to event organizer, from A&R assistant to managing director, and from releasing massive club anthems to scoring Top 40 hits, with ‘dance’ always being the constant heartbeat of his career.
In 1993, Bas Kaspers signed his first artist contract, launching a productive career in which he released music under various aliases, ranging from rap to hard house. By the mid-90s, Bas Kaspers had established himself as a prominent DJ in Amsterdam’s underground scene, but it wasn’t until 1999 that his career as a music industry professional truly took off. This pivotal moment aligned Bas Kaspers’s passion with his purpose, laying the foundation for an impressive career.
Bas Kaspers’s knowledge is not just theoretical – it has been honed through rich work experience and close collaborations with industry icons. His sharp intuition for recognizing and seizing opportunities continuously drives him to achieve new successes. Fueled by an unwavering passion for music, Bas Kaspers finds fulfillment in sharing his knowledge, life experience, and insights with both artists and music industry professionals. With a positive, energetic, and authentic approach, Bas Kaspers brings a refreshing perspective to an industry often driven by egos. No pretentiousness – just genuine and direct: ‘what you see is what you get.’
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