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The first time I met Boudewijn Böhre aka DJ Ken Böhre, I was immediately charmed by his disarming look and great enthusiasm. In preparation for the first edition of the dance classics festival The Promised Land, June last year (2014), Boudewijn functioned as the PA of organizer Alexander Koning. Needless to say, that the first edition went smoothly.
In between all those festival operations, Boudewijn revealed that he is also active as DJ and producer. His mentor was no-one less than seasoned house pioneer aka DJ/producer, the already named mr. Koning. That fact alone should have been enough reference, were there not the other fact that my recent personal experiences with fresh twentyish producers had and have been encouraging yet not mind-blowing. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all nice guys and gals: intelligent, polite, ambitious.
KERK
Nine out of ten times though, when I ask what genre they produce, the answer is ‘house’. Among others this is how the young men of KERK defined their music towards me, when I met them about one-and-a-half year ago in the catacombs of the pop-temple of Amsterdam: Paradiso. Later that night, in the huge, packed area, where the twenty- and thirty-something public harmonically heaved, my initial presumption proved to be as expected.
'House'
For me, ‘house’ as a style an sich, is rather uninteresting. Sure, it’s no bad music, and neither is the music produced by global youngsters as the members of KERK. Good house exists of lots of layers that truly appeal to never-before-tapped-on brain synapses. House as described here, contemporary house, not the classic variety, misses a drive – despite the presence of very well-thought layers. It murmurs on and on, like a small meandering river. I miss some tension, highs, lows and breaks.
I speak my mind
Back to Boudewijn aka Ken Böhre. To my surprise – and I was secretly honored as well – I receive a link to one of Boudewijn’s sets in my mailbox this week. Sure, I more befriended DJ’s send me peak previews of their work, but honestly, every time again I’m caught off guard when I realize they’re truly interested in my feedback, since I usually speak my mind. Or is that perhaps the reason?
Mildly alarmed
For a short moment I was mildly alarmed by Boudewijn’s mail. I feared that he would have followed the trail of his likewise talented peers and would have put together a high quality set, yet not particularly interesting for me.
Praise the lord (said the atheist)
Praise the lord (said the atheist). I got the short end! Yes! Boudewijn made me proud! Okay, he didn’t produce a fat techno set, but luckily his set wasn’t a meandering and therefore not very exciting houseset either. Of the uttermost essence: the set contains suspense! And a built-up! And breaks!
On this note: you may stay, mister Ken Böhre. Personally I still miss a little zing, but that’s a matter of taste. And there’s no arguing about that. Very anxious to see how you will develop.
This article is originally published on Fronza.nl on May 12th 2015.