This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)
Every DJ has one: that unforgettable gig they’ll always talk about at birthday parties. When the ever-cheerful and straight-talking DJ Baba shows up at an event, you can be sure the vibes will be great. In a good conversation Dutch DJ/producer Martijn van Langen a.k.a. DJ Baba shares his MOST MEMORABLE GIG: “A childhood dream come true!”
“At fifteen or sixteen, I was already going to hardcore parties. My favorite was always Multigroove at Elementenstraat. I loved every minute of it and already knew: one day, I want to play here!”
The biggest festivals
“When I started DJing, my career took off pretty fast. As Baba, I usually played B2B with Micha B. Together, we performed at major festivals like Dance Valley and Ground Zero. We also played countless times at the legendary Hemkade venue in Zaandam, where we even organized our own events such as Trance Nation and Hard Time. Those were all career goals I had from the start, and I reached them within a few years. I’ve also been playing for Multigroove since the late ’90s, but back then it was held at the Roothaanhuis in Amsterdam, not at Elementenstraat.”
‘Multimasters’
“After ‘Mr. Multigroove’ Ilja Reiman heard Micha and me play at the Roothaanhuis in the late ’90s, he came up to us with huge compliments. He said he thought we were amazing and even called us Multimasters! Micha and I looked at each other like, ‘Whaaat?!’” (laughs)
Heartbroken
“But that one dream still lingered: to one day stand behind the decks at Multigroove on the sacred ground of Elementenstraat. That dream completely shattered when the venue closed its doors. I was heartbroken. My ultimate goal now seemed forever out of reach.”
Original area, yes!
“Luckily, ID&T decided to reopen the venue in March 2019. Then Ilja booked me for Multigroove – at my dream location: Elementenstraat. And as if that wasn’t enough, he placed me in the original area – the area I had always dreamed of playing. Yes!”
Epic introduction
“Of course, I was super nervous. It felt like my very first gig all over again. The venue was packed – around 800 to 1,000 people, though I didn’t count.” (laughs) “Many friends were in the crowd. Then Ilja began his epic introduction before my set – I’ll never forget it. He shared how I had been a fan since my teens, that I was 100% part of the old-school crew, and how proud he was to have me behind the decks. I still get goosebumps thinking about it.”
Greatest gift
“The entire night was euphoric. I was nervous, but once I dropped the first track, everything clicked. I followed after Ferry Salee a.k.a. Gizmo, so the energy was already high. I remember playing tracks like Taub, “Flesh Is the Fever“, and “The House of God“. The crowd went wild – it was an absolute blast! My boyhood dream had come true. It’s still the highlight of my career, even more special than playing Defqon.1 or Dance Valley. This was truly the greatest gift I could’ve received. This was where I wanted to be – and there I was.”
Multigroove resident
“I’ve been a Multigroove resident for years now. These days, I play freestyle under my real name, Martijn van Langen. I still use my DJ Baba alias for hardcore gigs. Just a few days ago, I performed as Martijn van Langen at Amsterdam Most Wanted. In the new year, I’ll be back on livestreams for DHC (Dutch House Collective) as well.”
“My 2022 agenda is already filling up: Defqon.1, Ground Zero, and of course Multigroove have confirmed me. I’m also working on my own stage for Full Moon Festival in July 2022. It takes time and I need to book artists – though due to COVID, everything is still tentative. Fingers crossed it can all go ahead! Luckily, my DJ classes at DJ School Zaanstad continue regardless. One-on-one or duo sessions are still allowed. From vinyl to digital, I get to share my 25+ years of DJ experience with my students – and that’s just fantastic.”
This interview with DJ Baba was originally published in November 2021 on This Is Our House.
Who is DJ Baba?
Martijn van Langen, also known as DJ Baba, is widely recognized for his creative freestyle mixing skills with oldschool, hardclassics, hardstyle, and hardcore sounds. To perform for audiences, DJ Baba created events such as Rebirth, Platinum, Trance Nation, and Hard Time. He toured in Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, France, and Belgium, and performed at major festivals like Defqon1, Dance Valley, and more.
Spider Willem introduced DJ Baba to the Amsterdam DJ scene. DJ Baba got his first real gig as a birthday present from him during a Mushroom event at Hemkade48. Today, DJ Baba is the regular host of the Hard Moon zone at Spider Willem’s events: White Moon and Full Moon Festival.
DJ Baba became a resident at the legendary Multigroove events, starting at the Roothaanhuis in Amsterdam in earlier times. He is still a resident at their events such as No Bullshit, Hellbound, De Samenzwering, and Ground Zero Festival. Multigroove has always been a major influence on him, and DJ Baba remains loyal to the brand and the people behind it.
Together with Laurens Wijers (Mainstage Maffia), DJ Baba created the Hardcore Fighters concept – a hardcore tour for Fight Cancer (KWF) in the Netherlands.
Since 2021, DJ Baba has been a teacher at the DJ School Zaanstad, where he gives lessons in both digital and vinyl DJing. His regular gigs include Immortal, Thunderchurch, Arina’s Leuke Oldschoolfeest, and Hakkûh 4 Kids.