This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)
We met at Thuishaven and immediately hit it off. This week in the MY FIRST GIG feature: Dutch Gilbert van Haasen a.k.a. producer/DJ Gilbert. Although Gilbert’s debut didn’t go smoothly, it started off great. “I even got to choose with whom I wanted to play.”
“After organizing parties under the name Angels & Devils, I wanted to start DJing myself. I began at the end of 1992, buying records and practicing, practicing, and practicing. I couldn’t believe my girlfriend didn’t go crazy from it, but she always stood by me and supported me. That was really nice.”
The ‘Real’ Work
“At that time, I was bartending at grand café De Greve in The Hague. The manager, Eddie, was an acquaintance of mine. He was also from Arnhem, and one of his good friends was a manager/booker at Luxor. Eddie kept pushing me to perform live and arranged for it to happen at Luxor. Initially, I was reluctant because I didn’t feel ready for the ‘real’ work. But after a while, Eddie set a date. I even got to choose who I wanted to play with.”
Extremely Nervous
“During that period, I had good contact with DJ Remy (Unger) and asked him if he would join me. Remy was already an established name, and although we got along well, I was extremely nervous when he stood behind me as I started.”
Shaken
“My first transition went well. I chose ‘Format #1‘ by Orlando Voorn because it starts with a kick, making it easier to mix. The beginning went okay, but later on, a few rough transitions slipped in. That shook me quite a bit, so much so that I couldn’t continue playing. So, I asked Remy to take over, which he gladly did.”
Great Names
“Despite my initial uncertainty, I was invited back and even became one of Luxor’s resident DJs, along with Frederik (Pako & Frederik) and Kamil. Eventually, I shared the booth with greats like Lil’ Louis and Stacey Pullen, to name just two. It was fantastic to play at Luxor – not just because of the great sound, but also the nice atmosphere, the fun staff, and the visitors.”
In the Corner
“In the beginning, we were set up in a corner of the room. The turntables and mixer were in a flight case, which was placed on a foosball table (see photo). The audience stood right in front of, next to, and behind you; it was very cozy. Now, DJs are usually far from the audience, which I find a bit of a shame.”
Into the Studio
“As I gained more experience, other regular gigs came along, like Exposure in The Hague/Scheveningen, Café d’Anvers in Antwerp, and Massa in Breda. One night, I was playing at club De Tijd in The Hague. Suddenly, someone approached me, and it turned out to be none other than Sylvio Ecomo. He asked if I was interested in going into the studio with Mac Zimms. Of course, I said yes.”
Foreign Gigs
“Mac Zimms was a well-known, good producer. I played a lot of his music, and he liked my style, so it seemed like a good idea to make music together. So we did. Our first releases on Spiritual Records were well received, so much so that Carl Cox wanted to include our first two tracks on two of his compilation CDs (F.A.C.T. & Global). From that moment on, things took off quickly, and soon international gigs followed.”
“What advice would I give to aspiring DJs? Start producing your own tracks and make sure they get heard. Stay true to yourself. You’ll face many setbacks, but keep going and don’t give up!”
This interview with Gilbert was originally published in April 2018 on This Is Our House.
Who is Gilbert?
Gilbert van Haasen is one of Holland’s original dance DJ’s, breaking new ground with his own style of tech-house music. His career began officially in April 1992 with Angels & Devils, a now legendary party organisation. The parties were held at the highly prestigious location, the famous Dutch Dance Theatre.
Anyone familiar with the Dutch dance scene would have come across Gilbert. As a DJ he has worked in almost all of the country’s dance clubs, as well as fitting in regular trips to Turkey and Indonesia, where he was a welcomed visitor. Gilbert played with DJs like Derrick May, Dimitri, Stacey Pullen, Lil’ Louis, Sander Kleinenberg and Trevor Rockcliffe to name a few.
Like many of today’s DJ’s, Gilbert’s talents are not restricted to the DJ booth. He released on labels like Spiritual Records, Tri-Lamb, Additive, React, Sadie Records. The last record DJ Gilbert did for Spiritual Records is played a lot by Trevor Rockcliffe, Sasha, Danny Howells, Sander Kleinenberg and Max Graham among others. The first release of Gilbert on Spiritual Rec.(Spr.003), ‘Que Breaks’, is one of John Digweed’s favourites. The record is found more than once in his top ten.
