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From the moment we met, we had fun together. Laughing, roaring, screaming! Plus, this guy can spin some great tracks! This week in the series MY FIRST GIG, Dutch Ephraïm Trenidad. “That was a shock for the owner.”
“You could say that music was ingrained in me from birth. My grandfather was a composer and had his own brass band. He even organized tattoo events in Haarlem with multiple bands. They marched in formation across the Grote Markt. My father is a percussionist, and my uncle is a gospel singer. So, music runs in my veins.”
Wu Tang Clan
“In my youth, I mainly listened to hip-hop and hardcore gabber. My favorite artists included the Wu Tang Clan and Busta Rhymes. The hardcore CDs I played the most at home were the Thunderdome compilations.”
The Challenge
“From the age of seventeen, I started working as a bartender at The Challenge nightlife center in Hoofddorp. DJ Michel de Hey, among others, rose to fame there. Other DJs who performed there included DJ Orlando and DJ Frank. This was essentially my first DJ gig because I controlled the music in the cocktail bar where I worked. I did this with CDs, but it was my taste. So, I took my first cautious steps on the DJ path here. I ended up working there for six years.”
Avid Skater
“Apart from this job, I was always involved with music. I was an avid skater and listened to Nirvana, Metallica, and Black Sabbath through that scene. You could say I have a broad taste.”
Chilling Hard!
“I’ve always felt at home in Bloemendaal aan Zee. As a thirteen-year-old boy, I was already wandering around at Beachpop. I went there countless times. My heroes from that time were Roog and Eric de Man. When they performed, it was hardcore chilling! It was totally different from now. In 1999/2000, Woodstock still had hammocks, and you could party in Bloemendaal with 700 instead of 20,000 people. When ID&T started Club Bloomingdale in 2002, that was the beginning of the end. That ruined everything.”
Professional Gamer
“In any case, after that period at The Challenge, I started my own media company. I was a professional gamer and organized game competitions for a few thousand people in a sports hall every few months with my company. Moreover, we streamed all pro-games live, such as Counterstrike, in Belgium. Music was on the back burner during that period.”
Tapping Electricity
“Okay, in the meantime, I did DJ at friends’ house parties.” (laughs) “Then, with some friends, I started organizing illegal parties. We tapped electricity, set up a laptop and a speaker, and went for it. A bigger party we organized was Hakken Beijnes in the Bijeneshal in Haarlem in 2015. For example, the Harlem Demolition Crew performed there, who recently celebrated their ten-year anniversary.”
Psytrance/Goa
“In 2018, I finally had the gig that I consider my real first gig. Acquaintances of mine organized a psytrance/goa party in the squatted Augustinuskerk in Amsterdam. They also wanted a techno DJ and asked me to play. Of course, I said yes. Here I met people like Maarten de Vries and Jorren (DJ Noisy Nature) for the first time. Later, I even co-founded the organization Back2theBassX with Jorren.”
Sweaty Hands
“Anyway, I was originally scheduled early in the afternoon. I was nervous as a motherfucker. Moreover, I had just found out that my then-girlfriend was seven weeks pregnant, which didn’t help me relax. Besides, I had nothing prepared at all. Fortunately, I always stay true to myself, and in the end, my nerves only resulted in sweaty hands. I thought: ‘I’ll get this job done.’”
Suddenly the Closer
“Upon arrival, I was suddenly promoted to closer. The owner thought I would play at a lower BPM, making people decide to go home sooner. That turned out differently!” (laughs)
A Shock
“I was up next after Maarten, who had played psytrance. Then I started with my heavy, dark techno. A completely different genre. During the other performances, everyone was scattered throughout the building and outdoor areas. Some were chilling in the catacombs, others were hanging around outside, and still others were spread out in the room where I was supposed to play. Everyone was doing their own thing. However, when I started, the catacombs emptied in no time, and 150 people were in front of me! That was quite a shock for the owner.” (laughs) “I ended up playing from 8 to 9 in the morning.”
Stained Glass Windows
“At one point, the neighbors complained that the music was too loud. I immediately turned up the volume a bit more!” (laughs) “Seriously, the stained-glass windows were shaking in the walls, just as the crowd was going wild in the hall. What type of people were they? Think: alternative squatters and all sorts of appearances. Some were vague, others not.”
Three Tracks Without Bass
“I had brought some friends who supported me. Moreover, Jorren came up to me later to compliment me. My then-partner thought it was super cool to experience this once and was very proud. Despite the fact that I obviously made mistakes. That was a given. One was pretty serious. I was playing with Traktor S2, a different version than I had at home, which was Traktor Z2 with two turntables. At one point, the bass dropped out. I had no idea until the sound technician came up to me: ‘What is this?!’ Then we spent three tracks – without bass – looking for the cause. It turned out to be a simple little button that wasn’t set correctly. Oops.”
Ashamed to Death
“Did I learn anything for all the following times? With what I know now, I can say I’m ashamed to death of how I played that first time. I had no technique, I didn’t count, and I didn’t know key signatures. That was terrible. Nowadays, I still play freestyle, but I do prepare something. I pick forty tracks, listen to them, and set the cue points. I absolutely do not put them in order. That doesn’t work for someone with ADHD like me. What I can pass on to aspiring DJs is that track knowledge is essential. Knowing your music has great advantages!”
Back2TheBassX
“After that gig, things moved quickly. At one point, as mentioned, I formed a collective with other DJs under the name Back2TheBassX. Together, we organized parties in Haarlem. The organization soon outgrew the venue, and we moved to Club The Underground in Alkmaar. I now run Back2TheBassX on my own. I also had a show on Rise Up and Rave Radio (RUAR). Despite the pandemic, I scored another residency: Tower Sessions on UWC Radio. Additionally, I played for DHC and am still active at AMW (Amsterdam Most Wanted). During the last ADE, I played there and was a host.”
“The future looks bright. I have a booking in Berghem soon and one in the museum Our House. Plus, I play at AMW every two weeks and will be back at RUAR starting November 7. I’ve also produced two tracks: ‘Fiesta‘ and ‘Everyday People‘. I don’t rule out making more tracks in the future.”
Photo credits: Bob van Deurzen, Sil Adjete
This interview with Ephraïm Trenidad was originally published in October 2022 on This Is Our House.
Who is Ephraïm Trenidad?
The personable and passionate DJ Ephraïm Trenidad is making waves! Based in Amsterdam, he’s constantly immersed in his love for music. Ephraïm Trenidad’s focus ranges from disco to techno, but you never know what spontaneous mood Ephraïm Trenidad might be in, so be pleasantly surprised!
It all began for Ephraïm Trenidad in the early 2000s with simple CD spinning at cocktail bar The Challenge in Hoofddorp. Soon after, his interest in mixing grew. For a long time, he considered it just a hobby. However, passion always finds a way.
Ephraïm Trenidad became almost addicted to spinning and was increasingly active at underground raves in parks, churches, and other unique locations. He was also a regular at the label nights of Roough Y Bianco Records. From his former apartment in Haarlem, Ephraïm Trenidad started the online event Tower Sessions, which he filled with live streams and home parties. His followers loved it, and the Tower Sessions became a straight hit.
This success did not go unnoticed by the creators of House Music Radio, and Ephraïm Trenidad was soon asked to play for them as well. From there, things took off, and bookings started pouring in. Ephraïm Trenidad has also taken up producing, so we can expect much more from this jack of all trades.
Ephraïm Trenidad now has several residencies, including for riseupandrave.com, better known as the British radio station RUAR. For RUAR, he will soon be performing alongside big names like Jon00Fleming and Slipmatt. Together with them, Ephraïm Trenidad will appear in England at The Hanging Gardens in The Factory in Plymouth and The Tunnel Club in Birmingham. For the organization Back2TheBassx, Ephraïm Trenidad is active every Saturday from 10 PM to midnight on DHC.FM.
