This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)
In this episode of the MY FIRST GIG series: Dutch DJ/producer Jordi Flikweert aka DJ Jordiz, who found his inspiration in artists like Martin Garrix and Armin van Buuren. “The crowd was all drunk, fun-loving partygoers.”
“I’ve been a fan of dance music ever since I was a kid. Every time I saw a Tiësto performance on TV, I thought, ‘I want to do that too!’ His music inspired me. Nowadays, I also find inspiration in artists like Martin Garrix, W&W, and Armin van Buuren.”
Landed Right in the Sweet Spot
“My first gig was in 2013 at the Moskito Bar in a small village called Westendorf in Austria. I was only 16 years old at the time. Was I nervous? Absolutely! I was super nervous. Up until then, I had only played music in my bedroom and had never performed in front of an audience. That said, I really landed right in the sweet spot. The crowd was all drunk, fun-loving partygoers on a ski vacation, so they pretty much enjoyed whatever I played.”
A Spontaneous Performance
“I hadn’t prepared anything. The gig happened spontaneously. I didn’t even have a USB stick with me, so I had to use music from another DJ – Geert Brusselers, a.k.a. DJ Geert. Luckily, I had the support of my family, as I was on a ski vacation in Westendorf with them and my parents. My cousins, who were about my age, were also there, and they supported me a lot.”
Old Turntables
“I definitely had a mentor. My cousin Jeroen Triest, a.k.a. DJ The Reducer, taught me a few things when I was about eight years old. Back then, he played vinyl records in his room. Later, he gave me those old turntables, so I could keep practicing at home.”
Basic Tips
“When I had my first gig in Austria, DJ Geert trusted me enough to let me get behind the decks. He also gave me countless basic tips that I still use to this day.”
A Great Night
“As I mentioned, my parents and family members were at my first gig, but there wasn’t really anyone I was trying to impress—except maybe the other DJ. My main goal was to make sure the crowd had a great night.”
Après-Ski Bar
“For my first gig, I think it went pretty well. Of course, it wasn’t amazing, and I realize that now. After a few years, you start comparing what you did back then to what you do now, and you see it with a more critical eye. I don’t think I made any major mistakes. My heart has always been in dance music, so that’s what I mostly played that night. However, since it was an après-ski bar, people actually wanted Dutch and German party music. I barely played any of that. I’m just a completely different type of DJ – I belong more in the dance scene than in the party music scene.”
Reading the Crowd
“That night, I learned that it doesn’t matter what genre you play or how big or small your audience is – you always have to look at the crowd to understand what music will work. Your job is to make sure your audience has an amazing night. It all comes down to being able to read the crowd.”
Dutch Valley
“Since then, I’ve played many gigs. The highlight of my career so far was performing in front of 30,000 people at the Dutch Valley Festival in 2015. After that, I’ve played in several countries, including Spain, Portugal, and Austria. By now, I’ve pretty much seen all of the Netherlands too.”
Musical Freedom
“I now produce my own music as well. I’ve released a whole series of tracks on major labels, including Cloud9Music and Tiësto’s label, Musical Freedom. This label is part of one of the biggest music labels in the world, Spinnin’ Records.”
Management Contract
“Earlier this year, I signed a management contract with Total Management Service. They now handle both my production and DJing affairs. I’m proud and happy to be working with Robert de Waal, who also manages Dante Klein.”
“Recently, I signed a record deal with Beat Dealer Records, one of the biggest dance labels in Germany. Three of my new tracks will be released there this year. It’s obviously a huge shame that gigs are on hold due to COVID-19, but I’m not sitting still. I now have tons of time to create new music. I already have eight new tracks lined up. My focus for now is on releasing even more music, and I hope to perform at festivals and clubs again in the future.”
This interview with Jordiz was originally published in December 2020 on This Is Our House.
Who is Jordiz?
Jordiz is a young, talented Dutch DJ/producer who has played in numerous clubs across Europe with his unique music style. His genre focus lies on future house, big room, and EDM.
One of the highlights of his early career was closing out the Dutch music festival Dutch Valley, where he performed for an ecstatic crowd of 30,000 people.
Jordiz has released music on Spinnin’ Records (Netherlands), Cloud 9 Music (Netherlands), and Beat Dealer Records (Germany).
One of his tracks was a collaboration with Jimi Bellmartin, the winner of The Voice Senior (Netherlands). Their song, “Together We Stay Strong,” racked up 200,000+ views on YouTube in just one month.
More Jordiz?
More FIRST GIGS? You will find them all here!
