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"I couldn’t believe my eyes!" The Amsterdam artist Patrice van den Berg made his debut in the house scene as a guitarist. After performances with, among others, Mad Doc 20/20, he played at several raves for The Soho Connection (Paul Jay and Crazy Shaun) and at large venues such as the Beijnenshal in Haarlem, the Jan van Galenhal in Amsterdam and the club Waakzaamheid in Zaandam.
“I’m still very proud to say that my debut took place in the legendary club De Waakzaamheid in Koog aan de Zaan (NL). I was 28 years old, it was 1990. This opportunity came my way because I was asked as a guitarist in the Mad Doc 20/20 live project, which consisted of Norbert Mannaert and Dov Elkabas a.k.a. The Prophet. We had rehearsed quite a bit together, so I could handle my nerves. What I did feel, was a healthy tension.”
Introduction
“The dance floor was filled with the typical early nineties house audience; the venue was sold out and everyone went totally crazy. I couldn’t believe my eyes!” Because, how strange this might sound, this gig was my first counteraction with the house scene and its associated parties.”
Mentor
“Norbert Mannaert of Mad Doc 20/20 was my mentor. He introduced me and Dov with the Cubase system, at that time still on Atari ST with floppies. You can hardly imagine that now, hehe.”
Moral support
“Fortunately, our set went fine. Exactly as we had rehearsed. Unfortunately, my then-girlfriend didn’t witness my debut. I did receive plenty of moral support from a number of friends. Including the one who created the video from which the enclosed screenshot originates.”
Psy trance
“Through the psy trance scene I started a solo project in 1994 under the name Syrinx. I also collaborated on the legendary Metal Spark project, together with DJ Lucas and Lorenzo Zoeter. Another collaboration was with Ramon Sterman under the name Microdome. Several releases have resulted from all these projects and I ended up in the Amsterdam Escape, Mazzo and pop temple Paradiso and I stood on Dance Valley.”
Performing live
“I have been active as a DJ since 2002. I was among others on Black Box (hosted by Milan Meyberg), played at the events Chicken Skin & Bish Bosh from the legendary MC Marxman, The Bus, Insound Festival (hosted by Josep Vicent) and at What’s On Your Mind from Dexon. I even got to play at the Dutch public radio station 3FM in Giel Beelen’s show. Besides this, I perform live and do remixes.”
“By now I have released various deep/tech house EPs. Since last year I am working hard with a new solo live set with Ableton live, guitar and analog Korg MS 10 synth. Also, I have been asked for the Vektor Agency. From playing guitar in De Waakzaamheid to my current sets. Pooh, I’ve come a long way.”
This interview with Patrice van den Berg was originally published on DJMag.nl on Wednesday, March 4th 2015.
Who is Patrice van den Berg?
Born and raised in Amsterdam, Patrice van den Berg started to listen to music when he was around 6 years old. He listened to a pirate radio station and recorded the tracks he liked on a little tape recorderand while deleting the voice-over. That’s how it all started.
At his 14th birthday Patrice van den Berig got his first guitar from his parents. The next 15 years he studied the instrument. In 1985 Patrice van den Berg started producing and his interest in studiowork grew. After playing guitar in a succesfull house-project Mad Doc 20/20 (lead by Norbert Mannaert) between 1990-1993 he was infected by the computerbased production virus. In 1994 Patrice van den Berg bought his own studio. His first record was released in 1992. The record awas produced in the studio of one of the members of Mad Doc named The Prophet (aka Dov Elkabas) who became member of the legendary Dream Team.
Patrice van den Berg’s serious carreer kicked off around 1994 in the psytrance genre including playing at large rave-venues under the name Metal Spark together with Lorenzo Zoeter (aka Sibilant) and DJ Lucas. Patrice van den Berg also pursued a solocarreer during that period under the names Syrinx, Hypercycle (with Frans Dordregter) and Microdome (with Ramon Sterman). Those projects led to gigs at Paradiso Amsterdam, Club Escape (Amsterdam), Club Stalker (Haarlem) and Doornroosje (Nijmegen) as well as in the famous ‘Silo’ on parties called’ Namaste’ organised by the legandary Raymond.
After that, a search towards new areas of music resulted in Ibiza-Style remixes for the Dutch band Zuco 103 and a compilation only track with Willem Heetebrij and Marusjka Sistermans under the name PMW. In 2006 Patrice van den Berg was struck by minimal techno. He studied this music for two years with the help of Riley Reinhold (director of Traum Schallplatten) and Patrice Baumel (Trapez, GetPhysical). Lorenzo Zoeter helped on the soundside. That resulted in a demo in 2008 that was picked up by Milanel of Ktlxmey Recordings and was released in December 2008.
While living on Mallorca in 2002 Patrice van den Berg started DJing. When he returned to the Netherlands he did some radio DJ-sets on 3FM (Dutch National Radio) hosted by Giel Beelen and he started DJing at various venues in Amsterdam. Since then he also played at Insound Festvial (Altea, Spain), that was organized by Josep Vicent, director of The World Music Orchestra and Slagwerkgroep Amsterdam, as well as at WYOM and The Xample Bus. Patrice van den Berg also became a member of the organisation Chicken Skin that was set up by the legendary MC Marxman. Nowadays his emphasis lays on deephouse.
