This post is also available in: Nederlands (Dutch)
In this edition of MY FIRST GIG; Flemish DJ/producer Tim Peeters a.k.a. NIVIRO. He started spinning tracks in kindergarten on a mini DJ set he got as a Sinterklaas gift and never stopped. “My first big gig was straight up for four thousand people.”
“I’ve been DJing for as long as I can remember. By the age of three, I was already glued to the stereo, constantly playing with CDs. Music has always been part of me. I think my first gig may have even been in kindergarten. I got a mini DJ set for Sinterklaas and was obsessed with it. At the end-of-year party at school, I was on stage as DJ Tim.” (laughs) “After that came loads of family parties. I was always fiddling with my gear and even formed a hardstyle duo called AXIZZ. We did quite a few small gigs together.”
NIVIRO
“At eighteen, I decided to go solo under the name NIVIRO. I gradually moved from hardstyle into future bass and bigroom. As a producer, I follow my heart and constantly want to push boundaries. That’s why I try to blend all kinds of styles into my tracks. But the love for hardstyle still tugs at me from time to time.”
Arachnaphobia
“My first major gig was immediately for four thousand people. My hometown Mol is known for its massive parties. In 2016, I was asked to play at a party called Arachnaphobia. The organizers had discovered me online and were impressed by my music.”
A burst of energy
“Back in the day, I used to prepare every set down to the last detail – selecting each track and planning the order. I never do that anymore. Now I just get on stage and read the crowd. Even that first time, I felt an insane burst of energy. DJing itself is automatic for me by now – I’ve been doing it for so long and practiced endlessly at home. That means I can start enjoying myself from the first moment.”
Hands in the air
“The Arachnaphobia crowd was mostly between sixteen and twenty years old. That was great because I was around that age myself. We had the same sense of energy, and that created an amazing vibe. Honestly, when the crowd loses it, I go even harder. Hands in the air and let’s go. With genres like future bass and bigroom, I play with melody and power. The goal is always to create that euphoric feeling together with the audience.”
Self-taught
“My whole family and all my friends were there for that first gig. Fortunately, nothing’s changed in that regard. They often come along and are still open to my genre. I never had a mentor – I’m completely self-taught. I’m really glad about that because it allowed me to develop my own style. I always strive to be unique in my productions. That’s really important to me. I even impose strict rules on myself in the studio. For example, I’ll limit myself to just a few synths when making a track. If I don’t do that, I’ll just keep going endlessly. Learning to work that way was actually the hardest part.”
Perfectionist
“You asked if anything went wrong during that first set. Honestly, I never make mistakes. The only thing that’s ever happened is a USB stick failing, causing the music to stop. But I never get nervous before a gig. Quite the opposite – I always look forward to every single one. As soon as I walk up the stairs and hit play, I think: ‘Here we go.’ I’m a perfectionist to the core. Even if I don’t make mistakes, I always feel like something could have been better. I try to tell a story with my live sets, and sometimes it doesn’t come across exactly the way I want.”
Learn to adapt
“As tips for beginning DJs, I’d say: be yourself and always stay tuned in to your audience. If you like preparing your sets, that’s fine, but make sure to bring some extra tracks so you can adapt if needed. If what you planned isn’t working – swallow your pride and pivot. Your instinct for the crowd will grow the more you perform.”
Developed the XPLISSO system
“I also want to share something about the XPLISSO system, which I developed completely by myself, without a team. XPLISSO is a world premiere in true total surround sound. I’m incredibly proud of it. It’s a combination of hardware and software that delivers audio far more intense than anything I’ve ever heard. It integrates sound and light in true surround, fully immersing the audience in the music.”
“Sometimes I demonstrate XPLISSO to a trained audience. I play the sound from mono to stereo and then switch to true surround. Everyone hears the difference between mono and stereo, of course – but when I switch to true surround, people literally get goosebumps. Right now, I’ve paused all my gigs to bring this innovative system to the world’s attention.”
This interview with NIVIRO was originally published in August 2019 on This Is Our House.
Who is NIVIRO?
NIVIRO – real name Tim Peeters, born on January 3, 1997 – is a Belgian based DJ and music producer with a deep passion for lyrical and energetic dance music.
Back when NIVIRO was 10 years old, he was determined taking piano classes as he always had the dream of creating his own music. Listening to an instructor didn’t go well. As soon as he started, he decided he’d be better off learning this versatile instrument on his own so he could develop a unique way of playing the piano.
Growing up with “Euro Dance” and “Hands Up” music, these melodic and energetic sounds became the recurring building blocks through his repertoire.
At the age of 15, Tim started producing and performing at a more serious level as part of the duo Axizz, mainly focussing on the harder styles. After three years the duo split up and NIVIRO was born in 2016.
Signed on top-rated record labels as Rave Culture, Spinnin’ Records, NCS, Armada, Revealed and Sony Music, NIVIRO gained the attention of the bigger audience. With over 800.000 monthly Spotify listeners all over the globe, generating more than 3 million streams every 28 days and having over 8.1 billion YouTube views, NIVIRO is one of Belgium’s biggest EDM export products of the moment.
His music is supported by the likes of world’s most renowned AAA DJs like W&W, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Hardwell, Alan Walker, Tiësto, Timmy Trumpet and many more.The NIVIRO-sound can easily be recognized by the futuristic peppered sounds with a combination of analog, vintage synthesizers and live-recorded instruments and vocals. Topped with some high-energy kicks and intense basses.
With an impressive repertoire of self-produced tracks and remixes, and the talent of giving any other track a NIVIRO-touch, he provides his audience with a well worked out live set.
Taking everything one step further, NIVIRO’s invention of XPLISSO, will change the way people experience sound and light at a live performance drastically. The immersive audio experience will surround people with sounds coming from any direction, combined with stunning (LED) visuals and light show, completely synchronized with the music.
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