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Our friendship goes back at least ten years. This week in MY FIRST GIG: Colombian DJ/producer Olmost (real name: Olmo Cardozo Herrera), now based in Amsterdam, shares his debut story. Also known as Adrope Dragu, he recalls: “Our event was an epic rave, and I’ve never stopped raving since.”
“I was born on a small Caribbean island in Colombia. From there, I traveled through many cultures and countries, even living in a few. These experiences inspired me deeply – their customs, their music.”
Time Warp
“When I had my first gig, I was living in Italy. One day, before that, I got a call from my girlfriend, Martina. She asked if I was free that weekend. She had a ticket for Time Warp in Mannheim, Germany, but couldn’t go. She gave it to me, saying I’d appreciate it more than her other friends. I said ‘yes’ without knowing what the event was. It turned out to be my first mind-blowing experience with electronic music events.”
Abandoned Factory
“At 20, I ended up in an abandoned factory in Milan, in Viale Ortles. This was shortly after my visit to Time Warp. My friends and I were so impressed by what we saw in Mannheim that we wanted to create something similar. We formed a group called Box Vision and found a massive industrial complex in the heart of the city. We cut the chains on the gates and broke in.”
Street performers
“We spent an entire day cleaning one of the warehouses with help from street artists painting the walls. It was surreal and raw – dust everywhere, the smell of paint, a true underground vibe. We gathered some speakers and a simple console and played techno and psytrance all night until sunrise. Of course, we left the location in better shape than we found it!” (laughs)
Raw Setup
“I wasn’t nervous about my set because we were among friends. The setup was raw, and the only thing that mattered was raving hard. I didn’t prepare anything – I just brought my CDs and a few vinyl records.”
Epic Rave
“We inspired each other, but I also drew inspiration from Extravelt, who I saw live at Time Warp. Our event turned out to be an epic rave, and I’ve never stopped raving since. Box Vision went full-on after that! Our specialty was guerrilla raves: taking a generator, speakers, and a DJ booth to random places where people gathered and throwing spontaneous parties.”
Hard Lessons
“We eventually started hosting legal parties in clubs, but being young, we often got exploited by Italian club owners and seasoned organizers. They used us for our reach and gave us little in return.”
Falling for Producing
“After a while, I decided to study Sound Technology and electronic music at the Conservatory in Como, Italy. That’s when I fell in love with producing. I played everything – drum ’n’ bass, psytrance, reggae, dancehall, techno, electro, and breakbeat. But when I moved to the Netherlands in 2013, I realized I could turn my passion into a career. Since then, I’ve focused entirely on techno and house.”
“I want to thank Martina for putting me on this path to my true passion: music. Today, I work on two projects: Olmost (techno) and Adrope Dragu (house). I also organize events like Zondagskinderen and LMNTS in Amsterdam. Until recently, I hosted the weekly Techno Tribe event at the Sugar Factory. Oh, and I’m also a resident DJ at Thuishaven!
This interview with Olmost / Adrope Dragu is originally published in August 2019 on This Is Our House.
Who is Olmost / Adrope Dragu?
Born in Old Providence, Colombia, Olmost a.k.a. Adrope Dragu found his home in Amsterdam. He rapidly introduced himself to the city scene with a series of (after)parties called “Zondagskinderen” at the well-known Sugarfactor”.
Now, Olmost is co-founder of vinyl market and club event What’Sub. Here Olmost explores the solid mix between minimal house, UK garage and tribal drums, while always challenging his sound. You can get an idea by listening to his debut EP “Veinticuatro” on Artefax Records. Olmost is a rhythm essentialist.
More Olmost / Adrope Dragu?
More First Gigs? Check them all here!
