Three countries in three days. Belgium on Friday for Tomorrowland, the Netherlands on Saturday for Tegendraads Festival, and Spain on Sunday for Monegros. It has been one of the busiest weekends of DYEN’s career so far, arriving just days after the release of GABBER, the collaboration with Maddix that the pair have proudly described as “our anthem for the Netherlands”. Inspired by what DYEN calls “the old school sound of the Netherlands”, it feels destined to become part of King’s Day celebrations for years to come, something anyone who has ever experienced that orange sea of people can easily picture.
Before all that madness, we caught up with him as he arrived at Kappa FuturFestival. Back then, there were still two months to go before the release of HERE WE ARE. Now, with barely four weeks left until it finally arrives, everything around DYEN seems to be moving faster than ever. Long before announcing that he was about to become a father, he spoke to us about what he calls his life’s work, a debut album built to tell the story behind everything that has brought him to this point, both musically and personally.
“If I can still listen back to it in ten years and feel proud, that’s probably the biggest success I could ask for,” he tells us. With the countdown to HERE WE ARE now well underway, those words say as much about the record itself as they do about an artist entering what is already shaping up to be the most important year of his career and his life.
Today sees the release of GABBER, another big collaboration from your album with Maddix. Your previous single, MAAK ME NOU NIET GEK, was with Vieze Asbak. How did it feel to finally have that track out in the world?
It’s great! I’ve been playing this track for almost a year. People already know the lyrics, and now that it’s out, they’re shouting them even louder. I love working with the legend on this track; Vieze Asbak has his own unique style, and I love collaborating with people who bring something unexpected to the table. We had a lot of fun making it, and after playing it in my sets for a while, it’s great that people can finally listen to it whenever they want.
We're catching you as you arrive at Kappa FuturFestival, the first stop in a summer that will also take you to festivals like Awakenings, Tomorrowland, Medusa and Decibel Outdoor, among many others. What can people expect from your sets over the next few months?
This summer is all about the album. For the first time, I can build my sets around a much bigger story instead of just playing individual tracks. There will be a lot of new music, a few surprises and a sound that really represents where I’m at right now. I can’t wait to finally share that with everyone and make everyone go crazy. It’s been the first year where I play like thirty tracks of mine in a set; I’m really proud of that.
You recently said that after releasing so many singles, it finally felt like the right time to tell a bigger story. If HERE WE ARE were a film, who would its main characters be? Where does the story begin, where does it end, and what ties everything together?
The main character is probably me, and I would choose Leonardo DiCaprio for it, obviously (laughs). I think it started with a young DYEN finishing school in Rotterdam, going to his first rave, falling in love with the city’s raw rave culture and slowly discovering his own style. The whole scene and all my friends went from small clubs to football stadiums in a matter of one or two years. It’s been a crazy ride, and I think the love of making music and the joy of playing every single track is what keeps me sane and loving the life I'm living.
“This summer is all about the album. It’s been the first year where I play like thirty tracks of mine in a set; I’m really proud of that.”
You've described it as your lifework. That's a big statement. At what point did you realise this couldn't just be another collection of tracks, but had to become an album that reflected everything you've experienced over the past few years?
After years of releasing singles, I felt like people only knew small pieces of who I was musically. I wanted to create something that connected everything. The moment I realised every track was inspired by a different chapter of my life, I knew it had to become an album instead of another EP.
The record moves between industrial textures, hardcore, bounce and surprisingly melodic moments. Was it important to show a wider picture of who DYEN is instead of making the hardest album possible?
Definitely. I never wanted to make the hardest album just for the sake of being hard. I grew up listening to so many different genres, and they’ve all influenced the way I make music today. This album is the first time I felt confident enough to show every side of that without worrying about expectations.
You’ve said before that it's important to keep pushing the genre forward instead of following trends. How do you stay connected to what audiences respond to without letting that shape every creative decision? Where have you found that balance?
Playing shows every weekend definitely helps because you immediately see what connects with people. But I never go back into the studio trying to recreate that reaction. I think audiences can tell when something is genuine. I’d rather surprise people than give them exactly what they’re expecting.
The album features collaborations with Bassjackers, Maddix, Mr Polska, Vieze Asbak and Embers. What made each of them the right person for this project, and what did those collaborations allow you to explore that you couldn't have reached alone?
Every collaboration happened naturally. I didn’t choose artists because of their names—I chose them because they each brought something unique. Bassjackers and Maddix have extensive experience writing energetic dance music and brought the bounce techno vibe I love; Mr Polska is my legend from back in the day, and to have these vocals on my album is an honour; Vieze Asbak has a personality you instantly recognise, and Embers added a completely different emotional layer. Together they helped make the album much more diverse than I could have achieved on my own.
Was there one collaboration that completely surprised you once it was finished?
Probably the track with Bassjackers; we both have very different approaches to making music, so I genuinely didn’t know where it would end up. In the end, it became one of the most fun tracks on the album. With their big-room bounce sound and my hard techno style, it ended up in a fast reverse bass kinda happy track about a baguette. And it’s a banger!
Do you think becoming a better electronic producer also means becoming a better musician? Are there any artists whose multidisciplinary approach you genuinely admire?
For me, absolutely. Producing isn’t only about making bigger drops or cleaner mixes. It’s about understanding melody, rhythm, emotion and knowing when not to add something. I love how artists have their own style, like Klangkuenstler or Onlynumbers; you notice instantly it’s one of their tracks. That’s what I admire most, and I hope my crowd feels that way about me too.
“After years of releasing singles, I felt like people only knew small pieces of who I was musically. I wanted to create something that connected everything.”
You’ve commented that every crowd is different, and touring the world has taught you what connects people through music. Which countries or cities have left the biggest impression on you? Is there a place where the audience always seems to give absolutely everything?
South America always blows me away. The passion there is unbelievable. Australia is another place where I always feel a special connection with the crowd. And of course, my hometown Rotterdam is the most special to me. But honestly, every country has its own energy, and that’s one of the reasons I still love touring so much.
Looking back at the very beginning of your career, before the festivals and the global tours, what does that younger version of yourself make you feel today?
Mostly gratitude. If you had told that younger version of me I’d be travelling the world doing what I love, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. At the same time, I still feel like I’m chasing the same thing I was back then—making music that excites me.
Your schedule over the next few months is relentless. Between festivals and long flights, how do you make sure you’re still creating instead of simply keeping up?
I’ve learned that creating doesn’t only happen in the studio. Touring gives me so much inspiration because every crowd reacts differently. I make notes all the time, record ideas whenever they come to me, and once I’m home, I turn those ideas into music. That’s what keeps everything feeling fresh. I had some big issues producing because this whole lifestyle was quite overwhelming, but I got used to it and have now found my way to work and produce within it.
When you think about the DYEN you'll be ten years from now, what do you hope he'll remember about the person who made HERE WE ARE?
I hope he’ll remember that I stayed true to myself. Trends will always come and go, but this album is an honest reflection of who I was at this point in my life. If I can still listen back to it in ten years and feel proud, that’s probably the biggest success I could ask for.
