Two weeks ago, Mau P, the Drugs From Amsterdam originator and Amsterdam native, returned to his hometown to be part of the electronic music greatest global event we told you about in this article, Amsterdam Dance Event. During his visit to the Dutch capital, he not only closed ANTS Amsterdam, enjoyed this impressive event, and met with his friends, but also released his new track, Merther. We sat down with him to ask him what success means to him, what has changed since he took his first steps in his professional career, and what his plans are for 2025.
“The key is to not let it change what’s inside of you,” says Maurits Westveen, aka Mau P, claiming the importance of keeping the passion and enthusiasm in every new project, as well as the immeasurable value of spending time with friends and loved ones. “I mean, I live for music and performing, but this year I figured out that finding my true self is most important and will unlock new creativity inside of me.” 2024 has been a great year for this avant-garde of house music, and his new track, which arrives as a major club damager and testament to his sonic prowess, has already been praised by great artists like Solomun.
You're back in your hometown for ADE, the essential meeting point for all music industry professionals. How do you feel?
I feel amazing being back in the city. The vibes are very high, and I can’t wait to see all of my friends from all around the world.
I'm pretty sure returning to where it all began, where you grew up, started developing your career, and dreamed of making a name for yourself in the scene feels quite exciting. Has the Dutch music scene changed a lot in the last few years?
The Dutch music scene is constantly changing! There are new dance music producers, and sounds are popping up all the time. We are like the perfect breeding ground. The last few years, I think we went back to styles that we were already very familiar with, but this time with a new swag. It’s just constantly going. I feel like we went from minimal to trance to Eurodance altogether in about two or three years.
And what is the first thing you like to do when you land in your hometown? Is there anything you can't miss?
Smoke some weed.
Have you had time to enjoy ADE or see some of your colleagues perform?
Oh, I enjoy ADE a lot. I will actually go to more parties than DJ myself. I take a lot of time to absorb and learn (and have fun).
You travel a lot and have a hectic schedule, so I'd like to know what music you're listening to now when travelling worldwide and flying to your next destination. What can we find on your favourite playlist at the moment?
A lot of hip hop, jazz, and soul. I’m loving Victoria Monét right now and dance music. I also love The Blessed Madonna’s new album.
You’ve indisputably left your mark on the dance music scene since your debut single was released. What remains the same, and what has changed radically since then?
I feel like I will always have the same passion as when I started at around age fourteen. My heart still beats the same, but everything around me changes. I’d say it’s mostly the size of everything that has become so much bigger—the streams, crowds, attention, money. The key is to not let it change what’s inside of you.
Let’s talk about your biggest hit to date, Drugs From Amsterdam. The track has no less than 192 million plays on Spotify and can only be described as one of the breakout stories of the decade. How did you experience the phenomenon of this track? And what do you feel when you listen to it now? What memories come to mind?
It was what I had always dreamed of. I worked my ass off for years to get lucky like this. The harder you work, the luckier you get. When making the song, I was very careless and free in creating new things. There was no pressure, and it was just me having fun in the studio. Then the song started blowing up, and I was like, “YES, finally, this is it!”
You’ve just released your highly anticipated next single, Merther, which arrives as a major club damager and testament to your sonic prowess and has already seen support from other music powerhouses, including John Summit, Patrick Topping, and Solomun. Could you tell us more about it?
Merther was one of those projects that just felt like a pain in the ass. I had the idea to use the Ini Kamoze sample for a long time but just couldn’t figure out the song around it. The bassline didn’t work, the drums didn’t work, and I almost decided to just let go of it. Until one day I cracked the code and I showed the result to one of my friends who was like, “Yo, this is your best song to date.” So then obviously I went on and started playing it, and the reaction was always great. Solomun then was the first one I shared it with, and his feedback was very positive too, so that’s all I needed.
“My sister woke me up at 8:30 am to this playing” or “Thank you for this masterpiece” are some of the comments your followers shared on your Instagram profile just after the release of Merther. It seems that the audience's reactions are very positive. How do you experience release days? Do you get nervous when thinking about what their feedback will be?
I have a love-and-hate relationship with release days. I like the tension and the rush before a release where everyone is on the edge of their seats, waiting. When the song goes live, it doesn’t really feel as rewarding as you’d expect with that amount of build-up to it. There are no fireworks, no big explosions, no cheering, just me looking at a live updating count of a number of streams... pretty boring. The comments and feedback from fans are really amazing, though, and I love finally listening to my own creation on an actual streaming platform. You did the job.
Some days ago you closed ANTS Amsterdam, which returned for an unmissable showcase of house and techno music during the 2024 edition of Amsterdam Dance Event alongside artists such as Joris Voorn and Joey Daniel, among others. How was the experience?
It was sick. I woke up thirty minutes before I had to go on stage, so I was super rushed. It was a long drive too, so the car went straight to the stage. I played B2B with my good friend Andrea Oliva; he always brings a vibe, and we feed off each other’s energy.
Looking at 2024 and everything you've achieved to date, we can conclude that it's been a very important year in your career. From the release of hits including your first vocal track On Again with legendary producer Mike Dean and Receipts with Diplo and Gunna to viral performances from your B2B performance with Diplo on Coachella's new Quasar stage and bringing the iconic Breaking Bad duo Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul on stage with you at Encore Beach Club in Las Vegas. Which moment have you enjoyed the most, and why?
These are actually all the moments that the outside world sees, but the moments I enjoy the most are the ones I spend with my friends and loved ones. I mean, I live for music and performing, but this year I figured out that finding my true self is most important and will unlock new creativity inside of me. There’s so much more I want to do in this life, and this is only the beginning.
And what are your goals for 2025? Is there anything you can tell us about your projects for next year?
Next year we’re doing more Baddest Behaviour shows, my own event series. I want to start a label, and I want to design cool clothes for my fans to wear.
