Alive behind the console

Learning Process

With passion, innovation and discipline, Dutch producer and DJ Rene Amesz has been dominating the electronica scene in Holland for over a decade and a half. His constant search for new musical thrills, recently led him to the gardens of Jayamahal Palace, where he played during an EDM festival.

“I started like everybody else, trying to mix songs in my bedroom,” recalls Rene, adding that all he began with at the age of 15 was a turntable and some vinyls. “When I was 19, I went for my first techno party and got really affected by it. By 21, I had my first release and the rest is history. I just kept building the path as I went along,” he adds.

Despite the gigs and tours around the world, his family back home in Holland keeps him grounded. “I have a wife and two kids, which keeps me on track. I don’t go crazy with things like drugs or alcohol. I’m too serious for that,” shares Rene.

On the perks of this job, he says, “I like travelling, so that’s great. But I also study psychology while touring, which gets hectic. The best part of this job is interacting with the people who booked me, meeting the fans and seeing new cultures.”

Speaking about his love for the genre-bending music he makes, Rene notes, “I’m not someone who wants a hit. I just feel alive behind the console. There’s a lot of concentrated thinking involved because I never number the tracks. So I make a selection of 15 or 16 tracks which lets me be flexible in my interaction with people on the dance floor. I feel that having a ready playlist makes you unable to spontaneously decide what you want to play in that moment.”

He explains that shifting from vinyl to CDs and eventually, moving to USBs changed his musical direction.

“I’ve always been old school in my approach. For instance, I can never start using a laptop on stage. I find it very uncomfortable playing with USBs but organisers don’t invest in putting a good turntable for us. So you hate it but deal with it,” says Rene, who is currently producing this next album.

Bangalore seems to have left quite a memorable first impression on the DJ, who is all praises for the little that he’s seen of it.

“I’ve not had a chance to look around much or smell something of the atmosphere of India. But I checked out some local DJs like Tuhin Mehta and an act called ‘Twokid Wickid’ and was amazed by their sound,” he wraps up.