IN CONVERSATION WITH BENWAL
Interview by Samo Šajn
Benwal is a DJ and producer from the Netherlands, known for his energetic sets and emotional sound. After his breakout track Dive, he’s back with a new. The new music shows a heavier UK influence while keeping his unique style. With big shows ahead, like Awakenings, Boiler Room Malta, and his first US and Latin America tour. Benwal is quickly becoming a name to watch in the electronic music scene.
Your new track U Need has a heavier UK sound. What inspired that change?
I've been playing a lot of UK stuff over the past one and a half years. It really inspired me, along with that 2010-era deep house sound.
You self-released Dive, but now your new EP is out on EC2A. How did that come together?
After working on some Reese bass tunes, we finally felt confident enough to DM Dr. Dubplate. He was super enthusiastic right away, which made us really happy. He instantly wanted to do a release.
You mix a lot of styles in your sets, trance, hard house, UK garage. How do you decide what to play or make?
When playing, it really depends on the setting, venue, time, lineup, mood, and crowd.
When producing, it's just whatever we feel like in the moment. That’s the only way it works for us. We use a lot of reference tracks we both loved 5 to 10 years ago and give them a Benwal twist.
There’s always a lot of emotion in your music. Where does that come from?
That definitely comes from my co-producer Jonathan Kruizenga. Benwal started out as a duo with the two of us. Now I DJ solo, but we still produce everything together. He’s the melody mastermind. He used to compose his own classical pieces and plays in a band as well.
You’ve got a packed summer with big festivals, among them Boiler Room at Glitch Festival in Malta. How do you get ready for big shows like that?
I'm already super nervous for Boiler Room. For shows like that, I always want to do something special. I put in a new tune of my own and dig for a lot of fresh music. I always try to find the perfect opening track that I’ll only use once. I'm nervous for a day or two beforehand, but once the day arrives, I feel calm and ready.
You’ve played in Europe, Australia, and now you're heading to the US and Latin America. Do crowds feel different in each place?
Definitely. You can already feel the difference between the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the UK. Funny enough, Melbourne feels a lot like Amsterdam in terms of how you DJ. I'm really curious to experience how it will be in the US and Latin America.
You’ve been working with Jonathan Kruizenga for a while now. What’s your studio process like together
We partly covered this earlier. We have two studio days each week and just create whatever we feel like. Whenever we try to force something, it never comes out right. Most of the time, Jonathan comes in with some melody ideas ready, and before the session starts, we pick one that fits the vibe and build the track around it.
Your event NOUW sold out in 3 minutes. What was the idea behind it, and what makes it special for you
That’s still insane to me. I hoped it would be a success, but I didn’t expect it to go that well. The idea was to create a space that still brings high energy but in a more surprising and raw way than your average festival. I want the NOUW crowd to feel surprised, triggered, and challenged, but still leave with that rush of energy.
You started out in Groningen and now you’re playing huge stages. What were some big moments that helped you grow?
The illegal raves in Groningen were really the beginning. They gave me a platform. Promoters saw the videos of Jonathan and me playing there, booked us, and things started snowballing. We then began sending our music to Narciss, Heartstring, Malugi, and Marlon Hoffstadt. We even booked DJ Heartstring and Malugi for their NL debuts at our raves three years ago. Once they started playing our tracks, I started getting more international bookings. Lowlands and Wildeburg were also key milestones.
