GET TO KNOW
Benjamin Berg´s musical journey began with a love for hip-hop and R&B. What started as a curious fas- cination with the beats and melodies of the streets soon evolved into a full-fledged passion for DJing and producing. From early days spent marveling at DJs in action to honing his skills at workshops in Amsterdam Noord, Berg’s story is a testament to the transformati- ve power of music and the relentless pursuit of artistic expression.
Picture this: a young Berg, immersed in the rhythms of hip hop and R&B, his world pulsating with the beats of the streets. One fateful night, during a family dinner outing, the magic happened. A DJ at the venue cast a spell on him with their turntable wizardry. Berg couldn’t tear his eyes away from the decks, and that’s when it hit him – “Wow, this shit is cool!” From that moment on, he was hooked.
“At that time I was mainly listening to Hip Hop and R&B, so all the parties I went to, that was the music that was being played. My knowledge of electronic music was very limited at that time. So when I started DJing it was obvious that I would play hip hop and R&B”.
“When I started playing a lot of hip-hop parties, I wanted more. When you are a hip-hop DJ, you want to work with a rapper so that you can be the DJ on their tour. That was the main reason I started producing. I wanted to make beats for rappers so I could meet more people in the scene”.
After I got into electronic music. I knew immediately that this was the way I wanted to go and I decided to turn everything upside down and just concentrate on making and playing electronic music.
Berg’s journey took a decisive turn when he stumbled upon DJ workshops in Amsterdam Noord. A chance encounter with a fellow DJ named Lenny sparked a mentorship that would shape Berg’s musical destiny. Lenny’s workshops weren’t just about mixing tracks; they were about counting measures, feeling the groo- ve, and finding your beat in the world of electronic symphonies.
“So this one night I went out, I got to the club early. I was smoking a cigarette and the DJ who was opening the night, Lenny, was also smoking too. We were the only ones there so we started talking. I asked him about DJing and how interested I was in learning how to do it, So Lenny told me that he organized DJ workshops in this community center in Amsterdam Noord”.
“The first time I went I had no experience at all. The setup there was a DJM 750 and two CDJ 850’s. On these CDJ you cannot see any waveform, so it was di- fficult at first. Lenny taught me everything I needed to know to mix two Hip Hop and R&B records”.
“Probably the most important lesson Lenny gave me was how to count measures properly. Mixing hip hop and R&B goes a bit faster than mixing house records, so I needed to know how to count intros and verses well to do a decent mix”.
“Lenny also did some programming for an event called “NYX op donderdag” at Club NYX. So when he heard that I could DJ well enough he put me on the program there”.
“I no longer speak to Lenny but I am forever grateful for what he taught me, and I love how he organized these workshops for free so that other people could enjoy the same passion he has for music and the art of DJing. Thank you, Lenny!”
As Berg’s skills grew, so did his musical palate. He went from sampling vinyl on his MPC 2000xl to crafting in- tricate beats that paid homage to the golden era of 90s house music. It wasn’t just about the sounds; it was about the vibe – that hypnotic, soulful rhythm that makes you lose yourself on the dance floor.
“When I first got into electronic music, I didn’t know what there was to discover. In the beginning, I listened to its more commercial side. Living in Amsterdam gave me the ability to go to more parties and discover more. When I started to get into music, I wanted to find out what I liked. I got a job at Club Claire as a runner. It was the hardest job I ever had, haha, but it gave me an insight into all the different sub-genres of electronic music”.
“I found out that I liked the more rolling hypnotic kind of sound. I just really loved being stuck in a long loop. When I started going to record stores to find more tu- nes I found that most of the records I liked were made in the 90s and early 00s, this is where I found the music that I love the most and it can still be a lot different from more techy tunes from Terry Francis to more hou- sey stuff from Ian Pooley for example. This is where I get most of my inspiration from these days when I make my music”.
With that in mind, Berg found himself trying to get into the industry. Perhaps some of the most important moments of his life happened while working in Zwart Goud, a record store that broadened Benjamin´s spec- trum of knowledge both in music genres and in the de- velopment of his sound.
“I was looking for a job in a record store here in Amster- dam. I went to a lot of record stores, but most of them were not looking for new people. When I went to Zwart Goud, the owner, Ilker Soylu, told me that I could do an internship there. I was very keen to do the internship because I would be able to learn more about the music industry”.
mixmagde.com 11
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
