germany
From there, Henk’s life became a blur of re- cords and late-night travel.
“Before that, I had spent years playing alone at home, just me, my records, and the mu- sic. Every single day I’d mix purely out of love, imagining what it would feel like to one day share it with others. So when that moment finally came, when I realized I was actually allowed to play my music in front of people, on big sound systems, it hit me deeply. It felt like a privilege, not a given.”
Now, the bookings haven’t stopped.
“Suddenly I was playing almost every week, sometimes more than once, and every set reminded me how special it is to share something so personal with a crowd.” He pauses, smiling.
“Everything really came step by step. A very organic growth.”
Amsterdam became a second home.
“One of the biggest moments was when Die Rakete booked me for the first time in Amsterdam, and I became a resident there. Those were my first truly professional gigs, the kind where I got to experience another side of the DJ life. I still have some of my most beautiful memories from Die Rakete. From there, things in the Netherlands really started to unfold.”
Even now, he’s still moving forward.
“Sadly, that party doesn’t exist anymore, but I’ve started playing for a new Dutch series called Paardenrave, and rumor has it, I might become a resident there too.”
VINYL IN A DIGITAL AGE
Few DJs defend vinyl as fiercely as Henk does.
“For me, it’s all about the handling, actually having something in your hands, connecting with the record itself. When you play vinyl, you really get to know your tracks. You me- morize every break, every moment, you know exactly when each element comes in. That relationship with the music is something I deeply value.” He laughs softly.
“Because records are expensive and take time to find, you think twice before buying one. You ask yourself if this track truly de- serves a place in your bag, if it really repre- sents what you want to say. That process creates a deeper sense of appreciation and respect, for the music, for the craft, and for the culture around it.”
The challenges, however, are real.
“It can be really tough to keep playing vinyl these days. The technical conditions are of- ten bad for so many reasons. I’ve had situa- tions where I had to cancel gigs because of technical issues, and times when promoters tried to talk me out of it. Honestly, if you look at it purely from a practical standpoint, pla- ying vinyl is full of disadvantages. But still, I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
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