dam swindle
SWINDLE HOUSE, LIVED
House music has never stood still. It has traveled between cities, generations and communities, constantly absorbing new ideas while carrying traces of whe- re it came from. Few artists embody that ongoing conversation as naturally as Dam Swindle. Across more than fifteen years together, Lars Dales and Maarten Smeets have built a catalog that feels deeply rooted in house music’s founda- tions without ever becoming confined by them.
Their new EP, Call Me, arrives with that same sense of continuity. The record moves comfortably between soulful grooves, stripped-back rhythms and warm analog textures, not as an exercise in nostalgia but as the latest chapter in a mu- sical language they’ve been developing for years.
For Maarten, that balance isn’t something they consciously calculate.
“This is something that just happens when we make music. Over the years, we’ve listened to, played, produced and collected so much music that this diversity of sound comes naturally to us. It’s also very much the result of our ideas coming together, with each of us bringing something different to the table.”
The process, he explains, extends well beyond writing individual tracks.
“When we put together music for an EP, it’s not just grabbing whatever we have and throwing it on there. It’s a careful selection of songs that we feel represent our sound and add something that feels unique on the record, but also unique in what it represents in our catalog.”
That confidence comes through in the record’s restraint. While much of contemporary dance music continues to chase larger drops, denser arrange- ments, and constant escalation, Call Me repeatedly chooses space over ex- cess. Tracks like I Like It and A House Track rarely feel the need to announce themselves. Instead, they trust groove, melody, and rhythm to carry the liste- ner forward.
For Lars, arriving at that simplicity is often the hardest part of making mu- sic.
“Keeping things simple is probably our biggest challenge. How do you decide when a track has enough elements? How big does a drop need to be? An- yone can throw in crashes and drum rolls, but letting the music speak and building a certain energy with only a few elements, that’s where it gets in- teresting. That’s when you know you’ve got a good hook.”
“Giving a song space, whether that’s through dynamics or more literal spa- ce by using only a few elements, is qui- te scary because it exposes your con- cept. A good concept will work. A bad concept will be forgotten as soon as the next track comes in.”
DAM
037
AUTOR SERGIO NIÑO PHOTORAPHY THILO WILCKE, STYLIST HANNA BORRMANN
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