Joining us at the Technics Space in the Nexus Lounge, Amsterdam, we spoke with Chuckie about his experience with music industry gatekeepers and the future of dance.
Known for hits like “Let the Bass Kick” and “Aftershock”, not to mention being the DJ who scratches with his head, Chuckie has been an innovative and original voice in the dance scene for over three decades. He’s also seen as something of a pioneer in the dirty trance scene, even going so far as to name his label, Dirty Dutch Music.
With remixes for everyone from David Guetta to Michael Jackson, it’s fair to say that Chuckie’s not afraid of blending genres a little. Lately, there’s been an increased discussion in the techno seen about the value of gatekeeping. Chuckie had this to say:
“I don’t like when people gatekeep and there’s a lot of gatekeeping going on… The biggest gatekeepers were always in the techno scene which I don’t agree with but I do agree with as well… I’m not a techno DJ, but I feel for them because there’s a lot of styles now which are getting mixed with techno which is technically not techno.”
From techno to retro, Chuckie has seen the industry change formats several times over the course of his career. All these years later, he’s still a big lover of vinyl, which is why he was so delighted to have his new single pressed. Describing the feeling as “incredible,” he said that it was amazing to see his music being pressed again for the first time in 10-15 years.
Sometimes, a good artist gets a great break, and that’s exactly what happened when J Balvin first heard Chuckie’s sound. By pure luck, Chuckie’s collaborator ran into J Balvin at the gym right after the two had put together a demo. Balvin liked the sound so much he wanted the track; the rest was history.
Discussing the future of dance music, Chuckie said that he expects trends to keep coming and going as they have done for years, often repeating themselves but with a new twist. He also noted how glad he is that it sounds like Afro-House has become more prominent in recent years because it brings a new flavor to dance music.
Last, we asked Chuckie if he felt his music had a message to send.
“It’s important to have fun. Think outside the box… Outside the box thinking is really good because it always keeps the culture pushing forward.”
If you’d like to learn more about Chuckie, his time at this year’s ADE, his music, and the future of dance music, then why not check out the full, exclusive Nexus Radio interview? You can also follow their social media on Instagram for all the latest about their upcoming releases/concerts
