A countdown was all it took for clubgoers to know what was coming. When DJ Jean released The Launch in 1999, that opening helped turn a Dutch club record into an international hit. More than two decades later, DJ Jean received the Nexus Radio Level Legend Award at the 2026 Nexus Lounge Amsterdam during Amsterdam Dance Event. He also sat down with Farius to talk about where that record took him, how dance music has changed and what he looks forward to when he gets home.
DJ Jean was reaching audiences overseas years before social media gave artists a direct line to fans around the world. In his conversation with Farius, he remembered playing for crowds in the United States and Canada and taking bookings at the MGM and the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. For listeners who knew him through The Launch, those gigs were a chance to hear what DJ Jean could do over the course of a full set. For DJ Jean, they were a chance to see how records that worked in Dutch clubs would land in a different room.
Ask DJ Jean what brings him peace away from the decks, though, and he’ll tell you about Binky. A walk outdoors with his Yorkshire terrier is one of his favorite ways to unwind. He also told Farius that he rarely listens to music in his downtime. What excites him about DJing is the exchange with a crowd. You choose a record, see how the room responds and decide where to take the set from there.
When Farius asked where dance music might go next, DJ Jean pointed to bass house and disco house. He sees the scene evolving a little at a time as different sounds find an audience and DJs work them into their sets. His own breakthrough shows how far a simple idea can travel. The countdown in The Launch gave a room full of people something to recognize within seconds and a reason to wait for what came next.
When Farius asked where dance music might go next, DJ Jean pointed to bass house and disco house. He sees the scene evolving a little at a time as different sounds find an audience and DJs work them into their sets. His own breakthrough shows how far a simple idea can travel. The countdown in The Launch gave a room full of people something to recognize within seconds and a reason to wait for what came next.
The Nexus Radio Level Legend Award marked a career that took DJ Jean from Dutch clubs to dance floors across the world. The conversation with Farius fills in the details, from Las Vegas bookings to the quiet walks DJ Jean looks forward to when he’s home. Listen to the full Nexus Lounge interview below for more of his stories from the road and his take on what keeps a dance floor moving.
