It is no secret to anyone even remotely interested in EDM that the Netherlands is home to the majority of the best Dutch DJs and producers in the game––it’s even a source of national pride for the European country. That pride is on showcase each year during The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) which in normal times is the October nucleus of the EDM community.
ADE, a five-day annual event, is the largest EDM conference and festival in the world, and it’s held in (you guessed it!) the Netherlands. Although this year the event will be held virtually, it will still feature performances by hundreds of different DJs around the world, but many of Dutch origin.
With so much rich electronic dance culture in one country, we thought we’d highlight six of the hottest Dutch DJs out there––many are household names you’re already familiar with. This is only a glimpse at Dutch talent in this genre, but if we were to name them all, the list would never end.
THe dutch djs
Armin van Buuren
As an artist, Buuren is obsessed with breaking records and paving the path for DJs. If you’re familiar with the Top 100 DJs contest, the world’s largest music poll, you know that Armin van Buuren holds the record for total wins, having been ranked number one a whopping five years. In the United States, he holds the record for most entries (twenty-one) on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
The Dutch artist was born in Leiden, South Holland. It was while studying for a law degree at Leiden University that he began DJing at different clubs and realized his passion. His international fan base is probably glad that he ditched the courts for the studio!
Martin Garrix
In 2016, he won the Top 100 DJs contest, being the youngest DJ ever to do so. He has won the contest an additional two times since.
Tiësto
Tiësto is often referred to as the “Godfather of EDM,” and that is just one of many heavyweight titles he’s earned. The Dutch DJ born in North Brabant was also voted “The Greatest DJ of All Time” by a fan-voted poll in Mix Magazine and the “Best DJ of the Last 20 Years” by readers of DJ Mag
Tiësto discovered his love of music at the early age of 12 years old. The Netherlands takes their emerging DJs quite seriously; at 14 years old, Tiësto was given the opportunity to DJ professionally at school parties.
Afrojack
This Dutch artist has a global influence all Americans can easily recognize; he is featured on Pitbull’s number 1 hit single “Give Me Everything,” and contributed to “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyoncé. It appears his breadth of influence knows no bounds, in 2016 his song “Braver” was featured on the video game Final Fantasy XV.
Sam Feldt
His musical career only really began in 2015, but Sam Feldt has still managed to earn his seat amongst Dutch talent. He has already ranked on the DJ Mag’s list of Top 100 DJs, and his remake of “Show Me Love” peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and certified gold in Australia.
Earlier this year, Feldt revealed his own cleverly titled record label, Heartfeldt Records. Music critics will be keeping an eye out for what’s in store, his future releases are brimming with potential.
These are only a few of the names in the Dutch club scene, and do not even cover the tip of the iceberg. But these six DJs have become household names in the world of EDM, a world that is undeniably contributed to in large part by the Netherlands. Who knows, that country is probably raising hundreds of future Grammy winners right now!
