presented by
Dutch DJ Mike Williams joined us at the Greats Brooklyn pop-up studio during Nexus Lounge Miami. He talked about his streetwear brand and latest projects and participated in our Take 5 series!
Known primarily as Mike Williams, Mike Willemsen is a Dutch DJ, musician, record producer, and remixer. Most people will recognize him from his collaborations with Tiësto and as an “artist of the future” on Spinnin’ Records.
The Dutch DJ began his musical career as a child, learning the piano; by his teens, he had switched his focus to DJing, and since then, he has rarely been away from the decks. This experience laid the groundwork for his melodic tones, which remain the backbone of his music today. The rest is history, or history in the making.
Mike Williams is one of the rare artists to achieve mainstream success with a particular musical style, and he has spent his early years honing his signature “bounce.” Williams’ blend of bouncy electro, house, and future bass caught the attention of Dutch legend Tiësto, who quickly signed the newcomer to his Musical Freedom label. And while this was the beginning of Mike’s meteoric rise in electronic music, his typically calm demeanor and inherent modesty have always stood out as what set him apart.
"Tiësto gave me so much opportunity and helped me so much with getting in the industry and getting to know people, and we did attract together, and [he] helped me out so much," Mike Williams recalls when asked an act of kindness he has received.
Mike Williams has played at countless international music festivals, including ULTRA, Tomorrowland, Parookaville, World Club Dome, and Mysteryland. He recently dominated Miami Music Week, where he performed on multiple stages, but his comeback in ULTRA was the highlight. “My set is at UMF Radio. I’m going to have a collab coming out with Afrojack. So he invited me to play a stage as well.”
Weeks after teasing the track at Ultra Music Festival’s Jacked Stage, Afrojack and Mike Williams finally dropped their chaotic duet “Alone” on March 31st. The vibrant song begins with a pulverizing groove before its enormous drop, with the tried and true Dirty Dutch leads that have become Afrojack’s trademark.
The DJ has hinted at more surprises this year, so listeners are in for a treat. In defining his success, he said it’s a combination of many things. “I think success is a little bit of luck, a little bit of skill, but also it has to make you happy. Because if it doesn’t make you happy, it can be a success for someone else.”
To learn more about Mike Williams, including how his music taste changed over time, listen to our audio interview with him below:
