Outliers are those who have been given opportunities — and who had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.
— Malcolm Gladwell — Outliers
Technological advancements always drove me forward — new possibilities, new inspiration, fuel to keep making music and pushing into multimedia.
But a musician only exists when there is an audience. By 1997, CD players had become robust and reliable enough for stage use, and I could now burn my own discs. Combined with a Pioneer sponsorship, this opened the door to DJing.
Inspired by the duo LTJ Bukem and MC Conrad, I decided never to perform alone — always flanked by MC Alissa, band member of Cinérex.
I Love Techno 1999
The photos are from I Love Techno in 1999 — that evening I was working double, wearing two hats: DJ-producer on stage, and backstage with the Amphion team, pioneering live audio streaming of the event using RealAudio technology. Not as straightforward as it would seem today.
Equipment
The Pioneer CDJ-500 was central to the setup — one of the first CD players reliable and sturdy enough to trust on stage. Being able to burn custom CDs added a new creative dimension: original productions and edits, played live.
Tools
- Pioneer CDJ-500s