rickyleepotts on Getting Crunk With Showtek

Every time I turn around, a new DJ is there to impress me with uplifting and progressive beats. It seems every DJ I hear has massive hits and is on an impressive tour promoting new releases. It also seems the days of a single DJ on the decks is a thing of the past. Look at names like Tritonal, Candyland and Super8 & Tab.

I had the pleasure of meeting another dynamic duo who is preparing for Miami later this month, and will leave Miami to invade Scottsdale. “Miami will be pretty hectic. We have nine shows going on and a lot of meetings with artists, label owners, promoters you name it. That’s what the Winter Music Conference is all about… and of course all the hot girls!”

Showtek is on fire right now, and looking at their WMC schedule, you can see just how busy these two Dutch DJs truly are. Another cool concept they are bringing to Miami is the Showtek & Friends party. “One of the cooler parties is our own Showtek & Friends party at the CLEVELANDER , a pool party on South Beach. We invited some friends like the Bassjackers, R3HAB , and more.” I have partied on South Beach, and getting names like that to perform during WMC on South Beach is a party you can’t afford to miss.

Hardwell & Showtek – How We Do [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

After Showtek leaves Miami, they are headed to Scottsdale to invade Wild Knight. I asked the guys if they are excited about being in the Valley of the Sun.”Hell yeah! We have played in Phoenix before, and it has never disappointed us. (Laughs.) The crowd has always been very enthusiastic and they know all our songs!”

Buy Tickets: Showtek @ GIANT Wednesday / Wild Knight – March 27, 2013

Showtek has produced tracks like “How We Do”, “The F Track”, and “Music On My Mind”, so it doesn’t surprise me that everyone knows the lyrics. “We are definitely looking forward to this show. Let the party begin!” I hope you like “How We Do” because they drop that in every set. “We need to. People want to hear that song over and over again.”

Coming to the Valley

Showtek has been to the Valley a few times, but we are really excited to see them at Wild Knight. Wild Knight is one of my favorite clubs in the Valley, and you can bet Showtek will be filling that club with their epic sound. Showtek has been a lot of fun to work with, but I was curious to hear their experience working with Relentless Beats. “To be honest, and this is what the Dutch are known for; we aren’t that familiar with the process… yet. This is our first time working with [the website]. We are Relentless Beats virgins! The website is great, and has a wide range of EDM. We can’t thank you enough for supporting us!” This is the first time Showtek has worked with Relentless Beats Industry, but I bet it won’t be the last.

Identity Festival – Tour

When Showtek lands, they will be filling Wild Knight with what I like to call “big room” beats. It’s the sound that you expect from a festival, filling the room and your body with hard style dance music. I wanted to know if Showtek prefers playing festivals or if they like smaller club shows. “That is a hard question. That is like asking if we prefer blondes or brunettes. They can both be hot, it just depends what kind of mood you are in! (Laughs.) But seriously; we have a big sound and our performance really fits the big festival stages. So we love doing festivals with big crowds with that vibe and seeing thousands of people jumping on our music gives a big kick!”

They are playing a lot of those festivals this year, but they also have a wide range oif shows in smaller clubs. “Nevertheless, nothing beats the vibe that a small intimate club can provide, with the crowd going crazy. As an artist, you are really close to your fans, which is amazing cause it’s like a private party and they are really into it!” Close to the fans is exactly what Showtek will be at Wild Knight.

All in the Family

These two have been producing since 2001, and are associated with some major names like Tiësto, Hardwell, and Justin Prime. I am always curious where an act like this gets started, but with Showtek, it’s pretty easy to figure out. Wouter and Sjoerd are brothers.

“Somewhere back in 1999 we started producing crunchy techno, that’s where the TEK comes from in Showtek. We both loved music when we were kids, Wouter playing piano and I was editing audio and making remixes of exciting tracks.” Sjoerd explained. “So when we got together one day to make some music, we had so much fun doing it we discovered a new hobby.

Showtek – Slow Down [Preview Webster Hall]

“Our parents divorced like fifteen years ago, so probably this was a way for us to express ourselves. Wouter stopped school and I skipped so many classes to make music. We put all our time into it; besides sports this was our biggest passion. And don’t forget, electronic dance music has been big since the 90’s [in NL] so we grew up with this stuff. When we went out with our friends, electronic dance music was the biggest thing. We were hooked at a young age. That’s how we started!”

In the time Showtek has been together, they have produced a lot of tracks. From original stuff to the random remix, they are always busy. Having produced so many tracks, I often wonder if it is possible for a DJ to pick a favorite. “I would say “Cannonball” has been the most successful track to date. We are in the TOP 40 charts for already 12 weeks now in the Netherlands, we are also in Belgium on number 5 and we just entered the France charts. We also signed the track to other countries so more success to follow with this song.”

“Cannonball” is an intense track compared to the trance they have been producing, but they have changed their sound a few times over the years. From hard style to techno and house (yes, there is a difference), Showtek is always evolving and trying to push the limit when it comes to their sound. “We used to play a bit harder but now a days we have a more mainstream sound.” That mainstream sound is their best yet, in my opinion, and is part of the reason they are seeing so much success stateside.

Crowded Energy Up There

Watching guys like Tritonal, I wonder where all that energy comes from. You see Chad dancing around like he’s all hopped up on Red Bull, and it really helps the crowd get excited about the set. Showtek is like that too, keeping the energy going all night long. You would think having two up there would get crowded, let alone when fans get in the DJ booth. “We HATE it when people do that! We recently played in Palermo (Sicily) and there were some fans in the booth. We told them to get out because the club didn’t book them, but the two girls dancing were allowed to stay. They were just too hot! Afterwards we found out they where 16!”

Showtek @ Stereo Live – Houston [Aftermovie]

Keep that in mind the next time you see Showtek… stay out of the DJ booth! If you can’t make it to a live performance, you can still enjoy their show from home. Energy is a newer concept for them, where they are live streaming their show for the world to see. Live streaming video is hot right now, and they are on the leading edge of this revolutionary technology. “Energy was amazing; a lot of people came to see us. We didn’t play in Holland for a while on purpose to drive attention to that show. Holland is home for us, and we played here every weekend for years.”

Showtek & Justin Prime – Cannonball [TEASER]

When Showtek was in Holland, they had a much harder sound than they do now. “When that genre became harder and harder we thought it was time for something new and we disappeared for a while, so we could strike back with a song like “Cannonball”. You should have seen the crowd on Energy when we dropped that track!” Look for more live streamed shows from Showtek in the coming months as they continue to explore that technology.

Collaboration Providing Inspiration

Showtek is out there producing a lot of great work, but they seem to collaborate quite a bit. They are working with some of the biggest names in dance music, having collaborated with names like Tiësto and Hardwell. When an artist collaborates, I wonder where that begins and if there is ever any competition between another DJ. “Love and hate are pretty close We are all assholes because we all want to have the best set times and we all want our name on top of the flyer. In that regard, there is always a competition.”

“In our experience, everybody gets along. In the end you all share the same passion so there’s always a connection. We couldn’t mention one name we hate in this scene.” That is the beauty of electronic dance music. Everyone seems to get along.

Showtek @ Horden Pavilion Sydney 2012

“But to be honest we have a lot of good friends in the EDM scene, not like we call each other every day but for example in Miami we meet with all of our those guys, which is pretty cool.”

Last year, while in Miami, Showtek connected with Ralph and Marlon from the Bassjackers. They met last year, have since collaborated on some tracks, and are playing together this year during the WMC. Both. “We met Ralph and Marlon in Miami. We talked about music, went to some parties together and decided to go in the studio. That’s how it goes.”

Seems pretty easy. It was that easy when working with Hardwell, too. “With [Hardwell], we told him we had a song idea which would fit his style. He said, “My ears are wide-open so send me that song.” When we send him that melody he went nuts thru the phone and he immediately came to the studio to produce the song together.”

Staying Connected Online

Showtek understands building a brand online. They have a good looking website, are all over Facebook and Twitter, and have the Showtek Access All Area app. “The app is a page on our website where fans can subscribe to get more extras like previews, guest list access, free tickets… you name it! As a “real” Showtek fan you can get a bit more than a “regular” Showtek fan. It’s like a platinum card!”

Showtek presents Baldy & Cresty

They are also all over social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. They are also creating a ton of video content they are sharing on YouTube and are one of the biggest names using Google+, a new and insanely popular social network powered by Google. “We have a guy helping us out. His name is Wessel and he does all the shit work! He does everything we don’t have time for.” With as busy as these two guys are, Wessel stays busy.

“We do our own radio shows, but he makes the tracklists and puts it online. He keeps in touch with our PR company (who provides interviews, contacts with local radio/TV time) and he filters the crap out of it. He does a lot, but we actually manage the Twitter and Facebook page.” They are also very accessible on Twitter and Facebook.

Showtek is successful not because of the music they are producing, but because of the team they have surroinding them. It takes an army to build a successful brand. “Don’t forget we have a manager, who plans a meeting twice a week to brainstorm and talk about stuff.  Oh yeah, we also have an Internet guys who builds the website, does show video work and all that. In the office we also have a girl doing all the flight, hotels booking our travel arrangements! It’s not just music, there is a business that’s needs to be managed.”

What’s next for Showtek? Well, Miami is a pretty big focus for them right now. When talking about Miami, these guys just light up. “Right now we are working on all the party songs. We are also working on a big vocal track, which is still party minded but with a different approach. For the rest, we are just getting started!”

“We are really looking forward to Miami and coming back to Scottsdale. Let’ get this party started.”

Learn more about Showtek. Buy Tickets for Showtek @ GIANT Wednesday on March 27, 2013 at Wild Knight.

Connect with Showtek:
Website: http://www.showtek.nl/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/showtekofficial
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/showtekmusic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/showteknl