Electronic dance music in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has long been a meeting point of subcultures, and its club scene is no exception. When the transatlantic influence of house and techno merged with Eurodance, the Dutch EDM scene took off. The Netherlands has produced many globally renowned artists in the last 25 years, including Armin van Buuren, Tiësto, and Hardwell.
In this article, we’ll take a look at how Dutch electronic music has soundtracked the modern generation from the pool parties of Ibiza to the night clubs of Amsterdam.
Dutch EDM in the New Millennium
After rave music peaked in the ‘90s, there was a moment of uncertainty in the new millennium, as millions of ravers wondered whether the days of darkened clubs and three-day long festival raves were waning. But anyone who looked at the Dutch music scene during this time would have seen, clear as a post-all-nighter sunrise, that the party was far from over.
In the Netherlands, DJs and producers who’d been entranced by the rise of rave culture came through to stake their claim on the scene, and many of them quickly gained international attention. Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Fedde Le Grand, and Ferry Corsten emerged just when it seemed that dance music was entering a quieter period.
Preceding these artists was a group of Dutch acts who revelled in Eurodance, dance-pop, and ironic EDM, and whose songs still pump out of club speakers today. Among the biggest Dutch tracks of the ‘90s were 2 Unlimited’s No Limit and the Vengaboys’ Boom, boom, boom, boom! While certain music critics have dismissed many of the songs from this era for being overly kitsch, it’s fair to say they reflected a common mindset among Dutch electronic artists that no matter what music they were making, they simply wanted to have a good time and keep the party going.
From this, you could also argue that EDM subgenres like hardstyle, trance, and gabber/hardcore, all of which partly originated in the Netherlands, reflected a mindset of Dutch artists who were refusing to let the excitement fade away. Within all of these subgenres, it felt like the faster beats, the crazier samples, and the more urgent kickdrums and synths, were all geared towards a newer, post-millennium audience who didn’t want to miss out on what the previous generation had experienced in the ‘90s.
This is perhaps why many of the most intensive EDM artists, like Showtek and Hardwell, are considered luminaires, filling up stadiums and driving crowds to a frenzy everywhere from Tokyo to Montreal.
Put Your Hands Up For…
The most iconic figure to come out of the Dutch EDM scene is Tiësto. Voted ‘The Greatest DJ of All Time’ by Mix Magazine, his reputation is well earned. Emerging in the late ’90s, he dominated the 2000s and early 2010s with his unique blend of trance, house, and ambient music, setting new standards for live DJs and music producers worldwide.
Tiësto’s music is expansive and uplifting, and appeals to a broad dance-loving audience. He is one of the electronic artists who transformed DJing from a small club act to a festival headlining spectacle.
Tiësto wasn’t the only pioneering artist from the Netherlands. Armin van Buuren, Afrojack, and Fedde Le Grand took off during the latter half of the 2000s, releasing some of the biggest tracks of the last twenty years. What made their music so memorable was that their songs were catchy pop tunes, as well as being good club anthems. In relatively small Dutch cities like Breda and Utrecht, DJs were making songs that wouldn’t feel out-of-place on mainstream pop radio stations all over the world, as well as on DJ playlists.
Awakenings: The Era of the Global Dance Music Festival
To meet the demand for dance music, major festivals have taken off in the last 20 years, with the Netherlands leading the way. Amsterdam Dance Event is one of the biggest festivals on the European music calendar, and it attracts over 400,000 people every year, across a whole range of events.
Elsewhere, Mysteryland is perhaps the biggest EDM weekender in the Netherlands, pushing the boundaries not just in terms of music, but also with stage design, pyrotechnics, and audio-visual elements. On top of that, Awakenings Festival (taking place near Amsterdam) has charted the course of Dutch and international EDM since it was founded in 1997
For those who want to explore EDM but can’t do the big weekender anymore (or for those who simply want to learn more about the history and culture), Amsterdam’s Our House EDM Museum offers amazing insight into the key moments, the primary artists, and the dance revolution which turned the Dutch scene into a global phenomenon.
While we’ve come a long way since Tiësto and his contemporaries laid the groundwork for Dutch dance music, it’s fair to say that the genre remains a powerful force. Artists like Luminary have an enduring appeal, with tracks like Amsterdam getting rediscovered, remixed, and re-loved by longtime fans.
