If you’ve ever had a passion, but didn’t follow through with it, DJ Fountain is a perfect example that you can make anything happen, if only you really try!
Fountain: Hi Lisa
Lisa: Hey! I’m just listening to your set for the first time now… I love the btb intro, it’s the first time we’ve had anything like that. I think they all should now.
Fountain: Yeah, I asked Gregor if he had any samples, he didn’t so he asked me to make one…it’s my own voice, haha.
Lisa: Ah, nice very personal.
Fountain: Maybe in the future you can call it ‘bringthebeats - In Demand’
Lisa: Yes that would be good, establishing a brand that will hopefully be recognized.
Fountain: That’s it.
Fountain Inc.
Lisa: You’re in marketing right?
Fountain: My study was about marketing and economics.
Lisa: Is that what your job entails?
Fountain: No not really. Producing, DJing and I just started a new agency, but it’s always good to have a background like that because you can take advantage of it in many ways.
Lisa: For sure. So you are doing this full time?
Fountain: Full time with music related business, yes.
Lisa: So when did you start DJing full time?
Fountain: I’ve been DJing for many years now, but it became more and more professional during my studies. It was then for the first time, that I really decided to go on in the music business. My passion had always been there, but I hadn’t yet made the decision to totally commit myself to music.
Lisa: Tell me more about the agency?
Fountain: The agency is called ‘Epiqurus.’ You can have a look at it on www.epiqurus.com. We started it after a couple of years of research and thinking about it. Our main goal is to do bookings for DJs who are already producing their own tracks. For instance, we represent Ricky Ryan for Europe and Eelke Kleijn, a Dutch DJ / producer who just had his album released on Global Underground.
Lisa: How do you scout talent?
Fountain: Well, I have different ways of doing that. First of all, I am a DJ myself, so I’m always looking for new music. By searching and finding new tunes, I always look at which label it is on and who produced it or made the remix. If I am interested, I always send an email or go to their MySpace for contact. Second of all, I have a very close relationship with a label pool. They also search for new musicians and I am one of the first they’ll tell when there is someone to look out for.
Lisa: So you must spend all day on the computer?
Fountain: Well indeed, a lot goes through the internet and computer, but because I have done this now for a couple years now, I have some people who help me with everything from searching / filtering music to tips about tracks / producers / DJs.
Lisa: How do you spend most of your days?
Fountain: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday I am at the agency (the office is in the center of Amsterdam). Wednesday and Friday I’m at my home studio listening and producing. The weekday evenings are spent mostly listening to new music or producing and in the weekends I mostly play or look for some events with cool DJs.
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Lisa: Great track at 24min… love the guitar intro.
Fountain: Ya, it gives a good vibe there. The first track gives a direction to the set and starts off with a cool vocal sample, don’t you think?
Lisa: Yes for sure. I love a nice intro; it totally sets the pace for the mix. I like to be lead somewhere and not just thrown right into banging. Woops! That kinda sounded dirty!
Fountain: LOL! That track will be released November 12th. Hernan Cattaneo told us it is one of the best tracks he had heard for a long, long time. It is not something he’ll play during his sets, but at home definitely.
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DJ Fountain
Lisa: Do you have a residency anywhere?
Fountain: Next month (November 17) I will be starting a new residency for a club night called Club Amsterdam. It is at a well known club here in Amsterdam called Hotel Arena. I host the event with two other guys and I am responsible for one room where I am the resident and I invite other DJ’s. The other room is more the groovy/funky part of house with live musicians. The first edition is with Terry Toner, a Dutch DJ who has his own company called Electronation.
Lisa: Cool, who are you going to have play with you?
Fountain: It is funny; I just sent an email to Cobblestone Jazz from Canada that I am interested in playing with them (for 2008). I was wondering if they have any plans to come to Europe. They do a mix of techno and jazz, but really smooth, funky and deep. It is easy listening music, also for at home but I think they will rock the place as well.
Lisa: What is the nightlife like in Amsterdam compared to other places you have been?
Fountain: Every week there are international DJ’s to be seen. There are a lot of clubs, but most of them are in it for the money. They book DJ’s of which they know a lot of people will come and go out to their club. Mostly these are Dutch DJ’s who are only “local Heroes” if you know what I mean?
Lisa: Oh course, that’s very true about Tokyo as well.
Fountain: But sometimes it’s really great. Last week it was Amsterdam Dance Event (like Miami Winter Conference) and about 700 DJs were here with 72.000 visitors from Thursday - Saturday visiting clubs.
Lisa: How would you compare it to WMC?
Fountain: WMC is more about visiting events and the best DJ’s worldwide are playing there. In Amsterdam this year only Paul van Dyk, Armin van Buuren and David Guetta were the “huge names” to play. The Amsterdam Dance Event it is more about doing business. In Miami you really have to plan appointments, while here during the conference (daytime) everybody is about the business and in the evening visiting events.
Lisa: I guess WMC has been around longer so it attracks the big names. Do you think Amsterdam’s could become like that in the future?
Fountain: Absolutely, I think Amsterdam Dance Event had their best year this year and everybody went home with new business, new contacts, new influences, etc. If the DJs who weren’t here this year hear this, they get interested.
Lisa: Did you play at any of the events?
Fountain: Well, we planned to do two events this year but because Eelke Kleijn’s Global Underground release was not in December but in October we had to work really, really hard to start the new agency. We had to start it earlier and therefore decided to work for the agency this year and do the events next year. Next year two or three of them will be up and running, so we will definitely plan them during the Amsterdam Dance Event next year.
Lisa: So Eelke Kleijn’s release correlated to the release of your agency?
Fountain: Yes, bookings for him are coming in from Brazil to Moscow. We might also do an event at the WMC next year.
Chef Fountain
Lisa: What was your favorite Dutch food growing up?
Fountain: I’ve always been interested in Asian food so that is what I like most. As for Dutch food, I really like “kroket.” Its fried beef with a crispy crust and you eat it with mustard.
Lisa: Sounds good.
Fountain: I love to cook; it is one of my passions as well. I just bought my first apartment this summer and it is next to a well known Dutch market, so I get fresh food every day.
Lisa: What do you like to cook?
Fountain: I like to cook Italian, Asian and small dishes (sort of tapas) but always with exciting new flavours. Last week for instance, we tried something with Lamb racks and a honey/oil/mint sauce, it was great!
Lisa: Wow, sounds nice.
Fountain: I think passions are the best things a human being could have: if you are passionate in what you do it will always be received that way. You can fill this in for anything: music, cooking etc. That is why I called the new agency ‘Epiqurus,’ he is an ancient Greek Philosopher who tried to find the highest amount of pleasure in life without being influenced by people with a negative/sad opinion.
Lisa: That’s a great attitude to have in life. I think too many people focus on what they don’t want instead of looking to what they really do want… the law of attraction I guess.
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Lisa: Ahhh, I love this track…so euphoric.
Fountain: Is it the final track you are listening to?
Lisa: Yes.
Fountain: For me it has the perfect groove of sending people home / finishing a set.
Lisa: What was your inspiration for this mix?
Fountain: New tracks that I have been listening to lately that inspire me to play and hand out to listeners. It’s variety of what I play, like and use while spinning in clubs. A mix of real instruments used in the music combined with cool computerized sounds. They all melt together for a flow like the set has become. I always (also when I have to play) take the time to search for a good intro/opening track and a final track. The final track is sometimes in my mind before I start, but sometimes I get inspired by the audience.
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Fountain Insight
Lisa: Holland is well known for producing big trance DJs such as AVB and Ferry Corsten. Is trance still a big part of the scene there?
Fountain: Funny you ask. These guys are still globally spoken (Armin has been voted #1 this year in DJ Mag) but over here, there are not that many trance events. If there are, they are huge (10,000 people) and a couple of times a year, but in clubs no Trance is played. I know some Dutch producers had a tough time becoming internationally respected because a couple of years ago everyone outside of the Netherlands and especially US thought we could only produce trance music.
Lisa: I find each city has its big draw. Like in NYC it’s minimal. In Tokyo is dark techno. What would you say it is in Amsterdam?
Fountain: Minimal, Electro & Eclectic (a variety of songs and styles with really fast mixes).
Lisa: I find the style I like (that you play), is hard to come by here. No one ever knows the DJs I like here in Tokyo.
Fountain: Well that is a huge compliment for me because I always try to play music that is not known but will keep the audience on the floor with peak time moments and parts of rest. I try to play tracks that aren’t well known… I don’t mean that you don’t know all the tracks. Sometimes there is one that is recognizable, people like that. I like to see when people enjoy hearing a track they really, really like, without it being a commercial hit or something like that.
Lisa: I love to hear what I don’t know. If I know all the tracks it can take the excitement out of it. I rely on the DJs to introduce me to new stuff
Fountain: With the new agency we will try to get DJs with this vision to be more respected and show promoters it is possible to let them play at festivals or more commercial events. I think Ricky Ryan is a good example of this type of DJ.
Lisa: When most foreigners think of Amsterdam they think of the weed cafes. Is this something that you and your friends took advantage of growing up or was it just a novelty for tourists?
Fountain: The Netherlands decided during the late 70′ies/begin 80′ies to have a policy in which you are free to use soft drugs like weed and hash. This means that it is your own decision to try it and if you like it, do it more often, and if you don’t like it, then don’t do it. I think this policy works because people will do it anyway and anyhow. If it is illegal, the government can’t guarantee anything and bad quality will be sold more often. When it is legal, no shitty things will be sold because next time you won’t buy it at that shop/dealer. So to answer your question, of course we tried using hash and weed at an earlier age but we knew for many years what it does to you and now we know when or how to use it without getting addicted. That sounds heavy, what I mean is… we do it for fun.
Lisa: I have never been to Amsterdam. If I were to make the trip, what are the top 3 places you would recommend?
Fountain: Paradiso for a nightclub. I have been living across the street of this venue for three years. It is a really ancient place where huge artists have performed, from Nirvana during their early days to Jeff Mills. Cafe Loetje is a restaurant I would suggest; the best steaks in Holland (even if you don’t like beef) and the ambience is 100% Amsterdam. And Museumplein; this is a huge square with grass and a beautiful city view. You can see the ancient buildings of the concert building and two beautiful Musea. During summertime people are always chilling on the grass there.
Jerone Fontein
Lisa: Where does the name Fountain come from?
Fountain: My last name is Fontein, Dutch for Fountain.
Lisa: Do you have a favourite quote?
Fountain: Favourite quote… I love honest and sincere people and in Dutch we have a quote that says “honesty lasts forever”. As well in love, work and friendship this keeps me going. You know what I mean??
Lisa: For sure! I think you have to be honest to yourself and others to be really happy.
Fountain: Besides, I think it is too difficult to tell lies (I can’t anyhow) and remember what you said to who.
Lisa: What kind of mischievous stuff did you do in school?
Fountain: We would hit the teacher or students with small pieces of paper –> make it wet in your mouth and shoot it through empty pencils. Also we did it to other classmates who were really interested in what the teacher was saying… and then pang!!! Scared the shit out of them!!
Lisa: Which charities do you support?
Fountain: I am donating to World Wide Fund for nature and when the Tsunami was in Thailand I immediately donated money. I can’t forget that I play a couple of times a year for charity events. Last year I played for free for World AIDS Day and this year I played for Monkey Business, to save the Orangutans.
Lisa: Ah that’s amazing. I’m glad to hear you support such causes. I support charities for endangered animals.
Fountain: At last years elections here in the Netherlands, for the first time in history we have a minister of animals in the government!
Lisa: Oh wow! I don’t think they have that in other countries but they should.
Fountain: As a democracy the people of our country voted for that. I like it.
Lisa: So what is on your agenda today?
Fountain: Now have to do some emails and contracts and this afternoon I go to The Hague where I have an appointment with DJ / producer Medway (USA) and my partner Roger.
Lisa: I have heard of The Hague. I’ve listened to some sets recorded there.
Fountain: Sander Kleinenberg, Remy, John Digweed and Jimmy van M have all played there. It is where our government is.
Lisa: Ah really, is that why they are all so liberal?
Fountain: LOL!
