Volume three of the Residents Series leads us to Brussels, Belgium. We are joined this time around by Cœur & Nathan Øye, residents at the well established Brüxsel Jardin events, who had a chat about all sorts with us. They’ve been involved since the start of things back in 2010 and have shared the stage with all sorts of acts, from Christopher Rau to Jan Krueger and Daze Maxim. Their debut EP ‘Last Night’ is set to be released internationally on Monday through Brüxsel Jardin’s freshly started label. In leu of that, we thought it would be an appropriate time to catch up with Bjorn and Jona who have kindly provided us with a fantastic, trippy and thoroughly enjoyable mix. Happy listening…
We like to start it off nice and easy! So, what is it that brought you two together and how did you get involved with Brüxsel Jardin?
Jona: I think the first time we met was at Silo. Bjorn was one of the owners and I was going there regularly because they had very good line ups.
Bjorn: Few years later I moved to Brussels and we ended up in the studio one evening just having fun. Jona had to play a gig in an underground trainstation one night. I came from playing at some other party. When he started his set he asked me if I wanted to play with him. That’s the first time we played b2b.
Jona: That’s also the first time we played ‘Last Night’ 😉
Brüxsel Jardin has gained quite the reputation since its inception a few years ago. What is it about the parities that make them so good and set them apart from the rest?
Jona: We try to organize parties in different locations in Brussels. Locations that haven’t been used before. That way we can surprise the audience not only with the line up but also with the environment. During the summer we’ve been able to throw open air parties on Brussels open space with the best view on the city.
Can you tell us a little bit about your first time playing for them?
Bjorn: As Jona is one of the founders of the parties, he was there before me, but for me – if I can remember well – the first one was at an open air event in 2012, right after an until then still very unknown Recondite.
Jona: Our first event was an open air in 2010. I didn’t play that one as I was too stressed organizing at the time. We had our second event the year after, also an outside edition. I remember I did the warm up set for Âme that day.
Brüxsel Jardin have held parties with some amazing talent, showcasing acts like Christopher Rau, Daze Maxim, Jacques Renault and Jan Krueger. This brings into question the very important role of the warm up set. What is it that makes a good warm up? How does your warm up differ from your headline set? What kind of picture do you like to paint with your sets generally?
Bjorn: A warm up dj sets the tone for the night and should be able to recognise the tipping point, the moment where the audience is ready to let go. But even more important is to be patient to wait for it and guide the audience towards it.
Jona: Like he said the warm up set is the most crucial part of the night. You can tell of a Dj if he pays attention to the crowd or not by the way he plays a warm up set. It’s the most difficult task, but it’s also the most fun. Being able to take the people where you want them to be at the point you want them to be there. It’s hard work and when you do it right it’s a magical moment.
Is there any resident DJ in particular that really impresses you? Why?
Jona: I think we both agree on Deg (Fuse).
Bjorn: He most definetly the most underestimated one. You can fit him in any slot of the night and you can hear him 20 times and always hear something different.
What are your thoughts on the electronic music scene in Brussels? Is it growing and where do you see it going?
Jona: I think the passed few years there are some interesting concepts placing their signature on the scene. Although we have few good clubs left. There are some promoters out there willing to make the scene grow. It’s just really hard to find a proper venue these days in Brussels. That’s a big problem for all of us promoters out here. But we’re working on it.
Bjorn: Club wise there have been better days that’s for sure. I think about the golden Techno years back in the late 90’s and early 00’s. Government doesn’t make it easier for us to organize events either.
Where is your dream place to play? Is it a venue, a party or a festival?
Jona: When the magic happens it doesn’t matter where you play, but I have to say and I know it may sound cliché, but I would be the happiest man if I played at Panorama one day.
What kind of artists or labels are really doing it for you you at the moment? Who regularly features in your sets and is there anyone we should be looking out for?
Bjorn: This is a fun question, which shows the difference in taste between us. Somehow it works well when we’re in the studio and when we play together, but when we play separately it’s totally different. We seem to balance out each others extremes.
Jona: Sleep Is Commercial has been one of my fav labels for years. I play sic tracks in almost every set. Giegling of course and Amphia from Romania.
Bjorn: I’ve been a big fan of Innervisions for years. I think Lossless is one to keep an eye on for sure and I think that Sandrino & Frankey are doing a great job at the moment. There’s good stuff coming from them in the following months.
You’ve kindly provided us with a mix of yours. Can you tell us a little bit about it and what you’ve tried to achieve with it?
Bjorn: It was one of the first sunny almost spring days in Brussels and exactly those moments made me fall in love with the city. We decided to gear up in my living room and play some of the recent tracks we like the most. If we could project that early spring feeling to our listeners, with a nostalgic connection to last summers open air parties, I would say we succeed.
You’re releasing your new EP ‘Last Night’ on Brüxsel Jardin’s label, a debut for both parties! Can you tell us a little about how it came together? Can we expect more from you guys in the coming months?
Jona: We started the label to focus on releasing artists from the scene in Brussels. And since we’ve spent all the time working in the studio together and that ‘Last Night’ was working pretty well in the clubs we decided to make it our first release.
Bjorn: We’re currently finishing a track with Walden – a poet/artist from Brussels. It’ll be released later this year.
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/musiqueducoeur || https://soundcloud.com/nathanoye
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djCoeur || https://www.facebook.com/nathanoyeofficial
Brüxsel Jardin: https://www.facebook.com/BruxselJardin