Amsterdam-based DJ/producer and label owner Luuk van Dijk’s 2022 debut album ‘First Contact’ signalled the arrival of his largest body of work to date, building on the early promise and success of material on labels such as Hot Creations, Cuttin’ Headz, Solid Grooves, Eastenderz and his own Dark Side Of The Sun imprint to reveal a mature and kaleidoscopic overview of his ever-evolving sound via thirteen excellently crafted tracks.

Gaining plaudits from across the electronic world while also paving the way for new projects and ideas, the LP showcased the result of the bubbling Dutch talent’s years of work in the studio and behind the scenes as one of the hottest new names to emerge from Amsterdam’s rich house landscape.

Now approaching six months on from its release, the Dark Side Of The Sun boss flexes his A&R prowess and knowledge as he revisits the long-player, inviting a selection of close friends and long-admired colleagues to provide their own takes and interpretations on selected tracks from the project – with six remixes scheduled to drop in three parts across summer. Volume 1 sees van Dijk enlist UK house royalty Dusky and fellow Dutch favourite Elias Mazian, with their remixes scheduled to land on 19th May, before turning to Midnight Parade label head Jaden Thompson and Los Angeles’ minimal-leaning wizard Liquid Earth for the second instalment on 16th June – with two further unannounced remixes to be revealed in the coming months.

“If you ask someone to remix your work, the coolest thing is to see how other artists use the elements you created and made. And with these remixers, I knew I would get something back that would be totally different. They all knocked it out of the park.” – Luuk van Dijk.

Opening Volume 1, Dusky’s take on ‘Love You’ is a vibrant and lively vocal-led anthem made for big summer moments, utilising the original vocals and introducing a bubbling and warm bassline to the mix. “Dusky have been a major influence ever since I started playing the music I play today, and their classic UK sound was right up my alley. To have them remix ‘Love You’ is a real honour, and having them make a smashing clubby house track of it makes me super happy!”

Next, Elias Mazian draws on his wide-reaching and versatile sound palette to deliver a captivating version of ‘Return Of The Gobble’, fusing slow-blooming melodies with rich organic percussion for a sumptuous slice of house music. “I’m very happy to have one of Amsterdam’s most versatile and interesting artists remix ‘Return Of The Gobble’. When coming up with the idea to make a remix pack, I immediately thought Elias was the guy I wanted to represent what Dutch music culture has to offer.”

The second instalment welcomes contributions from both sides of the Atlantic, as styles from London and Los Angeles join. Jaden Thompson’s remix of ‘Wolf’ is a typically slick and sharp effort, harnessing the vocals and bringing a no-nonsense groove to proceedings to deliver a remix set to lock crowds in a groove. “Jaden has been a friend of mine for some years now, and sharing the stage with him always is a pleasure. He made a very interesting remix of ‘Wolf’, and hearing the vocals on a stomping beat like this works like a charm.”

Wrapping things up, Liquid Earth journeys down a funk-fuelled pathway as he gives ‘Master Plug’ a fresh lease of life, combining crisp percussion arrangements with resonant bass licks and spiralling acid-tinged leads effortlessly. “I’ve been following Liquid Earth for some years now and rinsing everything that he has released. He set a really different tone with his remix of “Master Plug” and made something very special of it.”

Luuk Van Dijk’s ‘First Contact Remixed’ Vol. 1 featuring Dusky and Elias Mazian drops via Dark Side Of The Sun on 19th May 2023, with Vol. 2 featuring remixes from Jaden Thompson and Liquid Earth set for release on 16th June 2023.

You can now listen to the full premiere of Dusky’s remix exclusively on When We Dip. Enjoy!

Release Date: May 19th, 2023. Buy Here

Dusky: Facebook // SoundCloud
Luuk Van Dijk: Facebook // SoundCloud
Dark Side Of The Moon: Facebook // SoundCloud