A prominent and consistent figure in Amsterdam’s trailblazing music scene, Dutch producer Olivier Weiter delivers his first original release of 2024 in the shape of Borgo on Soul Button’s label Steyoyoke.
Following the success of his singles Lau and Diversum, Olivier makes his highly-anticipated return to the imprint. A quintessential creation, Borgo is a musical homage to the stunning landscapes and rich cultural tapestry of Tuscany, Italy. Reflecting emotions and memories from his childhood, the cut showcases his deep personal connection to this enchanting region.
Entering a sublime soundscape, the original masterfully weaves melodic rhythms with subtle electronic beats, capturing the peaceful and alluring essence of Tuscany. Complete with a striking remix, French producer Clawz SG takes the record to a dancefloor dimension, infusing his deep approach to emphatic effect.
Celebrating another decade of Olivier Weiter, his iconic WEITER concept is set to take over legendary warehouse venue The Other Side Amsterdam on April 6, 2024, in collaboration with komm schon Alter. Promising an extended 10-hour set, this event will take fans from the day into the night, in true WEITER fashion. Tickets are on sale now here.
Inspired by Amsterdam’s iconic GZG underground parties, clubbing experiences in Berlin and endless after hours in his former bar27 basement, Olivier Weiter has become an integral part of the Dutch house and techno scene. His ability to take people on an immersive musical journey has been proven time and time again, with countless all day & night gigs at Thuishaven and De Marktkantine, boundless marathon sets at clubs like Wilde Renate, Katerblau & Sysiphos, as well as his renowned WEITER shows at Paradiso Amsterdam.
Olivier’s catalogue includes releases on some of the world’s most prominent imprints, including Stil vor Talent, Einusika, Parquet Recordings and Steyoyoke. Following his successful events at Paradiso Amsterdam, Olivier launched his WEITER label in 2015, which has become a musical base for his self-released originals and remixes, as well as other leading names in dance music. Expanding his WEITER brand, Olivier announced the launch of his own vodka brand, Weiter Wodka – the drink that captures the pulse of the underground and the rhythm of the night. Remaining true to his artistic foundations, his authentic and dedicated approach to production and performing is what keeps him at the forefront of electronic music year after year.
You can now listen to the full premiere of ‘Borgo’ exclusively on When We Dip. Enjoy!
WWD: Hello Olivier, welcome to When We Dip!
Thank you for the invitation!
WWD: ‘Borgo’ is described as a musical homage to Tuscany, Italy, reflecting your childhood memories and emotions tied to the region. Can you share more about the inspiration behind this track and how your personal connection to Tuscany influenced its creation?
Before I made ‘Borgo’, I was visiting my parents and checking some old-school photo albums. When I saw myself as a kid, a happy kid – running around with my brothers in the beautiful landscape of Tuscany – I felt this happy no nonsense child moment, which I later used as my inspiration for the track. During the process I often opened these photo albums of our Tuscany family holidays – and so came my recent EP ‘Tuscan’ to life – (released on Perspectives Digital in December) and this track ‘Borgo’ which will be released Feb 3 on Steyoyoke.
WWD: The remix of ‘Borgo’ by French producer Clawz SG takes the original to a dancefloor dimension. How did this collaboration come about?
My friend Chris (Soul button) who owns the Steyoyoke label came up with the idea to remix the track by one of his artists on the label. Since I’m a big fan of basically all of them, and especially Clawz SG his remixes, it was a no-brainer for me. Very happy with the result!
WWD: Your recently announced event at The Other Side Amsterdam promises an extended 10-hour set. What can fans expect from this event?
This year, on April 6 – we are celebrating another decade of WEITER with a 10-hour matinee set. I’m going back to where it all began for me – an experience that pays homage to the warehouse parties that defined the start of my DJ career.
I will take you on a journey through my extensive record collection and musical legacy. It’s going to be a one-of-a-kind marathon session from day to night – back to the roots – warehouse vibes combined with the look and feel of all the shows that shaped my DJ career.
Think about events such as Timewarp, GZG, Shoeless, Cocoon, Berlin clubs, and German festivals like Love Family Park and Blauer See. But then shaped into a 1000 people arena. Also, the aspect of day into night will be important – we will start at 4 o’clock in the afternoon and slowly move into the night and the darkness.
WWD: How do you approach creating a seamless 10-hour musical journey for the audience?
Usually, I sort my playlist into chapters. Each chapter has around 2 hours of music, so in this case, it will be 5 chapters, divided into different intensity levels. I can easily switch between intensity levels, because 10 hrs will give you the freedom to do so. I love to move over to my first chapter halfway during a 10HR set. Just to start all over again with tracks that I would normally play during early timeslots.
But, for this journey I also want to focus a bit more on the music that has shaped me during my whole career instead of only playing the “new stuff”. I really want to give the crowd an insight of my whole record collection that I build up since I bought my first vinyls – so at the moment it’s mostly digitalizing my vinyl collection 😉
WWD: How has your background and your experiences shaped your musical style and approach to live performances?
I started raving when I was around 15 years old – and never stopped. The dancefloor was and still is my number one inspiration. I’ve experienced so many beautiful moments in clubs, during 48 hr marathon raves – festivals – underground and “upperground” parties – it shaped me as a DJ – all those countless hours on the dancefloor – feeling the music – connecting with the crowd. That’s what is most important for me. Also, the whole Woodstock 69’ legacy has inspired me a lot. That was the music I heard from my parents, the Woodstock 69 video tape was playing 24/7 , next to my Michael Jackson videos. I think that certainly shaped my live performance in a way.
WWD: Your WEITER concept, inspired by Amsterdam’s GZG underground parties, has become a hallmark of your career. How do you envision the evolution of WEITER?
I started with WEITER as a “one man show” party because at that time I really missed those DJ sets where you could play for several hours long, without having to think of the DJ after or before you. At that time, the all night concept was pretty much gone in Amsterdam. So I thought, fuck it – let’s do a one man show, combined with extravaganza acts, show elements etc in the pop temple of Amsterdam which is Paradiso. That’s how the concept started.
After a period of time, it became more of a musical platform. I had the opportunity to give upcoming DJs and producers a platform for their music with the WEITER label – and also with stage hostings at festivals – an opportunity to do live shows.
Now, a decade after the last WEITER show – I’m happy to announce that I’m back with a 10HR WEITER rave 🙂 it has been too long!
WWD: In addition to your successful career as a producer and DJ, you’ve ventured into the world of entrepreneurship with the launch of Weiter Wodka. Can you share more about the concept?
Besides being a music freak, I’m also a big fan of food & drinks. My go-to drink is wodka – and I always had a dream to once make my own wodka.
With the ‘WEITER Wodka’ I want to combine the nightlife with the wodka spirit – it’s made from 100% potato, and has a very silky, smooth aftertaste. Something that I was missing in the “standard” wodka brands. I’m very happy with the result – we start the production in March 24. More info here
WWD: You also released ‘Diversum’ on Steyoyoke. Can you talk a little bit about this release?
Actually, it’s a re-release, it was released just before the pandemic, on my own WEITER label. But, because of the corona times it had missed a bit of attention. So, Steyoyoke asked me to release it again on their label – I’m still very proud of the track which has this typical WEITER “anthem” vibe – a peak-time dancefloor stomper! Happy to see it shining again after such a difficult time 🙂
WWD: How do you stay true to your artistic foundations in an ever-evolving music industry?
To be honest, it’s easier than ever to stay true to my artistic foundations. I’m a DJ, raised on the dance floor 20 years ago. I know where I came from, I know my inspirators, I have my idols from back then, who are still rocking shows as we speak. I try not to focus too much on the social media hypetrain – in the end it’s about the long term. The scene nowadays is focused too much on the quick success – which is fine – but I’m here for the long run – and for the love of DJ-ing.
WWD: Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you’re particularly excited about that you can share
I’m most excited about my 10HR WEITER show – it’s going to be a one of a kind production – musically and show wise – www.kommschonalter.de for the final tickets. Besides that, my track ‘Borgo’ will be released on vinyl as well – in May on Steyoyoke together with a vinyl release party in Ritter Butzke Berlin, on May 8. Also, I’ve three tracks finished together with Forniva and Veljko Jovic which hopefully find a home this year 😉
Release Date: February 2nd, 2024. Buy Here
Olivier Weiter: Facebook // SoundCloud
Steyoyoke: Facebook // SoundCloud