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With social media just getting big in 2010, it was amazing how a new platform like RLR could grow so fast and get more and more favorite guests in the studio. How did the radio evolve since those early days? We started with just a few hours a day, inviting friends to play some records, then friends of friends came down, the word spread & our reach increased rapidly. How did you bring the idea to life? Tell me about the early days of RLR. RLR went on air in 2010 with daily shows, thanks to Stigma for not showing up at the interview. With both Orpheu and my backgrounds, we wanted to create a place for Metal heads to Disco diggers to play and say whatever they liked. We created a place for Amsterdam’s underground music taste-makers to come together to talk and play music and visitors of the red light district could get a glimpse of our underground scene. I thought that was so amazing and with Amsterdam’s red light district changing and empty windows/brothels in the city center, I saw an opportunity. Every passerby could see and hear a glimpse of NYC’s underground music scene, just by walking past that window. The EVR studio was at a store front window on the busy 1st Ave. I have been waiting quite a bit at the station and was impressed with the variety of different shows/music they were hosting. We were supposed to meet at East Village Radio, but he never showed up. In 2009, I was busy making a film documentary about a band, Backfire, and had a meeting in New York with Vinnie Stigma of Agnostic Front. What were some of your influences/inspirations that led you to start RLR? So me and Orpheu (De Jong, my RLR partner) started to do a fun radio project instead. Also I just finished my master degree at the university and thought I was ready for the adult life, but that didn’t really work out. Listen and talk about music, without being on the highway to the next gig. Missed the conversations and playing music on the road the most, so that was a big inspiration to start Red Light Radio. Playing and touring in bands, but was not so much into carrying amps and drums in and out of vans and venues anymore. What were you doing before you began Red Light Radio? In my teenage/twenties I’ve been most active in the punk/hardcore scene, touring with bands and organising shows, but always open to whatever felt good. I’ve always visited many squats and warehouse parties, but had a great time at huge festivals & events as well. I’ve been going to huge metal festivals, quirky noise shows, big gabber raves and illegal druggy gatherings in the woods.
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How did you get involved in music? What kind of music scene were you part of? I’ve been jumping from the mosh pit to the rave dance floor ever since. From there, I got deep into hardcore/punk and started playing in shitty bands when I turned 13.The punk shows I went to in Den Haag were organized by Guy Tavares of Motorwolf & Bunker Records, he blended the electro drum machines and loud guitars at the same nights at his squats. What were you listening growing up? Where does your love of music come from?Īt home there was not so much music, but friends at school introduced me to Nirvana, Sepultura and Beastie Boys, like typical '90s alternative music.
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