I was commissioned by Alessio Reedijk to do the vocal recording, sound design and music of this short film that was made for the promotion of DAS Arts institute.Even though the film is called research (for obvious reasons), the role I played in the development didn't take that much research. I got together with Shelley to record the voice over together with Flip and Alessio. We might have had this inspirational drone running in the background at that time.Mostly it was me just using the tools I already had gathered up to this point to develop the soundtrack of this film. The folly was a bit more subtle at some point (and also a first for me) but I think it does come out natural and unnatural at the points where it is intended.I will probably never have this amount of control over the audio in a short film again, but I'm really happy with the final mix of the project. 

A year after our work on Mitt Jag Heidi invited me over to Skanes Dansteater to compose for a Trio she was going to develop for Jing, Tiemen and Dario. We didn't start start this process with a narrative in mind. Some themes passed the revue but the first spark was inflation and deflation. The breath of the bellows of an accordeon.

Spreken Zonder Woorden is an intimate piece made by Anne Suurendonk within the "AYA op de Huid" concept. Long story short, it was made to be performed in classes. It is a dance-theatre performance about the ripple effects of having parents who fled to the Netherlands. Marco's parents are originally from Bosnia and Thu's are from Vietnam.

Run Quiet is a piece about domestic violence. It is a charged, heavy subject that takes a lot of patience and care to safely translate into a theatre piece. It is based on Dalton's personal experience and accounts from domestic abuse victims he has talked to. Due to the delicate theme and intimacy this has been a very complex piece to compose properly and to do it justice. This portfolio entry is a bit more elaborate than the others and I hope it's an interesting peek into one of my processes.  

Joseph Simon asked me to write a new score for his piece Breakingscapes. It is quite a straight forward piece, mostly about dancers moving in space with specific breaking techniques. It's like an entire performance that revolves around the 'Pretzel'. 

Cheroney Pelupessy contacted me to assist Karindra Perrier with the composition for her piece Keturunan. A piece about diaspora, the cultural heritage of the Indonesian and Maluku people that moved to the Netherlands decades ago.

Bitterzoet is a documentary I did the sound design and composition for. It's a documentary with archival footage and interviews with students from the Jazz- Musical- Urban- Contemporary Dance department at the Amsterdam Academy of the Arts. The department was forced to shut down because, according to the education minister who decided this at that time, there were too many similar bachelor's of dance in the Netherlands. So just like the contemporary department in the same school JMD had to be shut down. This film is like a final hurrah and farewell for the education and it's legacy.

During the pandemic I was commissioned to compose Mitt Jag at Regionteater Vast for Heidi Vierthaler. It's a piece about identity and accepting yourself for who you are made for young audiences. Because of the Corona travel restrictions and my own personal health problems I ad to make the composition remotely which came with it's own set of challenges and revelations.

Liefde en Dan is a dance- theatre piece by Anne Suurendonk. For this work I performed live as a musician and performer together with four dancers. The narrative of the production is based on stories in love and what it takes to make it last. There is no one-size fits all approach to this theme and it proved to be quite complex to draw a cohesive line throughout the hour-long performance. Everyone has their own individual story and their own discoveries to make. In a lot of youth theatre there is some food for thought to be had after the fact. However, this piece turned into more of an abstract exposition of anecdotes which is more open ended.

After some years of mixing, recording and producing my own recordings I was commissioned to practice my techniques on a work other then my own. Dashboard is a theatre production by DIEHELEDING for which I functioned as vocal engineer and mix-/mastering engineer. Turning the creativity of the collective into a professional sounding recording.

I was invited by Emma Evelein to participate in her Rooftop session curated by ISH. For one evening during the spring of 2021 we created a short film on the roof of a parking garage attached to the RAI convention center in Amsterdam. Emma was inspired by the work I made previously for Dalton titled "Afstand" and requested me to rework this for her concept. Since the original work was made with samples from Sophie Prins I decided to invite her to the session to improvise together with me.

Symphony of 2020 was a continuation of Symphony of Now. Due to the pandemic we had to continue the process without the help of our colleagues from Uganda. The piece revolved around the concept of a normal night out before corona. Why do we party? Is it to take drugs? Is it to get together and have fun? What happens when you are not having fun? These and many other questions we tried to answer in this ambitious piece. In the end only performed shortly during the Afrovibes festival of 2020.

The murder on George Floyd took hold of the world while Dalton Jansen was tasked to make a quartet for Conny Jansen in Rotterdam. The piece revolved around those events. The music reflected the gravity of the situation. Deep, grotesque and relentless. It was an evolution from the piece originally comissioned for "One of Each". This soundtrack later reached it's final stage during the making of "Attack" with added vocals by Sophie Prins and an even more rythmically driven approach.

An intricate collaboration with Casper van der Putte and Artbeat Amsterdam. A piece about recurring events, ripples in time and reflection. For this big stage production I was tasked to make a soundtrack for choreography as well as surround audio for drama. A completely programmed Ableton set was the result of many hours of labor and delays by the corona pandemic. The end result was a renowned immersive dance-theatre experience.

Made in collaboration with the students of the teacher's department 4 in Amsterdam. The students paired up to each make their own segment eventually composed together by Anne Suurendonk. It eventually led to a 20 minute dance film made by CJ Perez a collage of styles and flavors. A final goodbye to being a student together. 

Corona struck so approaches were affected. For this year's piece made by Heidi Vierthaler she commissioned three students to write a song for a short dance film. Senne, Ricky and Rose came up with Closer an acoustic guitar song the revolved around words and phrases from the class. Heidi commissioned me to edit the music into a more electronic jacket. I morphed and shaped the voices to turn it into a suitable soundtrack for contemporary dance.

Bloedband was the first full lenght performance I made in collaboration with choreographer Anne Suurendonk. A piece about what it is like to be siblings in different phases of life. What started as a dance centric piece at the Zeeland Nazomerfestival ended up being something completely different. It was during this piece that I started writing songs to form a narrative within the abstraction of dance. I wrote songs reminiscing about the past and about trying to separate yourself from your siblings legacy. In the end finding what it truely means to be related and to be growing up together.

A collaboration between Artbeat Amsterdam and Batalo East supported by DOX. In this piece Faizal Mostrixx and me collaborated on a live club dance experience. Bringing together the two worlds of the western scene and the Ugandan scene. Mixing the east-african influences with western techno. We performed as a part of Afrovibes festival.

Made in collaboration with Melvin Fraenk and Anne Suurendonk Influx was at that time the most ambitious piece I created. The story of the piece became what the process was for me. Revolving around fixation, being sucked into a creative flow without any control of self. Three weeks of sleep deprivation and obsession later Influx was born. A rollercoaster that left me asking "how did I get here?". If I'm completely honest I still don't quite understand what went down in my studio those days. In retrospect it was a turning point in my career as a composer where I really started to get a grasp on concept and being able to translate that into music. Giving it all you got until there is nothing left.

Or "La Plage" as I fondly remember it. Was a piece made for a forum by Feadan Mccall. A piece about freedom and nature. Mostly driven by repetitive patterns and rhythms I found a sound that connected to the ocean. The human whale cry. Performed on the beach and taped by CJ it came out as an ethereal statement to liberation.

The most recent iteration on the Double. A piece about friendship but also about wanting to be different. Can I find out who I am when there is someone so close to me? A tumultuous process led to a piece of music that just wasn't up to par with what was needed for the piece. After some consideration Dalton Jansen asked me to remix To the Edge 3 for this performance. Reluctantly I tried and it came out alight. The composition originally planned for this piece eventually was used for "Do We Feel?".  

The last of the To the Edge trilogy. A trio that brings the saga to the conclusion. This time in better shape then ever I was more prepared for the work ahead. Utilizing an old soviet synth and letting that resonate through an amp in my recordings. This was probably one of tha fastest pieces I made. Going through some hardship myself during the time it was just something that needed to get out of my system. Performing to the edge from the edge. Closure at last.

After growing his company ambition Dalton Jansen took on a new challenge with the Talent Program. A piece choreographed by one of his colleagues Gihan Koster. Instead of providing established dancers with work the work was made with dancers still in education to step up the ladder and learn the tools of the trade. It resulted in a funky freaky piece that was presented during the Dalton Jansen Choreography evening in Theater Rotterdam.

A piece about dragging and pushing. This work with Heidi Vierthaler was a challenging creation. After a few years of making for the third year students of the Urban Contemporary department in Amsterdam there are some recurring patterns. In this phase of education the students are always exhausted and wanting to move on. This piece is that one last step out the door. One more before it all unravels.

As a continuation of the work MME Artbeat Amsterdam was requested to reprise and adapt the performance for a different format. Combined with actors and additional dancers we live-composed a 4 hour performance on the day we remember the fallen of war in the Netherlands. During this 4 hour session I would improvise pieces and que fresh music on the spot as the show would go on. A lot of discoveries were made a lot of lessons learned in the end, the show always goes on.

After a year long hiatus a new piece with Gerleen Balstra. Passing on is a journey through time and space in composition. Coloring in elements with music and guiding the audience into an unknown world. From the most distorted to classical sounds everything finds it's place in the end. The sparse, clean is always in tension with the dense muddy. An ode to the classics a moment to grieve, a moment to live.

Artbeat Amsterdam was commissioned by MyChannels to make dance for a commercial to find new paperboys. After a successful demo I got to do the music for the commercial. It turned out to be a rap/r&b inspired song to capture the urban atmosphere of being a paperboy. The lyrics and rap are completely focused around putting papers in mailboxes. As catchy as possible whilst still keeping some form of underground musical integrity. It was a long and challenging process but it turned out great and unique. Almost more like a short film then a commercial.

In collaboration with Artbeat Amsterdam and DOX this piece was made. The embodiment of the Music Movement Sessions in an interactive theater piece. A leap into the deep as I was part of the piece as live music performer. It started out as just dance, as it is, a bit of a party. It turned out as something more. A celebration of life in a world of death. We made a deep connection with the piece and the emotions that it conveyed on the audience. A broad spectrum of ecstasy, misery and everything in between. MME was a trip, with many different destinations.

Artbeat Amsterdam has been organizing Music Movement Sessions since 2017. This session was commissioned by Angela Davis through SNDO. A one time mind bending live dance experience for anyone. In collaboration with choreographer Melvin Fraenk we danced for 6 hours with the attendees. An impromptu live improvisation session for us both. All that remains are the recordings of that day and the memory.

A research piece turned film by Feaden Mcall and Sophie Prins. I was commissioned to make a piece that was light and ethereal. What followed was a process with a lot of bends and turns that eventually made it's way into film. Inspired by birds an floating and a different approach to vocals led to this piece.

Two pieces commissioned by Dalton Jansen. I found myself at the edge at the time figuring out career paths and trying to find a way in life. Coming to terms with life, death and everything in between. I wasn't mentally prepared nor present for this process. The year 2018 was a black page in many ways and To the Edge 1 & 2 are a testament to being burnt out but pushing on. Suitable for the theme however doubting how it affected the process. Still, a part of my works and part of the legacy.

An autobiographic piece by Dalton Jansen that has never been performed. After weeks of rehearsing Dalton decided to cancel the performance. It was an eye opener to work with such a young choreographer on such a sensitive and personal subject. All that is left is the music I made. It's rough, and unfinished but a relic of an interesting process and brave outcome.

Choreographed by Melvin Fraenk & Anne Suurendonk I remember walking into the rehearsal space for the first time and feeling a special kind of energy. Some sort of hostility, some form of embodiment  but most of all emotion. "Lone" the working title of the track I made for a passage in the piece that reflects on that feeling for me. Looking for purpose, reaching out, being vulnerable and being filled with pain. It sucks, in a good way. This is still one of my favorite pieces.

Commissioned by Summer Dance Forever, the Double Collective was asked to revisit the duet originally crafted in 2016. Deepening and enhancing the impact of the piece and adding new elements into the mix. We made a transformation from an ambient drone piece to a piece with more beat and grit. With even more focus on the urban-contemporary dance then before while still maintaining the emotional impact of the previous iteration. The piece premiered at the Melkweg Theater.

Think abstract and beyond. A Piece of Winter directed by Michiel de Regt. The first piece I made with a theatre director over a choreographer. Little bits and bobs of music, soundscape and instrumentals spread throughout the piece. Working with text and song, a completely different approach from what I was used to. Avant garde and beyond, breathing, cursing and a minimal sense of harmony and push. Sound beyond myself and for the mind of the director to enhance what's on stage.

"Please stand clear." A soundbite given to me by choreographer Heidi Vierthaler. She got inspired on the Tokyo subway and recorded a bit of film there to be used as projection. I took my liberty and made please stand clear the catchphrase for a beefy piece of urban inspired contemporary music. One of the first pieces I composed that really digs into the potential of current day urban music combined with contemporary dance and soundscapes. It turned into a really interesting blend of influences. Please stand clear, I'm dancing here!

Prokofiev meets electronica. When Gerleen Balstra commissioned this piece she asked for "Dance of the Knights" as a starting point. This led to one of my most well received pieces titled "Insides". The opening that is 8 minutes long is completely written in 3/4 time while maintaining a deep UK Bass inspired sound. Unconventional and deep is the transformation from the classical piece at the start.. Due to events happening during the process the piece progressed into a more manic and possessed space. A descent from ground to the wind. It all dissolves into a minimalist piano piece, delirium.

A piece produced by Maas Theater en Dans, choreographed by Art Srisayam. Created for a young audience the dance takes place inside of a video game. I took inspiration from the Playstation 2 era of video games and before, pretty much what I grew up with. There is an 8 bit inspired glitch tune in there but also a more Mortal Kombat oriental inspired piece that has a bit more drive. Probably one of the more anecdotal and absurd pieces I've helped create but it was surely a lot of fun and liberating.

"These two look quite similar". My first collaboration with Dalton Jansen was on "The Double", we worked with Gihan & Terencio on a magnetic piece about intertwined souls. I am you, you are me, was the first working title that still sticks with me to this day. A piece with a true urban background with a lot of weight. Heavy, almost suffocating is how I would describe it. Hard hitting fast rhythmic sections break up the drones through which the dancers push and pull on each other finding meaning in being intertwined.

Heidi Vierthaler created a piece a piece in collaboration with Hotel Droog called Memo-Re-Cycle. Performed by Luca and Shay the duet revolves around two chairs made out of recycled clothes. The project encompassed a deep research into textures and textiles. While recycling some past material made for Vierthaler adding layers of fabric along the way. What's old is made new again.

The most wild and abstract re-imagining of We Are Family by Chic. Heidi Vierthaler threw me a curve ball by proposing we should incorporate that song into this piece. While at the time around my house a lot of construction was going on. The sounds of hammering and pounding construction workers can be heard throughout the piece while still maintaining an organic center point. Eventually ending with Donielle singing some phrases from the original song. Everyone can see we're together. With seeds falling from the tree and the music hammering and scratching away, it's all about counterpoint in "Iep".

As a stark contrast to my earlier pieces this collaboration with Gerleen Balstra takes a Dusky turn. Also featured as one of the earliest works on the compilation album "Dusk" Need Someone's Hand is truly something special. Gerleen really works in special ways with her students to teach but also to create some magnificent work. This piece is a testament to that, also having pushed me into uncharted territory when it comes to instrumentation, rhythm and harmony it has become one of my most beloved works. Not in technical soundness but in sheer creativity and emotional connection. Sophie and Celine deliver the cherry on top with some heart felt vocals as pro- and epilogue.

A piece made by the former artist couple Melanie Bos & Jochen Kool. It's a seven part story about returning home that was performed at an outdoor festival. The piece consisted of several pieces of music including "Journey" a track that has gone through quite a odyssey itself. Being used in multiple studios before landing at the hands of Melanie and Jochen. Also featuring "Night" about the rides home through cold urban environments. There are quite a few stories told in Lullaby, at the brittle beginning of my career. 

"The Monster", a now familiar phrase to anyone that has been to Heidi Vierthaler's workshops and classes. The working title of the piece of music created here. Pulling, sucking, pushing and slowly deepening with every cycle. The most minimalist piece I crafted till that point. C minor in motion for 15 minutes straight accompanied by scratches an sniffs. No big climax, no resolution one question, where did the monster under my bed go when I looked down there?

With the piece "Within a Word" I first touched base with Heidi Vierthaler's work. At the time I was supposed to be part of the choreography as a dancer but due to an injury I was unable to partake. Luckily I had been making music for a couple of years and was asked to provide a soundtrack for the creation. Somewhere down the line this was a kick start to my career as a composer I just didn't know it yet.The soundtrack features a lot of textured sounds from pieces of fabric and little howls, moans and repetitive phrases recorded with the dancers. All is carried by a sparse, droning, musical structure and a beefy, crude yet satisfying climactic beat as finale. A rapid growth of technical skill and passion rose from this piece for me. It was truly the beginning of my career as a composer for theater,