Exclusive Interview with Sick Individuals

Siam2nite had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with Sick Individuals, shortly before their performance at Levels Bangkok on 26th February.

You are a DJ & Producer duo from The Netherlands. You met while studying Music Composition and founded “Sick Individuals” in 2010. As of today - Joep is 24 years old, Rinze is 26 years old – you have already become to some of the most in-demand EDM artists in the world. How did you get in touch with electronic dance music in the first place?

We used to be Trance and Hip Hop fanatics and we love big synths, rocking beats and powerful music with great structures and build-ups! Our Sick sound still has some similarities with trance and hip hop music, for example the strong build-ups, beats and a lot of melodies, harmony.

You play and produce a mix of Electro- & Progressive House and Big Room. How would you describe your own music in just a few words?

We try to always create that unique Sick Individuals sound. We keep the energy flowing from the start until end. There are a lot (!) of details in the tracks but most of all it's SICK - so have a listen or check us out live!

Your newest track “Prime” will be officially released on February 23 – the teaser was recently released and features exclusively footage taken during your performance here in Bangkok at Waterzonic festival in November 2014. It was your second performance in Bangkok, after the Thailand Debut at Sensation Wicked Wonderland in January 2014. Did you keep these 2 performances in good memory?

It was amazing! We enjoy performing in Asia a lot. Electronic music is relatively new and upcoming, but growing so rapidly in these countries! This is why the crowd is so enthusiastic and they really appreciate our music a lot, which is always flattering. Thailand itself it a beautiful country, and so are the parties; Sensation and Waterzonic were spectacular!

Besides “Prime” and your #1 hits “I AM” (with Axwell) & “Blueprint" (with Dannic), what other tracks, remixes or mix sets would you recommend as an introduction for someone that is not yet familiar with your sound?

Well, Prime is actually quite different from our ‘normal’ Sick sound. We want to keep surprising people and experiment with different sounds. (Ray) : I think ‘Made for This’ is a good example of our style. It’s a real song.

(Jim): Yes. ‘Made for this’ is definitely a good example, but ‘Wasting Moonlight’ and ‘Lost & Found’ as well. These productions reflect on our personalities as well. Strong, but maybe also a little bit sensitive and emotional. Haha!

You have played all over the world at the biggest clubs and festivals – including Sensation, EDC, Ultra, Electric Zoo and Tomorrowland. What was the best and the worst gig you ever played and what was the funniest thing ever occurred during any of your performances?

Wow.. that’s a tough question. We can’t really choose our best gig. Probably the biggest ones, like you named. But also the Waterzonic festival was awesome!

Our worst gig? Well… there was a time when we played on a moving train for farmers heading to Austria. It was a “wrong booking” where the audience was expecting country music…you do the math! Two passengers called our music ‘gay’ and despite a week of preparation from us, it was “embarrassing”. The crazy thing was that the train was going so fast that you had to hold yourself while you were playing. The decks were shaking, so it made it really hard to beat match. It was really terrible. I guess that story also matches the funniest gig ever. Back then we couldn’t laugh about it, but we find it hilarious now.

On 26th February you will return to Thailand to perform live at Levels. What can the Bangkok crowd expect of your upcoming performance?

It’s going to be a great night, for sure! Our set will definitely shake the grounds! Also, you can expect to hear ‘Prime’ of course and more exclusive material!