100% must attend
In the weekend of 17/18 February 2018 Dancefair offers a massive line-up with 200 masterclasses, 160 artists, 22 areas and 70 labels. On Saturday you for sure do not want to miss out on Armin van Buuren, Laidback Luke, Brooks, CMC$, RetroVision, Ibranovski, David Gravell, Mike Mago, Joran van Pol, Secret Cinema, D-Sturb, Warface, Mightyfools, Dirtcaps and Capital Candy.
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There is so much more
Take a look in the dedicated areas by brands such as Adam Audio, Kii Audio, KRK Systems, Pioneer DJ and Ableton. Go in-depth with masterclasses in areas by Abbey Road Institute, Dutch DJ Foundation, NPAC and The School of House. On the 6000m2 expo floor you can find the latest gear by Native Instruments, Arturia, Genelec, Moog, Serato DJ and many more. Drop you demo at Armada Music, Pagara Music Group, Cloud 9 Music, Scantraxx, 2Dutch, Be Yourself, Musical Freedom and connect with the Future House Music community. Visit The Network and get 1-on-1 advise by top artists and music professionals who know the pitfalls of the music industry.
Be sure to not miss this
The line-up for 2018 is absolutely stunning. The truth is that we as music makers, music professionals and DJs are getting a bit used to this massive line-up. That is why Dancefair selected 12 masterclasses on Saturday you do not wanna miss.
How Blockchain can change the music industry: Area 6 – Business of Music – 11:30 – 12:15
Blockchain expert Colin Meulema will take you into the deep grooves of blockchain technology. Blockchain is the technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. But how could Blockchain become interesting for the music industry and why? Stay ahead of current technology and become inspired by this tech powertalk.
What you will learn:
- What is Blockchain
- How does Blockchain work
- Why Blockchain could be a solution in the music industry
- How would Blockchain work in the music industry
- Musicians embracing Blockchain
Mixing & Mastering with Luca Pretolesi: Area 8A – Abbey Road Institute – 12:30 – 13:15
Luca Pretolesi will talk you through the process of mixing and mastering. As an engineer Luca has worked with Diplo, Steve Aoki, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, DVBBS, Fedde Le Grand, Morgan Page, Dillon Francis, KSHMR, and TJR.
What you will learn:
- How to take your tracks to the next level
- How to become creative with an artistic approach to mixing
- How to release the emotion buried beneath unpolished sounds
- How to create a masterpiece with mastering
Finishing tracks with Paul Nolan: Area 10 – The Next Level – 13:45 – 14:30
It is so depressing to have a filled hard drive with incomplete sketches and abandoned ideas. The harder you try, the less music you finish, and the track finishing process becomes more difficult as time passes since your last completed work. This masterclass is here for you to get a system and set your goals and start finishing your tracks. If you want to become a professional producer, you gotta focus on your time management and effectiveness. Yes! Exactly! It is time for this masterclass!
What you will learn:
- How to mentally recondition yourself as a ‘track-finisher’
- How to keep this vibe and use it to improve quality as well as quantity
- How to use an effective toolbox and limit it to the essentials
- How you can create a system to keep your production at high levels
- How you can create a standard workflow to become more consistent
- How to label and organise your samples and loops
- How unfinished tracks can become a vibrant source for new tracks
- How to use simple management techniques in your studio
Songwritng & Vocals for Lost Frequencies, Lucas & Steve, Sam Feldt
vocal.kitchen: Area 1 – Mainstage – 13:30 – 14:45
What do Lost Frequencies, Lucas & Steve, Sam Feldt and Alle Farben all have in common? You guessed it: they all have these 3 songwriters penning some of their biggest hits.
In this masterclass, special guests Janieck Devy (Sam Feldt, Alle Farben) and Alon van Dreesde (Lucas & Steve, Deepend) join Vocalkitchen founder Allan Eshuijs (Lost Frequencies, Fedde Le Grand) to discuss the songwriting process while they create a song from scratch.
If you are a DJ looking for great vocals or if you a vocalist looking for the next step in your career, trust us that you don’t want to miss this masterclass!
What you will learn
- The process of writing and singing top vocals
- How “hits”are made
- The collaboration between producers and vocalists
- The importance of vocals to make your tracks stand out
- How Vocal Kitchen works
Production Masterclass with Paul Maddox (Spektre): Area 4 – 50:Hertz Techno – 14:15 – 15:00
Spektre have already inspired so many producers out there with their productions and by sharing their knowledge on earlier occasions. Feel like your tracks are lacking character and uniqueness? In this talk, Paul will guide you through a number of ways to add textural layers to your productions by contrasting different sound sources and treatments, as well as tips and tricks to broaden your audio palette.
What you will learn:
- How to use contrasting sound from different sources
- How FX treatments can create a unique vibe
- How to avoid “sample pack syndrome”
- How to use timing to become more creative
- How to use layers and stereo to enhance your sound
Music Industry: 15 years of Armada with CEO Maykel Piron: Area 12 – Armada Music – 14:45 -15:30
Dennis Ruyer of 538’s Dance Department will interview Maykel Piron, CEO of Armada Music. Maykel Piron is one of the three founders of Armada Music, one of the leading electronic dance music record labels in the world. He has been an integral part of the music industry for over two decades, spending the past 15 years as the CEO of Armada Music.
What you will learn:
- How Armada Music was build towards everlasting international success
- What the current state is of Armada Music in the dance music real
- What the most important aspects of the scene
- All things crucial to international success
Building a Youtube community with Daniel J. Lee (NCS, UKF, AEI): Area 6 – Business of Music – 15:15 – 16:00
Everything you want to know about Music and YouTube, building online communities and using YouTube to promote music. With Daniel J. Lewis, Farhana Aboo, Sarah Stam and Aart van den Dool.
YouTube brands have made their way as 21st century labels, with often millions of subscribers within one online community as a close knit, global fan base. Founded by young entrepreneurs, brands like UKF, NCS, Drum & Bass Arena and Frequency reach millions of music fans across the world. Starting off as YouTube channels, growing into international music labels and events. Stop by and ask your question to the AEI team of marketing and promotion specialists, and YouTube brand owners, to find out more about the latest trends in YouTube and Music.
What you will learn:
- YouTube as online community
- Growing your brand
- Marketing and Promotion of Music with YouTube
- What about the money?
- Advantages compared to other platforms
- Growing your community and subscribers
- From Youtube community to record label
- Future of Youtube and music
Production Masterclass with Secret Cinema: Area 1 – Mainstage – 16:00 – 16:45
Jeroen Verheij aka Secret Cinema needs little introduction. He is Holland’s Techno father for over two decades and a ‘producer-producer’. In this Techno production masterclass Secret Cinema will show you his workflow as he calls ‘Organised Chaos’. Letting his gear flow with a talent of knowing what sounds great and captivates the listener. Bitwig is his choice of DAW, but for other DAW Producers this is a must-go masterclass to learn from one of the Techno’s Producer around.
What you will learn:
- How to use Bitwig in the studio and on stage
- How to captivate great sounds from your surroundig
- How to create empowering live sets
- How to do the tricks in the studio
Production Masterclass with Spanker & GLOWINTHEDARK: Area 18 – Urban/Hiphop – 16:15 – 17:00
These fine producers know what international success means. Spanker is the men behind productions for The partysquad, Yellow Claw, Jayh and Dio. Besides that, he is working with international names like M.I.A.
GLOWINTHEDARK travel the whole wide world and this DJ/Producer duo does exactly know what it takes to merge urban and dance, hiphop and rap. Join this masterclass to get an exclusive insight in the studio workflow of top level urban producers with international success.
What you will learn
- How to make a hiphop ready for the club
- How to use vocals and lyrics that excite
- What it takes to create bass and beats
- How to amplify lyrics with melody and the other way around
How to build a record label that lasts with Michel de Hey: Area 7 – The School of House – 16:30 – 17:15
As a DJ/producer, it’s tough to get your music released. Unless, of course, you start your own label. It’s one of the best ways to build up a platform, introduce your taste and curatorship to the world, and possibly further your own artist career. How do you make sure your label stands out in a sea of labels? How does your label stay relevant? Find out with one of Holland’s leading techno artists.
What you will learn:
- The basics of setting up a label
- Choosing the right FORMAT for your label (vinyl/digital?)
- All about A&R
- The pitfalls for any starting label boss
- Ensuring your label and your DJ career strengthen each other
How do you market your brand KLASH Q&A panel: Area 13 – KLASH Room – 17:00 – 17:45
This is an open Q&A panel with artists Sebastiaan Bronk, Mightyfools, Naffz and Red Hood Squad telling you how to market your brand and go into the deep of creating music and artist profiles between underground and mainstream.
What you will learn:
- How the KLASH label builds its brand
- The future of bass & trap
- How to connect mainstream and underground
- The pitfalls for any DJ, producer and professional not tight to just one genre.
Getting into modular with Lucien Foort & MC Stretch: Area 4 – 50:Hertz Techno – 18:00 – 18:45
Techno is not just about improvising live elements on the spot and using the most evolutionary technology. Its also about going back to the roots of how rave music all began and respecting the machinery that never gets out of fashion to create the most incredible grooves and melodic Techno with. Modular synthesis has played an important role in the evolution of Techno all throughout the last decades. Since the beginning of groove music in general freaking with electronics and experimenting with synthesisers has always been what makes Techno so unique as it is. Being one of the godfathers of dance music in the Dutch scene mastering the art of modular has always been one of the main goals of Lucien’s musical quest. In this seminar he will show everyone his true passion for Techno music and skilful mindset that comes with performing with modular.
What you will learn:
- What can modular synthesis do for your studiowork or stageperformer?
- Can modular synths takeover VST’s or is it a blast from the past?
- Is the use of modular too complicated or can it easily become a part of your current workflow?
- Where do you start when you want to implement modular into your studio or live performance?