Piet van noord speaks on life, upcoming projects & Flow Sessions 105!

With more than 20 years behind the decks, Piet van Noord is definitely one of the old hands in the scene. After winning a DJ contest in 2007, he became the host of the ELECTRONIC DEVOTION radio show produced in Munich. Meanwhile, with more than 150 shows, it has a fixed slot on DI.FM (Denver, USA), where it is also home to such greats as Adam Beyer, Carl Cox and Armin van Buuren. In his monthly show Piet also regularly welcomes international guests, including artists such as Ben, Böhmer, Oliver Koletzki, Township Rebellion, Khainz & Guy J.

This global influence is also reflected in his varied sets, which can range from gritty, spheric Progressive to impulsive Techno, being unique in this way. Anyone who has been able to experience Piet live, will clearly confirm this. He was also kind enough to take the time to answer some questions about life, music & more!

1. What was the creative spark or concept behind this mix, what emotions or atmosphere were you aiming to convey to the listeners?

I want to take listeners on a journey through the different genres of music that I’m currently passionate about. Since I get bored very quickly, it’s even more important to me that the listeners don’t get bored either. Due to that I actually only play brand-new tracks in my sets. This time, however, you’ll hear a mix of new titles and tracks that really moved me this summer. Some of them contain hints of my early musical influences. I don’t think I’ve ever put so much work into preparing a mix. But I think the tears of pain and joy were worth it in the end.

2. Can you walk us through your track curation process for a mix that reflects your unique style and sound?

Track selection is by far the most time-consuming part of creating a mix. I actually listen to DJ sets online or live in every free moment I have and note the tracks that caught me the most. I also listen to the latest titles from a wide variety of genres in online shops and receive several hundred unreleased promos per month. In the end I listened to around 500-1000 tracks for a set, so it’s often not easy to ultimately decide on just a handful of tracks.

3. Which artists or record labels have significantly influenced and shaped your style, and how have they impacted your approach to music?

When I was a child, bands like Depeche Mode and The Prodigy certainly influenced me the most. When I bought “Out Of Space” at the age of 10, it was already clear where I was going. When I started DJing in the early 2000s, acts like Armin van Buuren, Above & Beyond, Anjunabeats artists in general and Markus Schulz introduced me to trance. That’s certainly the reason why my sets always have a melodic note, even when I play a pure techno set. In the end, Markus Schulz in particular made me discover my love for Progressive House very early on, which continues to this day. But artists like Max Graham, Tim Penner, Guy J and currently Eelke Kleijn also shaped my sound and influenced the diversity of my sets. Another influence is certainly the German club scene, which has been characterized by Techno and deeper sounds for years. So two hearts beat in my chest, but they harmonize wonderfully with each other if you let them.

4. In your view, how is the electronic music scene evolving, and what do you believe are the most exciting developments or trends to watch for?

Techno is very popular at the moment, the sound is getting faster and the younger generation is taking over part of the scene. The fact that you need more BPM at this age is not a new phenomenon, it was the same when I was younger. Unfortunately, due to this big hype and the integration of social media, I also notice a slightly different behavior among the ravers in the club. Often, many of the newbies don’t understand what the scene is about yet. The focus is often on self-expression and egoism instead of community and the music as such. I would be happy if the next generation understood and lived this spirit in the years to come, as these values have been the foundation of the scene from the beginning. But maybe this is just a temporary fad and soon everything will be back to normal. Who knows…

Furthermore, you can see more and more female DJs behind the DJ booth. This is a great development that I’m very happy about, as women are usually the better DJs. This may be because they have more sensitivity. But this development also means that long-established male DJs can no longer rest on their laurels 😉 All in all, the whole thing leads to an increase in quality behind the booth, which is excellent.

5. Could you share a memorable moment or a particularly challenging obstacle you encountered during the creation of this mix, and how did it shape the final outcome?

I think the biggest challenge was to place the different tracks in such a way that they fit together harmoniously in terms of style and energy level, so that in the end a coherent story emerges. It’s always a challenge to make sure this works, especially with a mix of this length.

In the first attempt I also had one track too much in the tracklist, so I would have exceeded the running time of 3:33. So I had to change a few things again, otherwise the closing would have suffered.

6. What upcoming projects or releases can your fans look forward to, and how do you plan to continue sharing your music with your audience?

Hopefully my fans can look forward to my first release soon. I’m currently working on an EP which is almost finished. I will continue to share my music with the world every month via my radio show on DI.FM. I am also planning collaborations with other radio stations. And of course you can find my show and all other mixes on my Soundcloud profile. But the most intense way to share my music with the world is of course to play live. I love being behind the DJ booth and partying with the crowd. That’s why I’m still happy about every single gig request ☺\

7. Is there a special message or something specific you’d like to share with the fans who have supported your journey?

At this point I would like to thank you for the amazing support from all over the world. It really touches me again and again to hear how my music reaches listeners in all parts of the world and evokes the same emotions that it does for me. This is still magical to me, I appreciate every single message and comment. In the end, that’s the best reward for all the work you put into it. So please keep it up! 

Please share with us two tracks for our Spotify playlist created by the artists who have been on the mix series, these can be original or tracks that you admire and love to play!

Corren Cavini – Ghosts (Extended Mix)

Anturage, Alexey Union, CATMOONK – Children of the Night (Original Mix)