How did you and Volkshotel cross paths?
«I’ve been coming to this building quite some time before it became Volkshotel. The ‘old’ Canvas on the 7th was already there and was really easy going. The sound system was terrible though, but the parties were fun and the music was great, so it didn’t really matter. And then I’d occasionally visited some of the artists in the Broedplaats (the creative hub in the back wing, that used to occupy the whole building) but I especially came for the very random, creative and weird parties they’d throw here. I also got the chance to DJ here a few times, including Doka before it was renovated (it was quite a dark messy place back then). So I think me and the building itself go back about eight years. A friend, Hilde van Wijk, who used to run Broedplaats, was kind enough to think of me when she knew that Volkshotel was moving in, and suggested that I could work here. I thought it could be an interesting place to be since the vibe was good and so many nice local artists had/have there studios here. And now see, I’m still here five years down the lane! And it’s so much fun to combine my work as receptionist with being a resident DJ. Sometimes I check-in guests during the day who later on see me behind the decks downstairs, and I notice that confused ‘déjà vu’ expression on their face, haha»
What do you like about DJing in Volkshotel?
«Well first of all it’s also the place I work, so I can drive my colleagues round the bend all night with ‘my sound’, and they can’t say anything about it, haha. No seriously, it feels a bit like home, so it’s always very relaxed to come and play and improvise with more or less everything I like. Also I’m quite an eclectic DJ, and since each of the 3 locations has a different vibe and time, I’m very happy to be able to play all sorts of different moods and styles depending on where I am. Doka is nice for going a bit deep, dark, experimental and hard, whereas Werkplaats has a much more cozy vibe and is a perfect place to play stuff like soul, jazz, funk and world music. As for Canvas, if the crowd is up for it and open minded, everything can go, from deep house to 150 bpm blazing funana and it can be a blast (and the sound system had a good punch now!)»
What is the most precious memory you have of 5 years Volkshotel?
«As a DJ my most precious memory is playing Canvas one 14th of July, which is the French National Day or Bastille Day. Being far away from home, on a very hot evening, in the middle of summer, I thought it would be very quiet and anything but a party up there. I was already feeling a bit sorry for myself. But then when we (me and my DJ partner Pål) started around 23:00. There were some people hanging around for drinks after dinner and there was a certain tension or electricity in the air. We kind of picked up on that and started to ‘atmosphere’ the place. It slowly started filling up, but nothing remarkable. Then around 23:45, by complete mistake I mixed in a track called ‘Turn It Up’ by Factory Floor, and I was like ‘ooh crap, this is too soon for this kind of stuff’. But suddenly, BOOM, the crowd just went completely loose! And we just looked at one another very surprised and said ‘ok, well if that’s what you want…’. From then on it was mostly a blurry and a fantastic evening! The crowd was really fun and tolerant and just kept asking for more and giving out a lot of energy, so we could take a lot of risks and could blast the place with pretty heavy stuff we love, but don’t often get to play. And I guess as a DJ, that’s what you really want at the end of the night.»
What are the records you always bring along when playing here?
«There are hundreds of tracks I always bring and play here because the sets range from 4 to 9 hours. But if I have to name a few that I remember being really well received by the Volkshotel audience, I’d say:
The Ganja Kru – Super Sharp Shooter
Want to catch Marcus live? Check our agenda to see what’s coming up. Also be sure to check Pal/Secam on Facebook & Mixcloud.
