Joris Voorn

Globally recognised DJ/producer Joris Voorn is at the fulcrum of the Dutch dance scene with his instantly recognisable take on techno. Danny Turner peers into his plush Amsterdam studio, home to his forthcoming album

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Raised in the Dutch city of Schiedam, west of Rotterdam, Joris Voorn was born into a musical family and learned to play violin and guitar before becoming obsessed by the art of DJing and the subversive sounds of techno. His first production, Muted Trax, swiftly became an underground hit, convincing Voorn to follow his passion and ditch a career in interior architecture.

Inspired by Richie Hawtin’s DE9 series, Voorn released the breakthrough Balance 014 mix compilation in 2009 and achieved fame with his Dusty House Room EPs. He subsequently released a string of critically acclaimed artist albums, founded two labels and became an established DJ on the club and festival circuit. With a new album en route, there’s no better time to investigate the tips and tricks behind Voorn’s latest project.

How important was your early acquisition of the MC-303 Groovebox?

“That’s where it all started for me. I was reading a book about dance music because I was really intrigued by how it was made and who was making it and read that I needed to buy a Roland TB-303. This was in 1996 – ten years after they’d stopped producing them, so I went to the shop and the guy said we have this other 303 – the Groovebox. It didn’t have the sound I was looking for because I loved Josh Wink’s Higher State of Consciousness and all those acid records, but I was completely consumed by trying to learn the machine and how MIDI worked. If I’d bought a synthesiser, I wouldn’t have learned as much. The Groovebox may have sounded crappy but it was a one-stop shop for making that kind of music.”

Was the Juno-106 another important step in your gear journey?