Samuel Dictus | 21 years old techno producer from Tilburg (The Netherlands)
Introducing Samuel Dictus
Can you introduce yourself? who are you and where are you from? What are you doing in your day-to-day life?
My name is Samuel Dictus, a 21 years old techno producer from Tilburg (The Netherlands). I’m currently in my last year at the Fontys University of Applied Sciences, where I study journalism. As soon as I’m graduated, I will try to pursue a career in music, maybe combined with a bit of freelance journalism in the first years of working.
Tell us the story about your music endeavors. How did you discover techno music and what led you down the path of becoming a producer and/or DJ?
Music has always been a part of my life. Since I was a little kid, I was smashing the keys on my father’s piano, but soon I picked up piano lessons. At the age of 12 I discovered electronic music and began to explore my sound with FL Studio and some DJ gear. At my high school Markenhage College in Breda, I took a class in DJ’ing and soon I was playing gigs in local bars, mainly for a mainstream audience.
When did you come into contact with techno and what is appealing to you about techno music?
It was not until my 18th birthday before I discovered the beautiful sound of techno. Together with my brother I went to a rave in the legendary Gashouder. From that moment I knew: it HAS to be techno! That groove, that bass, those repetitive melodies, all of it was something I felt bursting through the deepest layer of my soul. It was a wonderful experience, for sure.
Latest release ‘Love is a game’
We would love to know about the production process of “Love is a game”, can you tell us how the track came about? What was your source of inspiration for the track? How much did it cost from start to finish? What issues did you run into?
My latest release, Love Is a Game, has some kind of a hypnotizing energy. I wanted to create a track to warm up a dancefloor a and when I found the vocal sample on YouTube, I knew it had to be about the beautiful feeling of love. Whether it’s someone you’ve known for years, or whether it’s a stranger you meet at a rave, you can’t describe the euphoric feeling of love with words, so I tried to give it a go with music.
I took the groovy bassline from my Nexus 2 VST, added some dark synths from my Korg M1 synthesizer and topped it off with drums, FX and some atmospheres. I then added the vocal sample and everything just came together really well. It’s my first release at a record label ever, so I’m beyond psyched about all the new adventures that are coming my way!
For example, I hope to play some exciting gigs this summer. It’s been a long silence since COVID came into our lives and I must confess: it’s no fun. Of course, like every other DJ, I played some livestreams, but DJ’ing in front of a camera doesn’t even come close to playing a set in a packed club or in the beautiful outdoors with hundreds of sweating people.
Style of mixing
What is your favorite style of mixing? What do you like so much about this style?
My style of DJ’ing? I don’t know, it always depends on the setting of where and when I’m playing. For example, when I play at P3 Festival (a small, intimate festival near Eindhoven), there are a lot of other DJ’s who play a lot faster and harder than I do. If that’s the case, I usually like to take things extra slow, to give the crowd a moment of tranquility before they go nuts on the 140 BPM’s and above.
But when I play at peak time in a club for example, I can play with energy a lot more and will not hesitate to up the tempo a bit. I don’t know, I think I’m just balancing between feeling and pleasing the crowd and at the other hand not losing sight of my own melodic style. I just try to feel the energy of the moment!
Can you name three tracks that have influenced your musical development?
Three tracks that inspired me the most… wow, that’s tough! I guess my first track has to be a commercial radio hit: Avicii – Silhouettes. This track was my introduction to electronic music, I was 12 years old when I heard this for the first time. It had me going crazy, that melody, that sound… It inspired me to dive deeper into electronic music, so it definitely is a track of importance for me. Of course, it’s a commercial dance track, but back in the day it was all I ever wanted.
The second track has to be Ringo by none other than Joris Voorn. I heard this at one of my first raves, the Awakenings party in Eindhoven where Joris hosted his own stage. I was amazed by how melodic, euphoric and still yet groovy this track sounded. I’ve been listening to it for three years straight and I’m still not tired of it, haha! It’s like everytime, I discover something new so yeah, Ringo has got to be in there.
My third track is something completely different, but yet it’s a track that still means a lot to me. Iron Sky by Paulo Nutini has very little to do with electronic music, however I really enjoy the sound of this one. Especially the break it has, with the movie quote from Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, always gives me chills. Maybe it’s the euphoric feeling that does it, with the speech about uniting mankind. I just think this track is really well produced and sends a great message.
Which other producers/DJs inspire you the most and why?
Artists like Tale of Us, Mathame, Joris Voorn, Stephan Bodzin, Adriatique, but also lesser-known guys like Tunnelvisions and Andhim are names I’m really familiar with. I look up to the way they build their careers, the way they play, but mostly the way they produce. They all have a very unique sound and that is something I really aspire to be.
What’s next for you? Will we see more collaborations of you? What are your future goals?
My future goal would be to be a bit more like those guys I listed above. I’m not talking about the fame or the money, but being able to express yourself trough your very own sound and being able to create music everyday would be my absolute dream. Therefore, I just want to be able to enjoy techno as long as possible. As a producer, as a dj or as a raver – as long as I can express myself through this beautiful electronic sound.
