Sixty69nine’s Future Plans [Plain & Simple Exclusive Interview]
Since introducing himself onto the scene, Sixty69nine has certainly cemented his place as one of Belgium’s staple names, thanks to his array of unique studio productions and top-quality DJ sets. Wouter Van Boxstael, the man behind the Sixty69nine moniker, is also no stranger to playing at renowned national and international events including: Tomorrowland, The Yacht Week, The Factory – remarkable achievements for the talented artist.
After taking time to review his career, Sixty69nine has decided to move away from the trend-following EDM scene and go back to his old roots, thus producing the music he really loves. His new records have been causing waves amongst A-List DJs, like Danny Avila, thank to their fresh, emotional and melodic Progressive House vibes. We sat down with Sixty69nine to have a chat about what he’s got on the cards in the coming months.
Hi Sixty69nine, thanks for taking time to answer these few questions. For those who aren’t familiar with you, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My real name is Wouter and I’m from Belgium. I’ve been a professional DJ and producer for quite a few years now. I had a good number of successful releases in the past with an official number 1 dance chart hit in Belgium and a Beatport top 100 notation. My most recent (unofficial) release was a bootleg remix of Sam Smith’s James Bond Theme ‘Writings On The Wall’. It did rather well and received airplay in Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Brazil. A-list DJs such a Danny Avila even supported it.
Recently you have decided to embark on a new musical direction by returning to your roots of Progressive and House sounds. Why did you decide to make the change?
It’s not that recently really and it’s not entirely new. It’s just a process that has taken some time. The big room ‘EDM’ sound just got harder and harder to a point that it just wasn’t for me anymore. I’m not the ‘1,2,3 jump’ kind of DJ or producer. I need a certain groove, a great melody, and an emotional vocal, something meaningful… People like Steve Angello for instance still kill mainstages with music of incredible quality; I really respect that.
Have you completely ruled out returning to the EDM/Big Room sound for future releases?
Yes, at least not to what I consider as EDM/Big Room. But the definition of EDM/Big Room is different for everybody. For most people, EDM has become a ‘dirty’ word. The difference between underground and mainstream has always been there. It’s just that the past few years dance music has become such a global business that the mainstream dance DJs have become the pop acts of today. I consider myself as a nice blend of both worlds. I’m not mainstream, but I’m not underground either. In the end it’s a bullshit discussion anyway. Everybody has to make and play the music they want and like. (House) Music is the essence, as well as all kinds of people coming together to listen to that music, dance to that music and ‘forget about their worries for a while’ to that music. All the rest is just money, business and PR talk.
How has your time been in the studio lately and can we expect to see plenty of new Sixty69nine music soon?
I have a pile of new Sixty69nine music ready of which two tracks are already signed and I’m constantly working on new ideas. But I also have some ‘non-Sixty69nine music’ ready for which I’m still figuring out how to release them.
Are there any labels and producers that you would love to collaborate and work with in the future?
I’m actually working on some collabs as we speak. For my Sixty69nine music my dream collabs would be with artists like Steve Angello, Kryder, Coldplay, Dirty South, Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman, NEW_ID, Eddie Thoneick, and many more… Releasing a track on Size would be huge for me.
What would be a dream booking for you?
Any booking big or small with a perfect sound system and DJ booth where people/crowd are open minded, feeling the music and willing to have a good time.
If you had to choose one country to go on tour, where would it be?
I’ve heard many great things about Brazil.
Is there anything else exciting that is coming out of the Sixty69nine camp in the upcoming months?
The new Sixty69nine tracks that will be coming out. And I’m also excited about the other music that I’m currently making. I’m just having fun in the studio, being creative without any pressure of making crowd-pleasing pop-dance-music for label A or B.
Where do you see yourself as an artist in 12 months time and what does the future hold for Sixty69nine?
I see myself as an artist that is enjoying what he does while reaching a bigger and bigger audience.
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