Sometimes the most magical moments happen when you least expect them. Working as A2 for Dekmantel aan ’t IJ, I discovered that electronic music legends are refreshingly human.
The Orb’s rider came with an unusual request: “WALK IN/CHANGEOVER MUSIC. PLEASE HAVE THE FOH ENGINEER ACCESS ALEX’S ONLINE RADIO STATION AT WNBC.LONDON, SCROLL DOWN TO THE SHOW ‘DUB REBELS ON PATROL’ THIS IS A 4HR STREAM THAT CAN BE RUN AND USED FOR WALK IN & SET CHANGES..”
Four hours of perfect dub courtesy of Alex Paterson himself. As the venue filled with that deep, hypnotic rhythm, I couldn’t help but smile at the irony - here I was, a house fanatic who openly despises EDM, completely absorbed in this carefully curated sonic journey.
The Orb opened with a DJ set, delivering nothing but a clean LR master signal that we patched straight into the QSC and house system. But what a system it was - three J-subs per side, six total, plus our d&b V-series line array. The Orb even had their own three-element V-series array as booth monitors, three per side. It was LOUD. Magnificently, earth-shakingly loud.
The real surprise came during changeover. Leftfield’s FOH engineer approached me, clearly impressed: “That walk-in music - where did you get it?” When I explained it was The Orb’s own “Dub Rebels on Patrol” stream, his face lit up. We chatted about the selection, the perfect flow, how it set the entire mood for the evening.
Leftfield brought a full production - drums, keyboards, vocals, and a mountain of gear. The changeover was tight, borderline stressful, but their roadies knew their craft. We pulled it off, transforming the space from ambient dub playground to full-on electronic assault course in record time.
What struck me most were the artists themselves. Just a couple of English lads, genuinely curious about our work, asking about the venue, the setup, our perspective on the festival. No pretense, no rock star attitude - just passionate musicians interested in the craft of live sound.
This is why I love live music, regardless of genre. Any artist giving their absolute best in a live setting creates something transcendent. Whether it’s house, classical, or 90s electronica pioneers, that human connection through sound is irreplaceable.
The festival energy was palpable throughout the Muziekgebouw. Wristband-wearing festival-goers streaming in at all hours, production crews darting between venues, that electric buzz of something special happening. Being part of the larger Dekmantel ecosystem, with multiple venues around the IJ, made the night feel like we were contributing to something bigger than just one show.
As the final beats of Leftfield’s set reverberated through those six J-subs, I realized I’d just experienced something rare - the perfect intersection of technical excellence, musical passion, and human connection. Sometimes legends really are just people who happen to be extraordinarily good at what they do.
https://www.muziekgebouw.nl/en/agenda/dekmantel-aan-t-ij-6hqz