Amelie Lens, Netsky, Charlotte De Witte, and Marco Bailey – Belgium has never struggled when it comes to producing internationally appreciated musical talent.
Perhaps the next name to join the ranks of his countries elite is emerging house and techno producer TNTS, who recently debuted on HE-ART Blue with his new Tragedy EP.
The Antwerp-based artist has also made appearances with labels such as Phobiq, Natura Viva, and Global Underground, and is showing promising signs for what lies ahead.
We spoke to him about the new release, what he might have in store over the coming months, how he linked up with French producer KIKO, and more. Get the full discussion below.
Hey TNTS, you’re on our Inflyte Radar this month – tell our readers what you have been up to recently?
Hello, thanks for having a chat with me. I’ve been up all night, thinking about whether my new track should be titled “Search For Light” or “Only Darkness”, both make sense! Okay, so I have a thing with titles.
And you recently returned to HE-ART Blue for the release of your new Tragedy EP, talk us through the original track in your words?
It’s about the death of my father, so I wanted the emotion to be as pure and honest as I could make it.
I think that might resonate with a lot of people, as the story is universal, and it goes beyond the boundaries of music. Maybe that’s why people have told me the EP is crossing over to different genres on the dance music spectrum.
t’s been getting supported from artists like Citizen Kain, Marc DePulse, Edu Imbernon, Artche, Dole & Kom, Blancah, Nicolas Masseyeff, Dosem, Agents Of Time, A Friend Of Marcus and Eelke Kleijn, it’s heartwarming to see all their comments and feedback!
It also includes two different edits from French producer Kiko, how did you respond when his versions first came back?
KIKO is a legend, he was an early student of French techno, and is a versatile artist with an extensive back catalogue. He is one of my favourite artists, and has ended up doing five remixes for me in the past year. One for my Jannowitz Records debut “Dopamine” and two for alternative versions on this, plus my upcoming After The Rain EP on HE-ART Blue, which is out on June 4th.
I was extremely grateful and happy when I heard both his versions for my Tragedy EP, as I can hear a Depeche Mode influence that’s really fantastic.
In the past you’ve released on imprints such as Natura Viva, Phobiq, and Global Underground, what other labels might we see you on in the near future?
There is something cooking at the moment. I’ll be happy to share it with you as soon as it’s ready to serve. On the might side, I don’t like to speculate, as it could be bad luck.
And is there a label you’d love to release with but just haven’t had the chance yet?
Sure, more than a few at this stage, but what really matters is staying true to my core feeling and keeping an open mind towards it. I need space for this to be able to develop and evolve in an organic way. I’m not going to pin myself on a style, use a formula, or force myself in a direction just to be on a certain label.
You’re Belgian, a country that has produced some massive dance music talents, what do you think makes the country so special when it comes to young, talented DJs?
Dance music is deeply rooted in our culture, it’s embedded in our DNA.
And which emerging Belgian artist do you think is going to be doing massive things in a few years time?
I’m not sure, I think it’s personal, no? What is massive to me, what is massive to you? Is it something on a large scale, something at a high level, or something small & intimate, something that deeply moves you in all of its “massiveness”.
Lastly, you’ve been tasked with organising the worlds first post-pandemic rave, which venue do you choose? And who’s on your line up?
Gotham City! There is a venue called “The Batcave”. Mainstage line up: DJ’s Astra, Zeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer & Sputnik V.
TNTS’ Tragedy EP is out now on HE-ART Blue.