Sonic Journey: from Chicago and Detroit to the Dutch dancefloor

Sonic Journey is a seated or lying-down listening experience that takes you on a musical journey through time, with focused, distraction-free listening at its core.

Settle in and let the music carry you through time — no distractions, just your full attention on the sound.

This edition traces the story of house and techno from its roots in Jamaica, via Grandmaster Flash, Donna Summer and Kraftwerk, to Chicago and Detroit, where pioneers such as Frankie Knuckles and Juan Atkins shaped entirely new genres, before crossing over to the Dutch dance floor.

From the first empty dance floors of 1988 to Amsterdam’s colourful clubs, Rotterdam’s raw sound, the rise of gabber and the DJ as superstar, Sonic Journey highlights the early adopters who helped shape Dutch club and festival culture. Along the way, you’ll encounter Orlando Voorn, Speedy J, Eddy De Clercq, Steve Rachmad, Shinedoe, Dimitri, Miss Djax and many more.

The journey also asks how this musical history can be preserved. Clubs, record stores, labels and Dutch productions have influenced artists around the world, yet many of these stories and recordings remain underrepresented in Dutch archives.

Tracks featured in the journey include:

Orlando Voorn (Format) — Solid Session
Speedy J — De-Orbit
Sterac (Steve Rachmad) — Astronotes 2.5
Orlando Voorn (Fixomatic) — Hurt Em' Bad
Human Resource — Dominator
Shinedoe — Phunk
Donna Summer — I Feel Love
Kraftwerk — Hall of Mirrors
Grandmaster Flash — The Message
First Choice — Let No Man Put Asunder
Frankie Knuckles — Your Love

A concept by Nathan Kofi & Derk Louwes.

Made possible by Podiumkunst.net, in collaboration with Muziekweb and Beeld & Geluid.

Want to lie down? Bring a mat.

Hall: Grote Zaal