EXCLUSIVE: Interview with duo LNY TNZ

LNY TNZ are a Dutch DJ duo, made up of Mitchell Vreeswijk and Jan Stadhouders. Having teamed up in the hometown of Vlaardingen, the duo set about creating their own unique sound, pushing musical boundaries along the way.

During their career so far, LNY TNZ have already toured around the world, including performances at huge festivals such as Tomorrowland and EDC Vegas. They’ve also appeared on numerous compilation CDs, and have released their own tracks and collaborations, noting Hardwell as a particular supporter.

As LNY TNZ continue to embrace their ‘FVCK GENRES’ mantra, we recently spoke to the duo about their most recent track ‘Set You Free’, the biggest musical challenges they’ve faced and what the future has in store for them.

Hi guys, welcome to CelebMix! Can you tell us how you decided to form LNY TNZ?

As young kids we already had a great passion for music. We both played the saxophone and some other instruments when we were youngsters. We were both really obsessed with music. At the age of 16 we both went out to all different kind of clubs in Holland and Belgium where we started experiencing a wider range of music. At that time there was no internet, so all the club tracks could only be heard in the clubs or record stores. For this reason we always visited Mid-Town records in Rotterdam to listen to all the latest 12-inch records. From that moment on we knew we had to make some music together which would be playable for DJ’s in the clubs and that’s what we did, for fun!

Is music something you’ve always wanted to do, or did you have another career path in mind?

We have both finished our studies and have run some businesses in the past. Music was always a hobby and a side project in our spare time. At some point we hooked up with the Yellow Claw guys and released our ‘comeback’ single “Last Night Ever” back in August 2014. From this moment on we decided to focus on music as a full-time business. We are doing full time studio work now and travel the world in the weekends to play at festivals and clubs. It’s like a dream came true and we are really lucky and happy that we have turned our passion into our business!

You recently released a new track called ‘Set You Free’. What was the inspiration behind the track?

Our inspiration for our latest single “Set You Free” is that it is a great mix between different ingredients of different styles of music. We get our inspiration from listening to a wide variety of music. We have tried to combine some pop influences with trap, hardstyle kicks and future bass. The future bass influences in our latest singles “Burn It Down” and “Set You Free”, is something we have never done before. Of course, we have also tried to experiment with some harder style sounds like heavy kicks and some screechy synths. But now we made them less heavy and more radio friendly. But it still gives this unique raw edge to the song. We think this single really turned out to something fresh and we are very lucky that the people seem to like it. We receive a lot of national and international radio support which is great. We recently also dropped a club mix of “Set You Free” which is a free download on our Soundcloud page. We think this version works better for our live sets. It is a little more rough. Go check it out now!

The track has been supported by Hardwell on his radio show. What does it feel like to have the support of such a music heavyweight?

It was really great to have our new single “Set You Free” premiered on Hardwell’s radio show. Hardwell told us he really liked the track from the moment he heard it. After Hardwell’s show where he aired “Set You Free” we immediately received a lot of great feedback and messages from the fans. We didn’t really know how the people would react because we think it is a really experimental sound. At this moment the major Dutch radio stations are already supporting the track, so we are really happy. The numbers on Spotify are also growing, so this is really awesome!

You’re known for pushing the boundaries of EDM, embracing the term FVCK GENRES. You’ve experimented with a number of genres – where do you see your music heading in the next few years?

We are really happy that we can experiment with our sound and we are not limited to one single style of genre. We hear some artist complaining that if they experiment in their tracks or live sets that their fans don’t really appreciate it. The great thing is that our fans expect us to experiment. For now we would just like to keep experimenting and work with different artists with all different backgrounds. Once again: FVCK GENRES!

We will be hosting multiple festivals with our own FVCK GENRES stage. We will invite DJ’s and liveacts we really like and support. Just expect a lot of energy and a wide variety of music.

You’ve been in the music industry for a long time now – what are the biggest challenges/changes you’ve faced during your career?

In the beginning it was really hard to get your music out there. As an artist you were always dependent on an label. Nowadays, you can start building your own online fanbase and whenever you release something new your fans will get it in their face on social media and are one click away to listen, download and share it. This is a great development. After the breakthrough of internet most artists were really struggling with making money with their music because of all the illegal downloading. Now we have Spotify and other great legal streaming platforms which makes it really easy for the consumers to listen to their favourite music while the artist makes their money.

What’s the one thing about your hometown of Vlaardingen which has inspired you the most musically?

Most of the time we get our inspiration from traveling, meeting new people and playing at different festivals. There is nothing really that inspires us in our hometown besides our brand new studio complex with three new studios and an office.

You’ve toured a lot across the world, stopping at a number of famous festivals including Tomorrowland. Is there a particular gig that you’re most excited for this summer?

This year we will be playing EDC Vegas for the fourth year in a row. Even now this is one of the highlights of the year. There are no words to describe the feeling of playing at this great festival. The whole crowd, the vibe and the experience is just phenomenal. We have already received so much online support since we have announced that we will be back at EDC Vegas this year. We better see you there!

Early on in your career, you took some time out after touring to study, travel and work on other art forms. When you’re not busy with your music, what do you currently like to do to relax?

We both like to travel. So, even when we are not on tour and have some free time we go out to explore new places where we have never been before or we just stay home, read a book and hang out with family and friends.

What does the rest of 2017 have in store for LNY TNZ?

We are already working on out new single and we are working on a new EP with some real club bangers! We have some new merchandise coming out really soon. So, keep an eye out on our social media. We are also really looking forward to our FVCK GENRES festival hostings. We will hopefully be hosting a stage at a festival somewhere near you!

Thank you to LNY TNZ for their time! ‘Set You Free’ is available now.

Fan of LNY TNZ? Let us know on Twitter @CelebMix

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