FIBER Podcast 028 Area Forty_One

FIBER Podcast

After a period of laid back summer vibes, the new FIBER podcast contributor directly aims for the brain; Area Forty_One, that is! The eponymous Dutch DJ and producer presents a deep electro infused mix that taps into the auditory cortex. With releases on Field, Ann Aimee and Delsin, such as Nocturnal Passions Part I, Discharging Clouds and his remix for Jacques Greene on LuckyMe, Area Forty_One aka Dennis van Gemert is an up and coming artist with some highly acclaimed releases.

As he’s been associated with a generation of artists emerging from Friesland, it seems that the northern province of the Netherlands is a breeding ground for techno artists. After Mohlao and Conforce, Dennis is the third Frisian contributor to this series. This is, however, rather peculiar since most youngsters in that area are moving out to other parts of the country. In turn, a growing local subculture of young producers responsible for this development seems unlikely. But, then again, this could be one of the sources that actually inspires their gloomy sounds.

In addition, we could consider the eclectic surroundings of ‘‘t Fryske Gea’ (the Frisian landscape) as subliminally contributing to the Frisian sound: The vast rural landscapes and intimate villages combined with the drama of the cloudy skies, and the parcelling of agricultural land make up the spacious atmospheres and the variable techno and electro rhythms that characterize the productions of Conforce, Delta Funktionen, VC-118A, and Area Forty_One.

Van Gemert however, does not mention this, but talks about artists that inspire him. namely: J.T.C., Convextion and Legowelt among others. DJ-wise he refers to Intergalactic Gary, a guy associated with that other place in the Netherlands known for its electro sounds; The Hague. “Let’s say about a year ago, I got introduced to Intergalactic Gary’s DJ-sets. His sets inspire me both as a DJ and producer. The way he blends different styles and eras is very unique to me, very colourful sets. Of course there are a few other good DJ’s around, but at the moment, especially when it comes to record selection, I-G is my first choice!”

Regarding his future plans he has gained new studio experience and offers glimpses of upcoming releases. “Currently I’m working on a live-set. I have some gear from my humble studio hooked up to Live! (never worked with that sequencer before), and it’s definitely a new challenge and a lot of fun. Besides that, I’m working on a few different musical projects, which will end up as E.P’s sooner or later. For now I can’t be more specific about it, but it will eventually end up in your local recordstore ;-).”

Earlier we philosophized a bit about the origins of the Frisian sound. If we combine these notions with Dennis’ preference for Surrealism and Absurdism, René Magritte’s painting Voice of Space (la Voix des Airs) made in1931 seems as a suitable work for this mix. In similar vein as to Area Forty_One’s productions, the Belgian painter used his skills with academic precision to create compelling effects. Let the accompanying artwork with its Renaissance-like landscape and its distorted floating bells therefore be a mysterious resonance of this podcast.