Joris Voorn: Form and function

There have been a few distinct phases to the career of Joris Voorn. In the early 2000s he emerged as a techno producer with real promise, pricking ears with his Lost Memories EPs and a firing live show. His second album From a Deep Place lived up to its title, proving he could move with ease from full-throttle to gently atmospheric.

That deft mastery of mood was there again on his much-admired DJ mix Balance 014, which seemed to signal a new phase. Since that release, DJing has been Voorn’s primary focus, despite casually releasing well-timed bombs like Sweep The Floor and The Secret.

As is inevitable, some fans of the Dutchman’s mid-2000s sound have been less enthused by his shift towards functional tech-house. However, in 2011 he promises an album that re-energises his experimental streak, even hinting that it won’t be tied to four-four at all.

In his current phase, Joris Voorn is a name in high-demand. He’s ticking off Global Gathering, EXIT Festival, South West Four and Creamfields this Northern summer, as well as an ongoing role at We Love…Space in Ibiza. In a peak-time club or festival tent, Voorn doesn’t want to get too cerebral. His sets are loopy and almost relentlessly groovy, with splashes of vocals and plenty of swelling, dramatic moments.

As he packs his bag to head back our way, Voorn checks in again with inthemix.

As ever, your upcoming tour schedule is pretty demanding. Is there time in between the travel for spending in the studio?
I always do in between the weekends. I do tend to work every day in the studio. There’s a lot of preparing for my DJ sets, doing all sorts of remixing, so sometimes it’s hard to find really good-quality studio time where you can really sit down and do something.

I make edits of a lot of tracks, as well as some classics that I’d really like to play again but they’re oddly arranged. Mostly I’ll just do these when I’m on the road, in a plane on Ableton. But there’s a lot of work in those, as well. Just all sorts of things I want to try out on the weekends.

Your DJing style has certainly shifted over the years. Do you think moving to Traktor has played a part in that?
I think it’s a complete difference. I’m very happy with the way it works, and all the possibilities that you have. For me, I don’t think I could go back to playing with just CDs or vinyl. Maybe sometimes you have to be careful with Traktor that you still keep the musical elements in there, but I think it allows me to do so much more and take people to a different level.