20 photos from the deep and eclectic BUDX Amsterdam

One of the most vibrant and culturally rich cities in Europe, Amsterdam is a certified hotbed of music, art, fashion and for two days, BUDX headed to the Dutch capital to bring its vision to the masses. From September 25 to 26, we ventured to Amsterdam for two days and nights of panels, workshops and parties.

The events took place at Temp., one of the city's freshest new venues that recently hosted the Dekmantel By Night after parties in August. As usual, BUDX welcomed the freshest new talent to play alongside some of the world's most heralded artists, resulting in a fusion of outstanding music.

Day one saw four panels that explored a wide range of music and culture topics. We kicked things off with a discussion about sustainable festivals and how the Netherlands is home to a collection of forward thinking music events that are setting an example for the rest of the global scene to follow. The LGBTQ+ roots of club culture was the topic of session two and included insight from Amsterdam Night Mayor, Shamiro van der Geld.

We also took a deep dive into how Amsterdam's taste within culture shapes the world, featuring the likes of filmmaker and storyteller Emma Westenberg of Halal, audiovisual artist Nick Verstand and sound designer Salvador Breed. Our final panel of the day was an interview with Dutch heroes and the world-renowned Detroit Swindle. They talked about their influences, how they made their way to the front of the circuit and how the Netherlands music scene has been instrumental in their success.

As day turned to night, BUDX showcased an evening of house music perfection with the hotly tipped Kamma starting things off right. Continuing the Dutch run of talent is Dekmantel-affiliate and local pioneer Tom Trago. His set of off-kilter and soulful electronica was one of the highlights before Detroit Swindle took to the stage with their trademark, groove-fuelled house.

Then came the master, one of dance music's most beloved figures, of course it's King Kerri Chandler. The former Mixmag cover-star Kerri Chandler is one of house music's originators and has been injecting soul into music since the early nineties. His productions, of which he has released well over 100, have been a staple of the scene for decades and he’s one of the most popular and well-loved names within the genre. When it comes to house music, they don’t get much bigger than Kerri Chandler and his set at BUDX Amsterdam was one to remember.

Day 2 focused more on hip-hop and its surrounding sub-cultures and our panels touched upon the corners of art and music. Our first panel explored just that, the beautiful fusion of art and fashion and by talking to Karim Afifi of Daily Paper, Maru Asmellash of The New Originals and Virgil Chocolaad of Patta we looked at how the two combine to become more than the sum of their parts. In the second panel, we looked at what type of cultural infrastructure a city needs to have in order to stimulate new cultural initiatives and underground movements.

The final panel focused on the new generation of beatmakers from the Dutch capital as we spoke to Niaggi, Roselilah and Styn about their plans on how to shape the future of the scene and what's inspired them the most.

Party time meant inviting some of the freshest hip-hop and bass-focused talent that Amsterdam has to offer with the likes of Jarreau Vandal, Ray Fuego (live), Full Crate and Rachel Green performing. Headlining the event was Benji B, a tastemaker that needs little introduction.

Benji is a figure who has steered movements and always kept his sights firmly on the future and numerous acts have him to thank in launching their names. His work with Kanye West, notably on the track 'Fade' from 'Life of Pablo' saw him gain new levels of recognition and his regular BBC Radio One show welcomes guests of the highest caliber every week.

This rounded-up one of our deepest and most soulful BUDX excursions to date. Keep your eyes peeled for the sets, streams and panels from the event here.