Get to know Satori, the Dutch artist leading Ibiza’s nomadic movement

There’s always been a misconception in clubland that bigger crowds require a higher BPM rate. But in Ibiza, where Satori got his big break at Heart in 2015, and later for WooMooN at Cova Santa in 2016, the Dutchman is busy proving that a myth. “Not only can I play after a techno DJ dropping 130 BPMs, I can make my music sound even more dynamic,” he says.

For standard DJs relying on two CDJs, implementing Satori’s trick would be impossible. “But when you’re playing live, tempo becomes a relative thing,” Satori explains. “If I go straight from 118 to 105 BPM, people will fall asleep. So I have to drop all the way down to 70 BPM and then climb back up to 105 in one minute. When I do this the performance becomes super-uplifting. The crowd have the illusion that I’m getting faster, but they don’t realise I’ve actually dropped the tempo massively. Then, when I release the kick, suddenly you get hands in the air. Get it right and tempo becomes an instrument in itself. It’s psychedelic!”

If you haven’t seen Satori live, prepare to have your mind altered and your consciousness expanded. “I run two laptops,” he continues. “The first contains sample and stamp clips I launch with Ableton. The second has a library of sounds I’ve recorded myself and play via keyboard, drum computer, flute and synth. This is what makes my show super-live. Every night is a blank canvas; nothing is pre-programmed. I love the fact that there’s so much risk in my sets. For me and for the crowd it’s nice to be adventurous!”