14 FAKTS INTERVIEW WITHROOLÉH

Q: Please introduce yourself

My name is Ruud Koole, but most people in the industry know me as “Rooléh”. I’m a 25 year old DJ & producer from Amsterdam. 

Q: One person you'd dream to have a coffee with?

There are many people (mostly producers) I dream of drinking coffee with. My top pick would be Rick Rubin, because he’s so good at what he does and has been involved in so many different projects other than house music. I’d like to get new inspiration from him and see his view on my music & the industry. 

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

I’d like to be able to travel time and go back to the start of all new genres like Hip-Hop, disco & house. Just to be able to hear those classics for the first time when they were released and witness the start of a new era. 

Q: If you would have been given the chance to do a film score, what movie would you choose and why?

I’d choose 8 mile road, just to see Eminem doing a freestyle rap battle on one of my beats. 

Q: Who has been the most influential in your music career? And why?

As a producer I’ve always felt inspired by Anotr. Mostly because of their productions but also because you could just tell they are 2 humble guys doing what they love the most. As a DJ, I get inspired by Luciano, because his sets are all about combining different loops and atmospheres which is exactly what I’m on the moment. 

Q: Tell us about your journey, what got you to where you are today?

I’ve started producing right when the first lockdown hit, around April 2020. After watching a few tutorials, I immediately got addicted to it. After my first year I got requested to join the Masters of NL talent program, where I was mentored by artists like Michel de Hey, Franky Rizardo, Anil Aras and others. After 2 years I got in contact with Darius Syrossian, he gave me my first proper gigs in the UK and an EP on his label Moxy Muzik. Now, 4 years after I made my first track, I feel like I’ve finally found my sound and a direction I want to go to. 

Q: Everyone goes through ups and downs, what’s one habit you adopt to push through the downs?

In my personal life I like to go to the gym when I’m not feeling well or if I’m having a bad day mentally. In my career, I just fuel myself with energy every time I get a setback or every time I get the thought: “why is he getting that gig and I’m not” or “why did his track get signed and mine didn’t”. If there’s one thing I’ve been telling myself for the past 4 years when I’m having these thoughts, it’s that if you keep releasing good music, at some point, you can’t be ignored anymore. So just keep going and good things will come. 

Q: Can you recall a DJ set or performance of yours that remains unforgettable to you? Where did it take place, and what makes it stand out among all others?

There was this one time where I played in a club in Luzern, Switzerland. The day after the gig, as I was walking around the beautiful city, I spotted this château right on this hill overlooking the entire lake & city. I said to myself that day: how cool would it be to throw a party there. One year later, I got a message from the promoter of the club saying they’re doing an event at Château Gutsch and they want me to do a closing set. When I looked it up online, it turned out to be that exact same château I was looking at the year before. I could not believe it. When I arrived a couple months later, the weather was sunny, the sound system was really good and the vibes were intimate. It was a day I will never forget. 

Q: How has your music style evolved over the years?

I started off with making edits. In my first year I only wanted to make tracks with big vocals and lots of long buildups and breaks. Since then, I find that I’ve moved towards loop house, with more hypnotic loops and groove rather than breaks and big vocals. I’ve also been using my own voice recently and I’ve made one track called “Some Time” which has received massive feedback already. 

Q: If you were to venture into another music genre, which one would you choose and why?

Hip-Hop for sure. I’ve already made some Hip-Hop beats, and I’ve noticed that the sample-based method I use for house works very well with Hip-Hop. 

Q: Could you name 3 tracks that got you into electronic music and why?

Faithless – Insomnia. When I was still a kid, my dad would always play us this track when we were driving. He would blast the volume to max and our whole family would be fist pumping anytime the track came on.

Heads Will Roll – A-Track Remix. As an 11-year-old kid, I’d listen to this every time I biked to school. It was one of the first electronic tracks beside Insomnia that I really liked.

Jeff Mills – The Bells. I used to go to techno raves all the time when I was around the age of 18. With Jeff Mills being my favorite artist at that time, I used to listen to this track a lot before I got into house music. 

Q: Can you recommend a hidden gem in your home country that would be perfect for a rave?

I’m hosting my own event called A New Concept (ANC) on the beach at my hometown Castricum. There are a lot of nice events on the beach in the Netherlands, but most of them are more like clubs, with a wooden or concrete floor and a big fence surrounding it. At ANC we are standing on the beach with a handmade wooden DJ booth and a simple stretch tent, giving you the actual feeling of a spontaneous beach party. For me this is the perfect setting for a rave. 

Q: Could you tell us about your upcoming releases and plans for the year?

With my Cécille EP in Feburary, my South EP in July and 3 more EP’s to come, I can confidently say that this is by far my biggest year in my career so far. I’ve still got a lot of unsigned tracks but I’m saving those for next year to keep the momentum going. 

Q: Can you share a fun fact about yourself that most of your listeners are probably unaware of?

I’m also a part time PE teacher at a high school in Amsterdam.