Belgian beats part 1/3: Meet Antwerp DJs Discobaar A Moeder

The success of eccentric Antwerp DJ duo Discobaar A Moeder lies in their mix of any music you can shake your hips to. “Everybody gets rewarded with our very democratic playlist,” says Wouter “Schele” Hoet, who chooses the music, while Gunter “Ras” Van Reusel acts as Master of Ceremonies. “Everyone gets their moment. We play it all: new wave, hard rock, mambo, cha-cha-cha, rock’n’roll, samba, reggae and Flemish schlager.”

During their set, seriousness is constantly under attack from the playful, unexpected playlist and a never-ending series of funny rhymes in Antwerp dialect. The pink plastic flamingo on the DJ desk serves as a metaphor for a vital mission. “People are way too serious,” says Hoet. “If audiences see we’re having fun, they’ll join us.”

Other DJ duos such as Discobar Galaxie, 2ManyDJs and, more recently, Mensch, Erger Je Niet have offered an alternative to the often one-dimensional dance-floor beats of the ’90s by mixing things up and going eclectic. Discobaar A Moeder counter the professional mixing of their colleagues with a looser approach and tracks you can sing along to without the risk of being ridiculed.

“We’re not in it to deliver the perfect mix; we don’t even prepare our sets,” says Van Reusel. “But it’s precisely this carefree atmosphere that tells the audience they can relax and dance without having to be cool.”

Big mouth

Another advantage of their nonchalant approach is that they welcome requests from the fans. “For most DJs, this is a real horror, but to us it’s part of the vibe,” says the MC, who hits people up with his rhymes as he calls out for group hugs. All through the microphone, his weapon of choice.

Van Reusel has been familiar with the power of the mic since he became a member of the Far West Crew sound system in 1993. Under the Ras Gunti pseudonym he helped bring Jamaican reggae and dub sounds to Antwerp.

In fact, that’s where Discobaar A Moeder picked up the tradition of performing with a selector, who’s responsible for playing the 33-inch vinyl records, and a Master of Ceremonies talking to his audience in rhyme. “I’m pretty sure that our direct communication with the audience has added to our success,” says Van Reusel.

Though they “have a big mouth,” he says, “people don’t feel intimidated by us because we respect them, putting on nice suits and mixing local anthems such as Jimmy Frey’s ‘Saragossa’ with classics such as Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ or Motörhead’s ‘Ace of Spades’.”

Discobaar A Moeder (Disco Bar Your Mother, in Antwerp dialect) got started when their favourite hangout, cafe De Kroon in Borgerhout, asked them to DJ one evening nearly 15 years ago. From playing local bars and fairs, they gradually became a Flemish phenomenon, bringing out two compilation CDs (Volle Gas and 2de Vitesse), showing up on Flemish TV (they had a weekly guest spot on the prime time show Iedereen Beroemd) and, this summer, a radio show on Studio Brussel.

That’s quite an achievement for a duo without a master plan or even the slightest advertising campaign. “Just once we printed posters to promote our DJ set,” Hoet says. “We wanted to distribute them during a pub crawl, but we only managed to do three bars…”

Despite the success, they’ve kept their jobs in social care. “We could make a living from our sets,” Van Reusel says, “but then it would turn into a real job. Now it can be an outlet.”

Good time for all

Their biggest appearances to date have been during the annual Night Of The Proms in the Antwerp Sportpaleis. Playing with the symphonic orchestra II Novecento, led by conductor Robert Groslot, was a totally new experience. But there was more: Van Reusel got to sing a duet with the American R&B diva Angie Stone.

“Of course, she didn’t know us at all,” he says. “We were only introduced a few hours before the first show. I still remember the scene: ‘This is Ras. He will sing with you, replacing Snoop Dogg.’ She was probably thinking: ‘Oh no, do I really have to go through this?’.

“I still remember I had to walk up to her after 2:35, but she was startled, as if she’d already forgotten me. Maybe it wasn’t a top-notch performance, but we definitely had a good time, and I think the audience did, too.”

And isn’t that exactly their mission? At least that’s what article 3 of their Barak A Bomma (Barrack Your Grandma, again in Antwerp dialect) charter says: “The association’s aim is to contribute to a more pleasant society – by means of musical interventions – by urging the audience to dance with enthusiasm.”

It’s Laundry Day

Discobaar A Moeder are performing at Antwerp’s 12-stage Laundry Day dance festival next weekend. It isn’t the first time they’ve been invited to play the event, so they’re aware those attending the festival on the left bank of the Scheldt aren’t there because of them.

“We’re considered a guilty pleasure,” Van Reusel says. “The kids come to our set to relax for a moment from the bouncing, pumping beats, to sing along to some real music and have fun.”

In its 19th edition, the festival is eager to move away from the Tomorrowland-style commercial superstar DJs, going back to the roots of the festival that started out in 1998 to unite fashion and beat lovers in Antwerp’s Kammenstraat shopping street. This means no more VIP area in front of the main stage, more live performances, and stages focusing on techno, house, drum’n’bass and local hip-hop talent.

The headliners are DJ and drum’n’bass producer Netsky – he released his new album, 3, in June – and house producer Claptone. For more adventurous gigs, check out the Secret Stage. Among others, Pomrad will play a live set here, accompanied by his trademark keytar and music from his funky debut album, Knights.

Laundry Day, 3 September, Middenvijver, Antwerp. Photo: Selector Wouter “Schele” Hoet (left), and MC Gunter “Ras” Van Reusel, courtesy Laundry Day