On a sunny day in Amsterdam's Houthavens, we meet Paul Fluks & Daniel Berends at Yellow House. On top of the yellow bridge, under the beaming sun, we drink a beer, get to know each other, and talk about music.
Who are you? Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your connection to this place & music?
Paul: I'm an Amsterdammer, born and raised, with a background in Horeca (hospitality industry). This is my second venture after Paaseiland on Stenen Hoofd. I am a digger & DJ and love spending (a lot of) time on Discogs.
Daniel: I'm from Amersfoort but I've moved to Amsterdam because of the energy of this city. I fell in love with electronic music at I Love Techno in 2005. I produce music myself under Shakèd. It's nice to have a space like this where I can listen to the music I make.
To us, Horeca is a place for creativity. This whole area (Campus Image Wharf) used to be a pile of sand, now there's a whole new neighborhood with new media, fashion, and places like Yellow House. We first got in touch around 4 years ago. The space was completely empty at the end of 2019 and we managed to do an opening party on the 8th of October in 2020 for 30 people. Sadly, a week later, after the new lockdown got announced, we did a closing party for the same 30 people.
Initially, we wanted a cool bar with nice food but the space was asking for something more, something music. Getting the permit wasn't too hard because there wasn't anything else around at the time. Now we have a nice sound system that goes well with the energy of the space. It started as a meeting spot for our friends but quickly & organically grew into a full house.
Around 9-10pm we move the tables to the side. We have a license 'til 3 so we can get in a good couple of hours of dancing.
Tell us about the sound system/booth, please!
We have a Void system with surround sound, RCF subs, and tops. Having this omnidirectional system gives a different perception of the music. You're (almost) always in the sweet spot.
Before the end of the year, we want to invest into an even better system.
The booth is custom built by Hoerboard in Berlin and houses 2 Technics, 2 limited edition CDJ2000 Nexus, and an Allen & Heath Xone96 mixer.
What’s in the name?
The name is a result of the architecture and environment we're in. The bridge up to our floor is central to the 'Image Wharf' (the building complex we're in) and it's painted in a bright yellow. The reflection of the sun can light it up completely sometimes. We are the house on top of the yellow bridge, hence the name: 'Yellow House'.
What’s on the menu?
In the evening we run a small cocktail list, serving mixed drinks; cold beer & a selection of mostly natural wines. We offer some bar snacks, and a big list of appetizers, paying special attention to the music.
During the day we operate as a lunchroom and workspace where we serve a fixed-price lunch for the community and various healthy and comforting meals to stimulate the working mind.
What is your sound?
We want to keep it fresh and interesting and do something a bit different than the rest of the scene. Because of the acoustics of the space, a more minimal, subtle, electronic music sounds best here. That can be House or Techno but not necessarily, we want to avoid labeling ourselves too much. We like music with a bit more depth, something that can make you feel emotional or sexy. The DJs playing here play extended sets of 3 or more hours.
You can find Yellow House's program on Instagram and see for yourself. We also asked for some music that fits the Yellow House feeling which you can listen to here:
Where do you see the place in the next 1-5 years?
We'll have our first ADE this year which is pretty exciting. We want to follow what the space needs and grow organically and let's hope to be here for a long time to come!
Yellow House is located on top of the yellow bridge at Image Wharf, at Danzigerbocht 45-R, in Amsterdam. Opening hours are 10:00 to 17:00 on Tuesday & Wednesday, Thursday from 10:00 to 01:00, and Friday & Saturday from 10:00 to 03:00.
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