In this exclusive interview, Nicholas Gunn shares his time at the Amsterdam Dance Event, giving us an insight into his experience and the memories he took away from this year’s event. With a mighty force, the talented Producer and Composer continues to make a name for himself within the Electronic Music realm; blending his expansive musical experiences, he continues to showcase a signature sound unlike any other, standing out in its exploration of numerous genres, like instrumental, ambient, and trance, among others.
So, as he continues to captivate genre lovers with his unique style, we look forward to talking with him and learning more about his recent stay in Amsterdam.
Hey Nicholas Gunn, how are you?
I am well, thank you for asking!
You’ve just arrived back from ADE; can you tell us about your time in Amsterdam this year? How did you find the experience?
Hectic this year. I’m now managing four artists on Blue Dot (my company) and all four were there with me this year. Back-to-back events and meetings left little time to enjoy to city, unfortunately.
Can you describe the atmosphere of the city? What were the people like?
[Four hundred thousand people] come into Amsterdam for ADE each year so the city’s population increases significantly over ADE. I’ve been coming for many years now and I always find the people friendly and decidedly Dutch – meaning direct without any false narratives or assumptions, which is a great thing.
Which Artists did you see perform? Who stood out to you?
I went to ASOT Live at Armada HQ to support Ciaran McAuley’s set (an artist I now manage) as well as check out a few other sets while there from Markus Schulz and Ben Gold. The Assured private event saw Ferry Corsten and Ben Gold as well as Ciaran McAuley playing to just a few folks. I really like those kinds of shows in my life today and ADE was filled with those kinds of shows this year. I don’t need the big ring circus anymore. I did go to Drumcode and it tripped me out how many folks were in the Gashouder. I can [only] stomach that for a short while…
What did you like most about the city?
Amsterdam is Amsterdam. It’s unto itself. It belongs to no one else. There is no duplicate. It stands alone and I love it for those reasons. It is beauty infused with mayhem, steeped in history.
Did you have any specific goals in mind for ADE this year?
Repping the four artists I now manage was priority one for me this year and that went really well.
Was there a highlight of your trip? If so, can you share it with us now?
I would say my first night just hanging with my favourite people with no real agenda, watching Ciaran perform his set at ASOT Live and the Assured event. The Assured event was unexpectedly pleasant and really enjoyable.
If you were to describe ADE to someone who has never been, what three words would you use to sum up the experience?
Saturated. You begin to see the circles of people very clearly. Everyone has a clique. If you’re looking to break in, you have a pass and you are attending all the events pounding the pavement, and catching all the shows. If you are a signed act and performing you are networking, attending the private events, and making the deals. It’s all of those dynamics in one place so it’s a melting pot of Electronic Music on every level.
In which ways would you say attending ADE inspires you?
Attending ADE each year reminds me of how far I’ve come within the genre. Not just from an artist standpoint but from a networking standpoint. I started in a very different genre in the music business, and I’ve been swimming in these waters since around 2016. Not long. I’m inspired to keep the connections alive, nurtured, and invigorated as an artist, label owner, publisher, and now music manager.
Following ADE, what do you have planned for the remainder of the year?
Between my own releases, the label’s releases, and managing the artists I have, I am now at my absolute threshold. Each day is filled with operational activities from administration to creative content creation and everything in between. The growing pains are real right now which means I’m overworked and understaffed. That’s okay by me though. For my own musical releases, November sees a track between myself and Mearzie feat. Chris Howard on vocals titled ‘My Heart’ and then in December I’m back to my roots with an ambient tune titled ‘You and I’.
Having had a busy time at ADE 2023, it is clear from our conversation that Nicholas Gunn is showing no signs of slowing down soon; with several unmissable projects coming up, including collaborations and solo releases, the end of Nicholas Gunn’s year promises to be exciting. So, as we wrap up this interview, we thank him for his time and look forward to the next installment in his captivating musical journey.
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