Music makes
you stronger

Mats van Wijk is a busy man. He’s studying international business and management, starting a job at PIV Records and is determined to make it in the music industry. This summer, he performed at the pre-party of the House Fabrique Festival in Gouda, had a gig in Bali, Indonesia and he’s hungry for more. Let’s see where it all started for DJ Mattason and how he combines music and fitness in his daily life.

First gig: slamming success or epic failure?

“Looking back now, I have to say it was an epic failure. I was a bit nervous of course, had no experience and I had to use other equipment than I was used to. I was constantly worried to make a mistake. On the other hand, I loved every minute of that first gig. The vibe was relaxed, and everybody had a great time. It was an after at a rooftop in Gouda. About 100 people that kept on going until sunrise. The feeling you get when you contribute to the fun people have. For me, that’s magic. I knew immediately I wanted to do it again.”

Your best, weirdest, craziest ADE memory is?

“Every year, ADE gets more and more intense. The number of events is growing and two years ago, I started going to inspirational talks and conferences as well. It gives me the opportunity to meet a lot of new people from all over the world who all have their own interesting story. But the best thing about ADE is that that so many people with the same passion come together at one place. You can feel it everywhere in the city. The atmosphere changes during ADE. Last year, I visited Rush Hour, a record shop in Amsterdam. House legend Louie Vega from New York was behind the decks and the people that were present enjoyed his music in such an intense way. They went totally crazy for hours in a small record shop, while others were just browsing through the records. I never experienced something like this before.”

This years ADE must go’s are..?

“All events of PIV of course! Thursday they’re hosting an event in Claire and Friday in Madam in the ‘A’dam Toren’. Both are sold out, but we have some last tickets available at the door. I’m looking forward to discovering some new artists there. On Sunday, I’m definitely going to Fuse London. Mostly because Toman and Archie Hamilton will perform there.”

How do you stay healthy as a beginning DJ with a busy schedule?

“It’s a cliché, but I drink a lot of water. And I work out regularly. Two or three times a week at TrainMore Amsterdam Singel. Fitness mostly, but recently I joined a Brooklyn Fitboxing class and that was great. Sometimes, if my girlfriend asks really nicely, I go for a run with her as well. Not my favorite thing to do, but since I quit smoking two months ago it gets better and I feel really energized after.

Your ultimate guilty pleasure is..?

“Stay in bed on a Sunday all day long, watch movies and then order in food. Preferably ‘broodje Zeedijk’ from ‘Slagerij Vet’, so delicious. Everyone should try it once.”

You have to choose: never work out again or never get booked again?

“Never work out again, definitely. I have a clear goal in mind and that’s to have a successful career in this business. As a DJ, or as a booker or artist manager. Maybe I’ll start my own agency one day. Time will tell if this is going to happen, but I’m at least going to try. And a night behind the decks is a workout as well!

At TrainMore we believe that music makes you stronger. With our own music channel TrainMore FM we motivate our members to get the most out of every workout. The DJ booths in our Black Label clubs are regularly taken over by musical talent. With their live sessions, ‘our DJs’ always take the vibe in our gyms to the next level. Need some motivation for your next workout? Check out our SoundCloud. There you can find some mixtapes of DJ Mattason as well!