Mijn Gasten Voor The Floor 2025

Blij als een sint! Ook dit jaar mocht ik weer mijn lievelingslegpuzzel in elkaar zetten. De doorlopende dansvloer, de rotonde, de parallelle samenleving van Best Kept Secret. Uiteraard heb ik voor al mijn (twintig!) gasten zelf de bio’s geschreven. Beroepsromanticus zijn is een serieuze zaak.

Here we go!

askmelater

Few DJ’s play UK Garage, jungle breaks and house beats with more soul than askmelater. Always on the hunt for that one song that moves the body but more so breaks the heart into a 1001 pieces of pure joy. Starting the day at Lowlands, closing the day at WAS. (after Interplanetary Criminal) or transcending daytime all together with their own radioshow (Adventures In Paradise), askmelater is a force of nature to witness for that momentary blissness.

Black Country, New Road

Right in the release week of their beautiful new album The Floor is infinitely proud to announce that Black Country, New Road will be performing a DJ Set at Best Kept Secret. Singer, flautist and saxophonist Lewis Evans is flying over just to share his favourite tunes with us lucky bastards. Judging from his wonderful Blue Harbour radioshow this is going to be a bizarre ride to the far side. Playing indie, soul, pop or whatever new road he wants to take us on. Thrilled!

Charlie Avalon

While the perfume of The Dare is still floating mid-air, the girls of Charlie Avalon go on killing sprees, murdering the dance floor with their proven indiesleaze sound. Indiesleaze is the name of their current club night at Paradiso. Indiesleaze is every kind of music since the zeroes that makes you go yeah yeah yeah. Indiesleaze is admitting that you’re jealous of Charlie Rombach and Avalon Peters playing all the favourite tunes of your restless girlfriend.

Chibi Ichigo

The energy of The Prodigy mixed with the vulnerability of a Japanese strawberry. Sabina Nurijeva knows how to disrupt. Plans are boring. Intentions are real. Songs like Gracht or Paranoia are instant winners on every festival dance floor. But will she bring them to her first ever DJ Set? It’s punk, it’s rave, it’s rap, it’s your problem, it’s her freedom, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Chibi Ichigo!

Cosmic Coco

Obsessed with curating music for any mood, diving into sample trivia, and celebrating everything groovy and joyful, Cosmic Coco is from another galaxy putting us in ecstasy. Okay, actually she is from Tilburg, but that doesn’t stop her from flying into hyperspace pushed forward by the music she grew up on. Expect a retro-futuristic take on afro, jazz, pop and disco. Like a modern day Jamiroquai, transmitting on your frequency. She’s cosmic.

DJ Storm

A huge influence on Nia Archives, the first lady of drum ’n bass, founder of the infamous Metalheadz label, call her what you want but be sure to represent when this legendary DJ hits the decks. Her DJ Kicks compilation together with forever soulmate Kemistry still stands as the only drum ’n bass mix in the long running series. A role model for women in the industry, still performing worldwide. Storm will be ours for one precious hour. It’s Friday, we’re in love!

Erol Alkan

As far as crowning glories go, this is it. The Floor was there since the very first edition of Best Kept Secret (but was called The Four back in the days). The music of Erol Alkan has been played year after year by a wide range of guest DJ’s. His edits, his remixes and his own productions are the foundation ánd the future of left-field dance floors all over the world. The fact that the sultan of London swing decided to come over for one hour brought this humble host of The Floor to tears. A hold on love in cynical times.

Hiba Salameh

With her art, films and activism Hiba travels the world to tell stories of Palestinian culture. As a DJ she rapidly wins hearts and minds with her border crossing sounds. Playing from Ramallah to Haifa and from Berlin to Toronto with only one piercing thought on her mind: “to bring joy, especially to oppressed, unheard people.” We can’t wait to give Hiba our welcoming Floor-treatment for her first performance in The Netherlands.

Jazz Dalia

A defiantly free spirit within the UK bass inspired DJ scene. Raised on soul and rap, while playing Chopin on the piano, Jazz Dalia is not here for the hype. After finding her feet in Tilburg she is now slowly but surely taking over Dutch nightlife (Garage Noord, PIP, NAR). As a true sharpshooter, she keeps a keen eye on all sounds bubbling underground. Garage, Jungle, House, UK Bass, we will always be together in electric dreams as long as Jazz Dalia is playing.

Katja Isabella

“A DJ’s job is to channel the vast ocean of recorded sound into a single unforgettable set” Bill Brewster once wrote. Be it new wave, leftfield pop or electronics, Katja Isabella is one of the most eclectic DJ’s on this years Floor menu. With a soft spot for loud beauty the devoted host of EKKO’s long running Diep In De Groef clubnights doesn’t need to raise her ego to let her music speak. Make no mistake: she will take you to higher places you can’t reach without her.

Kléo

French-born DJ, producer and visual artist. Schooled by vinyl’s technicalities, her sets span the full spectrum of House. Honouring the legacy of the Holy Trinity of dance music cities—Chicago, New York, and Detroit—rooted in the Black lineage of Disco, Funk, Soul and Jazz. Kléo embraces the essence of House culture as a movement of resilience, built on the belief that music and dance can dismantle barriers and heal communities. The Floor can only say ‘amen’ to that.

Maha

Congratulations on your new Ramones shirt, but there is only one true punk and her name is Maha Eljak. A Black muslim artist from Sneek with a background in modelling and a future in DIY art, music and activism. The second edition of her own zine had a joyous release in Paradiso and for The Floor she will take us on a wild safari through punky, alternative and Sudanese music. A nuclear error, but I have no fear, ‘cause MAHA is playing at my house, my house!

Megra

Swedish DJ and producer Megra is responsible for the best UK Bass inspired dance music of the moment. Or should we say future? Heavily on the rise, Megra can count Best Kept Secret headliners as Four Tet, Jamie XX and Caribou amongst his fans. His productions are just as Big Room as they are underground. Travelling to The Floor for exactly the same time slot as Sammy Virji last year. This can only mean another golden hour to cherish for life.

Nederland vs België (Eppo Janssen vs St. Paul)

The Derby of the Low Countries! Believe me, in Dutch this does sound good! And in Flemish too! Either way, the finale of Saturday at The Floor promises to be a unique clash of the titans. A one-time back to back between two professional pop nerds from both sides of the border. And because polarization sucks, Paul will play the Belgian tunes and Eppo the Dutch counter attack. A getting together of the two countries that make up Best Kept Secret. No dubio. No Pluto. It’s St. Paul versus Eppo!

Nonchelange Yacht Rock DJ Set

Somewhere on the vast ocean between Cody Chesnutt, Blood Orange and Michael McDonald floats the wonder-stuffed music of NONCHELANGE. Rumour has it that his mother is a member of K3 and goes by the name of Henk. What a fool believes, he sees. One thing is for sure: all the members of his band are massive Yacht fans. Inspired by their heroes of Soulwax they will play their own edits of favourite sun-loving rock tunes and ride like the wind!

Palmbomen II

Before a dubious word like chillwave, before the 80s synth revival, before Stranger Things ánd before Drive, there was Palmbomen. Moon Children still stands as one of the best EPs ever written in Holland. And now Palmbomen II is about to release new music under the title Dancing & Crying. Which is the perfect title to describe his DJ-ing. Buckle up for a starry-eyed trip that, in the words of Pitchfork, will find emotional resonance with those who choose to listen.

Spinvis

No one needs to lose their religion as long as Spinvis is around. Always two steps ahead of pop culture. Beloved by Joost, Froukje, their parents ánd their grandparents. His songs are like pictures that you forgot to take. Moments in time that say everything about your life. After his dj set at The Four during BKS17, Belgian newspaper De Morgen called him a wonderfully adverse pyromaniac. We simply can not wait to let him light up the end of the world as we know it again!

Thang

Gueto de Ghent, represent! Thang is raised on the same streets that spawned other eclecticus artisticus geniuses like 2manydjs and The Glimmers. He is the musical director for international fashion houses such a Dries van Noten and Delvaux. Yes, his remixes have been streamed millions of times, but it’s his DJ-ing that really awakens the musical junky in all of us. Ready for The Floor boasting decades of thrusted dance music. Let us embrace this allround ghentle soul. Pun intended!

VOLPEVOLPE

In a time where everyone you meet is a photographer, journalist and DJ, the most vital thing for upcoming talent is to have your own signature. Whether this is related to sound, attitude or feel doesn’t matter as long as it’s distinctive. Luckily, VOLPEVOLPE has it all. Like DAF or Helena Hauff before her, she finds her intergalactic home somewhere in the safe space between EBM and electro. The best answer to the parallel universe of Michael Kiwanuka that The Floor could wish for on a summer Sunday.

P.S.Y.C.H.E.D.