This month’s interview is with producer extraordinaire Space Native. Space Native has been releasing with us since 2023 and never ceases to impress. His productions are deep, progressive and often a bit raw. As some might say… they’re “very European.”
Space Native resides in The Netherlands and has a ton of releases on Capital Heaven, Complex Textures, his own Lunar Outpost Records and more.
If you’re not a fan of his work yet, let’s change that!
Dave R
Label Owner
MK837
How did growing up in Overijssel influence your approach to crafting melodic house and techno?
Funny thing is, I’ve only lived for a couple of years here in the northeast province of Overijssel, after living for 25-somewhat years in the city of Rotterdam. That city definitely shaped me musically, from early hardcore/gabba raves in my early twenties to more techno- and tech-house-oriented club nights in my thirties. During that time, I also bought quite a lot of vinyl at a shop named Basic Beat, where a young Tiësto, Michel de Hey, and Lemon8 used to work behind the counter. In this period, I was also a freelance journalist, reviewing loads of music for some Dutch dance magazines and websites, so all these tunes coming in influenced me a great deal as well, I guess.
Before Rotterdam, I lived in the southern province of Zeeland, and that’s where I first came into contact with sounds like new beat and the hard trance sound of labels like Bonzai and Dance Opera, as it was very close to Belgium. That’s the time when I really got hooked on house music and also started to experiment with tracker software to make my first productions!
Your catalog spans everything from tech-house to down-tempo—what guides your choice of style when starting a new project?
I guess that could be my mood, but most of the time it’s a certain sound from a VST plugin, or it can also be a groovy loop from a sample pack that kickstarts the flow. I can also get inspired by listening to tracks by other producers. I’ve recently discovered Dilby — what massive tunes and remixes he’s been putting out lately… Be sure to check him out.
You’ve released on labels like MK837, Capital Heaven, and Lunar Outpost—what’s one standout label experience that helped shape your sound?
I would give the most credit to DJ Psytox, who ran the label Coincidental. He was the one giving me my big break by selecting my debut track Finding White Space as the opening track for his Twelve compilation under my early GZ (NL) moniker. Later, he asked me to do a full album, which became Distant Future, and Space Native was born.
There was no push or strict direction given — just the instruction to deliver 8 to 10 tracks over the next few months that could make up an album.
Currently, I love working with labels like MK837 and Capital Heaven, as they love my music for what it is.
Which element—melodic hook, rhythmic groove, or atmospheric pad—do you find most essential for capturing listener attention?
That would depend on the genre, in my opinion. Melodic techno and house thrive when a good melodic hook and/or atmospheric pad is added to the mix, whereas a more tech-house-oriented track would benefit more from a standout bassline pattern and/or a very groovy, programmed rhythmic section. But happy accidents — a strange FX sample or blending unexpected elements into a track — can also help you stand out from the rest, obviously.
Founding Lunar Outpost Records, you promised “expect the unexpected.” How does that ethos influence your own productions?
I use the label to release tracks that don’t fit labels like MK837 or Capital Heaven, so if I end up producing in a chill-out- or ambient-like kinda vibe, I can direct it toward this output. But over the last few years, not much has come out of my studio in regard to that sound, which is why 2023 saw the last release.
When you listen back to tracks from early in your career, what’s the biggest evolution you notice in your approach?
I’ve learned a lot more about balancing out tracks and mixing to get better-sounding results. This partly comes from picking up information from online tutorials, but also from feedback from my mastering engineer, Rob Small from the UK. The evolution of VSTs and DAWs like Ableton has helped with this as well.
Which single of yours would you point a brand-new listener to first, and why does it best represent your artistic identity?
That’s a really tough question, as I like quite a broad range of music styles to listen to or produce. If you like a more leftfield kind of sound, check out my debut album or the tunes on Lunar Outpost. If you’re more into dancefloor-focused tunes, check out my tracks on MK837 or Capital Heaven. And if you want to be surprised by everything I have to offer, check out the Essential Space Native playlist on Spotify.
