Interview with Paul Hazendonk: 25 Years of Passion for Electronic Music
The Dutch DJ, producer, and label owner on building Manual Music, adapting to industry changes, and staying inspired
With a career spanning more than 25 years, Paul Hazendonk has become a respected figure in the global electronic music scene. From his early days at the legendary Basic Beat record store in Rotterdam to running Manual Music — now a renowned label and distribution hub — Paul has witnessed the industry evolve from vinyl to digital and into the streaming era. We spoke with him about his beginnings, how he balances entrepreneurship with family life, and where he sees the future of music heading, including the rise of AI.
Hello Paul! How are you today, and what have you been up to lately?
I’m good. Thanks for having me for this interview! Next to my normal day-to-day work as owner of the Manual Music company, I’ve mainly been busy with Manual’s 20th anniversary stuff and the upcoming ADE.
Can you briefly share when you started producing music, your first piece of equipment or software, and reflect on your debut release?
I actually started in the mid-nineties using a piece of software called Fasttracker. Sampling beats and sounds from CDs, TV, and games, and creating tracks from it. Lots of after-school fun! Also fun because when my ears needed a rest, I could play Snake, which was part of the software as well :)
You’ve been part of the electronic music scene for more than 25 years. Looking back, how do you feel the scene has changed since your early days in Rotterdam?
When I started, it was still early days of superstar DJs. Of course, there was already a big electronic music scene for over a decade, and people were making (good) money but not to the extremes it moved towards in the years after. No social media yet, no camera phones. Just spinning vinyl in clubs with lights, maybe a smoke machine and sometimes a laser :)
You started out at Rotterdam’s legendary Basic Beat record store. What did you learn from those early years, and how did it shape the way you later built Manual Music?
It truly shaped me, and I’ve learned most of what I know now. I worked in the record store but also started helping out at the record company, which was located in the same building, one floor up. I met DJs, producers, promoters and all kinds of creative people day in day out, and learned everything about the music industry, from a demo coming in to a final product going out to the stores, mastering, licensing, publishing, music rights etc. Working at Basic Beat absolutely laid the foundation for me.
Over the years, you’ve held residencies at some of the Netherlands’ most iconic nightclubs and played events like Awakenings and Dance Valley. Which shows or tours stand out as particularly memorable, and why?
Tough question as it’s super hard to single out one particular highlight. I guess looking back I just feel incredibly lucky and grateful to have been able to play at so many different places in so many different countries. If I have to name one thing then I must say I’ve got particularly fond memories of a Furrr & Hazendonk summer tour I did together with my buddy Raymond (Furrr / Qbical) back in 2010. Location wise, I was lucky enough to have had the chance to play at Ambasada Gavioli in Slovenia multiple times, a truly magical place. When it comes to the crowd I always feel at home when playing at the Bergwacht parties in Cologne, though the enthusiasm of the crowd when I played in Sri Lanka was incredible as well.
What do you consider the highlight of your career so far, both as a DJ and a producer?
Being able to make a full-time living working in the music industry since I was 17 years old is something I could have only dreamt of when I was a kid. As cheesy as it may sound, for me that’s bigger than any particular gig or release.
Manual Music has become a respected brand in the industry, with multiple sub-labels, a publishing arm, and a distribution company. What was your vision when you first launched it, and how has that vision evolved over the years?
When Manual Music, the label, started out, I started it because I received very cool music that didn’t fit the labels I was running at the time, so I started something new. There was no deeper thought behind it really. But it took off right from the beginning so that’s how it became the name of the company I started a few years later. Digital distribution was never the plan, I just wanted to DJ and release cool music. But then I started helping out some friends in the industry and before I knew it, by word of mouth many other labels wanted to join too, and here we are :)
What do you look for when signing new music for Manual Music and its sub-labels? Is there a certain “Manual sound” you try to maintain, or do you prefer diversity across genres?
I sign purely based on gut-feel. So a song either does something with me, or it doesn’t — it’s as simple as that really. I enjoy a lot of different kinds of music (also outside of electronic music), and I’m lucky enough to have multiple labels under the Manual Music umbrella so I can release a wider variety of music than just one particular sound in a certain genre, which would be quite boring to me.
Running a label, producing music, DJing worldwide, and being a family man is a lot to balance. How do you manage your time and keep a healthy work–life balance?
It was manageable for many years without any issues, until my kids were born. I then decided to take a couple of steps back from DJing and now only DJ every now and then instead of almost every weekend. For my productions, nowadays I work together with a lot of talented artists like Return To Saturn, Riigs and Erik Berger (Amanic) for example, which allows me to still be creative without having to create a song solo from A to Z. Long story short: my main focus nowadays is running my company and working normal hours so I can see my kids grow up. DJing and producing music will always be a part of me, it’s just not my absolute main priority in this stage of my life.
You’ve experienced the industry shift from vinyl to digital, and now the dominance of streaming. What was the hardest transition for you personally and for your label, and what opportunities did it bring?
Without a doubt vinyl to digital. I mean, I worked in a record store and ran various labels, putting out vinyl. Within a few months time vinyl pretty much died. One record store after another closed down and Basic Beat closed down as well eventually, it was inevitable. Vinyl sales quickly dropped to a point where each release was costing (a lot) of money. With digital came illegal downloading, and whilst digital made it much more affordable for people to start producing music, which brought us many talents from many parts of the world, it also opened up the floodgates for sub-par productions being released on the download stores, making it easy for music to be overlooked.
During the Basic Beat days we already spoke about the fact that ownership of music (avid fans and collectors aside) would be something of the past, so when streaming came along I instantly jumped on it. I read a lot of negativity about it, and whilst of course there are many negative things to say, for my company it was definitely a lifesaver compared to just selling digital downloads and trying to fight illegal downloading.
Where do you see the industry going in the near future, especially with the rise of AI in music production, curation, and distribution? Do you see it as a threat, a tool, or both?
Right now I see it as a super interesting and useful tool that can really boost creativity. I’ve just started exploring options myself and I must say, as a producer, I really like what I can do with it. It’s like an extra pair of hands in the studio. From a music business perspective these are, once again, interesting times. Like with the transition from physical to digital, it will probably take years before the rulemakers have figured out how to handle it. I’m not too worried though. Like with everything else, it will find its way.
How did you first learn about Sound Avenue / 3rd Avenue, and could you mention some of your favorite releases on the label?
Well, I actually did a remix for the label in the early days, so I was an early adopter :) The catalogue is so incredibly huge, I wouldn’t even know where to start to pick a favorite track to be honest.
You recently delivered a remix for Secretly Famous on Sound Avenue together with Riigs. What made you connect with the original track, and what inspired you to take on this remix?
I love the housey warm chords of the original track, they instantly stuck with me and it felt like a track we could give our own unique twist to, complimenting the original song and its elements.
What advice would you offer to your younger self, considering all the knowledge and experience you’ve gained in your career so far? Additionally, what advice would you give to aspiring artists who may be reading this interview?
Whilst I think mistakes are there to be made and to learn from, I was green as grass when I first entered the scene. I’ve learned that sometimes it’s best to keep your mouth shut. I said some things in early interviews which were misinterpreted, and naturally the internet being the internet, it was made much bigger than it was. Since then I’m more aware of this, without being too politically correct. I mean, I still have my own opinion on certain things of course. Sometimes you can say the same thing in different wording, and then people won’t take offence. So I guess the best advice would be: think, rethink and rethink again before typing something on the internet haha.
Besides music, do you have any other passions or hobbies?
I love to travel — or actually not the travelling itself, but exploring other cities, countries, cultures. I can appreciate good food and nowadays I’m actually part of a group of men here in the town where I live where we take high-end cooking classes, preparing multiple course meals, and then eating them of course. I love to watch documentaries. And next to that… it’s mainly music, music, music I’m afraid. Collecting records, crate digging, reading about artists / record labels / producers etc. Really nerdy stuff.
Are there any books, documentaries, podcasts, or TV shows that you’d like to recommend to your fans and fellow artists?
There are two podcasts I really enjoy listening to. Both in Dutch language though, so they aren’t interesting for everyone: De Machine (a great weekly podcast about the music industry) and Als Muren Konden Praten (translated: If Walls Could Talk) about famous nightclubs in the Netherlands.
Could you share some of your all-time favorite tracks or songs that have had a significant impact on your musical journey?
Cybersonik – Technarchy
Petter – Robotfood (Manual 001 – the one that started it all)
Pascal FEOS – I Can Feel That
Annette – Dream 17
Zhana – Sanctuary Of Love
After such a long and varied career, what keeps you motivated and inspired to continue pushing forward in music?
I can’t really see myself doing anything else really, because I’ve never really done anything else. So if anything I need to stay on top of things to assure I (or my business) doesn’t have an expiration date. Next to that I’m still eager to find music that excites me. It’s just the love for music and creativity that drives me.
What can we look forward to from you in the near future?
Right now I’m mainly busy with Manual’s 20th anniversary celebrations. We’re going to bring the old crew back together for a once again Manual Movement 4-hour live radio show, like we did in the early days. There will be a special vinyl-only release to celebrate the 20th anniversary and some limited edition merchandise as well. And of course ADE is on our doorstep where we’ll be hosting our annual Manual Family Get Together at Kadinsky Cafe on Saturday night, and the closing party together with Mango Alley on the Sunday night at Akhnaton.
Stream / download his remix here: https://go.protonradio.com/r/rlucdWCHUv4gI
Follow Paul Hazendonk: Soundcloud | Instagram
Love you Paul! 🖤