Around ten years ago, I spent my first weekend in Berlin. My former roommate, who’d worked in the music industry for some time, managed to get tickets to see two electronic live acts. Back then, these concerts were new to me; I had just turned twenty and didn’t know much about this type of music. During one of the shows, a familiar voice announced the artists, likely known to many who had spent early mornings at former club Trouw in Amsterdam. Artists Frank Wiedemann and Henrik Schwarz performed their Soiree that night, and somewhere mid-set, an elegant character appeared on stage with a strong yet beautifully fragile, deep and soulful voice.
He sang: “You can’t stop this feeling, don’t you waste it baby, you can’t fake this feeling.” A line that only made sense to me in the years that followed, and a performance that stayed with me long after, even though I didn’t understand who it was I had just witnessed.
Fast forward to August this year: our programmer Sophie shared the news that Robert Owens would be coming to play Doka. During the email exchange with his management, an old video appeared, transporting me right back to that night in Berlin. Watching it again, it became clear: without fully grasping who he was at the time, and without knowing the devotion and soul he’s carried through decades of house music, it was him I had seen back then.
Now, full circle ten years later, we had a chat ahead of his night with Kléo this Saturday, where we’ll be celebrating his forty-year dedication to the craft. These days, his life moves between studio sessions, touring, and keeping in touch with friends and musicians across the globe. Besides playing or being in the studio, his routine is peaceful.
“Maybe even pretty boring,” he shares over Zoom. “But I sport, watch movies, do shopping, and go to the gym. I have to keep some level of fitness for these late nights. It gives you a little stamina, especially if they book you until five in the morning,” he laughs. “Besides, I try to study music and I can spend four or five hours a day just going through tracks. I invest a lot of time keeping up with it, adding to my collection what I feel relates to where I’m musically right now.”
“And another thing is shopping. That keeps me grounded and almost feels therapeutic. I go and try on lots of things. The whole ritual is kind of like a warm-up to the gym. It keeps me inspired.”
That spark of inspiration, cultivated over decades, still fuels his music and performances today. Since I was only born in 1994, I couldn’t resist asking him to take me back to his early days in Amsterdam: “My connection with the city runs deep,’ he begins, “I think my earliest visits happened because of a residency at Roxy, playing Joost (Van Bellen)’s Love Ball nights. I came to Amsterdam quite regularly, and around those years Larry Heard asked me to join his Fingers Inc. tour and perform at Roxy as well.”
He laughs. “Often when I’d visit, I would spend the day on these long boat tours, seeing all the canals, and then go straight into the clubs afterwards.”
Before and after Roxy tragically closed in ’99, Robert returned to the Netherlands often, playing shows across the country and, he adds with a chuckle, “did some Dutch TV stuff too.»
«There’s little emphasis on theatrics. There used to be a strong connection between clubs and performance collectives to bring everything to life.»
While showing him the inside of our club, I mention that Doka sits right across the street from former club Trouw. For many it remains one of the most influential venues the Netherlands has known. He smiles: “That was a really nice club. I performed there a few times, and I think we did a live show just before they closed. It was for the Schwarzmann Soiree by Henrik Schwarz and Frank Wiedemann. There was a whole orchestra and everything.”
The night featured special guests like jazz pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, instrumentalist Kahil El’Zabar, virtuoso Johannes Brecht, Etienne Jaumet, and Ben Westbeech. “It was beautiful,” he adds. “When I visited the city during more recent years, I went to a museum that collected and displayed flyers from the early house days. I went through them and found out they even had some from the time we were performing at Roxy with Fingers Inc.” For those interested and in the mood for a time capsule to Amsterdam’s early house days, two recordings of that ’88 Fingers Inc. show still float around on the internet.
Thinking of these flyers, I ask if something significant comes up about clubs during those times.
“The big theatrics. At Roxy and the clubs where they hosted parties after they closed, or for instance the scene in Italy, what they all had in common were these caricatures and performers. At the last club we did an event in Amsterdam -I can’t remember the name- they built a huge head on stage. You’d walk through the mouth to get behind the stage, then come out onto it. There were all these people dressed as different characters.”
You mean there was more effort put into the overall experience of club-goers?
“Yes, it’s something I feel is lost in club culture today. There’s little emphasis on theatrics. There used to be a strong connection between clubs and performance collectives to bring everything to life. Often when I’ve promoted nights, I’ve tried to do that and hire different companies to bring in the theatrical side of things. It gives the audience something special to look forward to, and something visual for them to interact with, something extra, instead of only being there dancing. It’s like the club is actually giving them something back, more than: ‘we’re taking your money, come in, dance, and get out.’”
«I live for these aha-moments, and I live for the hope that someone else will receive that feeling through me.»
Do you feel your approach to performing and bringing a space to life has changed because of that shift?
“No, I feel my approach is the same. It’s always been to share love. I do this because of people, and for people. From the moment I’ve been given a platform and opportunity to entertain, I operate from the feeling to give back. Because in return, I’m also receiving happiness from the joy and happiness of an audience. It’s a side of me I can give unconditionally.”
Can you elaborate on that?
“I perform out of concern for life and concern for healing myself and others. Often, I’m healed and inspired through doing something that feels good. For instance, when being in the studio or while performing, I can get a light-bulb moment. When working with other musicians and we’re experimenting, all of a sudden we go: ‘yeah!’, there’s this aha-moment. I live for these aha-moments, and I live for the hope that someone else will receive that feeling through me entertaining them. That’s part of giving back, and part of the happiness that lifts me. One hand washes the other.”
Having stood in front of many different audiences and stages, how do you feel a crowd shapes your performance?
“Love can be carried and delivered in any place. As said, by doing this for the people, I try to be very interactive with the people. Smaller venues create the strongest kind of environment. You’re physically looking at the crowd, they see your reaction, and you can see theirs. It becomes this real exchange.”
“I did a tour with Pete Tong and we ended at the O2 Arena. God, it was like 20,000 people in that place. Just a sea of people. From up top, all you could see were lighters scattered across the crowd. Whereas in smaller venues, I’m looking at your face and think, ‘okay, I could put on this track,’ and if you don’t like it, I can play something else. I’m more interactive and personal with people at smaller venues compared to large settings. But the approach is always the same, regardless of the size of the room. I’m there to give love, in hopes of receiving love back from you.”
When you mention love and healing, I have to think of your lyrics. Can you let me in on what message you try to convey through your writing?
“Well, as a character, I don’t feel I’m that multifaceted in what I convey. A big part of me comes through in sadness, and a certain melancholy. Escapism is there too. Some of my lyrics say, ‘out of this sadness, this is a way to find escape.’ You get that lyrically, that thread of sadness reflects a lot of my journey.”
Which is?
“A lot of hiding or concealing emotions, and thinking that others might have gone through these same emotions. But there’s a way out, and a belief in yourself is one of the main keys to journey out of that.”
«I have no fear of giving you me. I’ve outgrown that kind of fear.”
When you found that key, what doors did it open?
“A lot of my relationships have been one-sided. Throughout my journey, I’ve always gave more than I received. Sometimes that reflects and shows in my writing, and sometimes it shows in my presence as a character. Though, you’ll still see happiness. It’s like, you know; don’t let sadness weigh down what you want to give back to life. With that, you always have to remind yourself that someone else might be going through the same situation that you’re going through. Your strength and courage can be a strength to them.”
Oftentimes your music has made me reflect on personal situations, and made me wonder: to whom are you writing? Your past self? A past lover? A crowd?
“I’m talking to the world. I once shared a statement that when you look at the world from a global aspect, a city becomes a small place. If your mind is only narrowed down to your area, your side of town, you’re thinking from a smaller perspective. I opened up my imagination and thoughts about the world. I want to understand people from a global perspective. So, I’ve outgrown ‘going from the west side to the north side of town,’ where a lot of people are stuck just going to the corner store. I try to look at life and giving back to life from that broader perspective, and I think that keeps me open-minded about every facet of life, every thought, and meeting people from all different cultures. I think that’s what keeps me growing.»
And what you like to give back to humanity through your writing.
“Yes, my storytelling is drawn from life and experiences. I’m delivering back emotions that I’ve endured and made me grateful. It comes from conversations with people, situations that you or I have encountered, moments that spark imagination or a thought. I write about these things because they feel natural, real, and organic. No matter how well I live my life, one day I’m leaving this world, but while I’m here, its about giving and learning as much as possible. Giving that back and sharing that with people, that’s what it’s about for me. And it’s also about staying true to your approach, how you deliver your ideas, and what you contribute back to the industry.”
Saying that is one thing, living it is another.
“I think it’s realizing that you’re unique in your own right and to not compare yourself with another individual. When you step into that state of mind, feeling and emotion, you naturally give without judgement of yourself and creating becomes a genuine expression of who you are. I feel a lot of people judge themselves or compare themselves to others. I have no fear of giving you me. I’ve outgrown that kind of fear.”
How?
“By cutting out those around me who were giving off negative energy and taking the time to understand myself. When you step back into your own environment and start listening to yourself and to higher forces and thoughts that are waiting for you to interact with, you become open to receiving what works for you. You’ll understand who you are and what you want to give back to life. A big part of that is eliminating the noise. When people enter your life and they’re not bringing in any attitude or energy that encourages you to grow and become a stronger individual, then it’s just noise.”
How did your mindset of cutting out negativity shape your move to Berlin in 2015, and what did the city mean for you creatively?
“I used to come here already in the late eighties, but the years leading up to my move made me realize what a beautiful melting pot this city really is. When I finally made the decision to come here, the reception was overwhelming. People took me in instantly and I started working with clubs directly.” He pauses for a moment, then adds: “I went to Berghain first and for a minute I had a little falling out with them. After that, I kind of went rogue. They told me, ‘Don’t work at every club,’ and I just thought: ‘No. I’m not going to let you put me in a box here.’ I’m doing this for the people. As I told you, people are my lifeline and inspiration and I’m not going to let anyone dim that light. So I was like: I’d rather fight against a system, even if I don’t know it, opposed to dimming my integrity about what I want to give and put out back to humanity. So if something doesn’t feel right, I’ll challenge it.”
In what way?
“By standing on my beliefs and standing for what I want to do without judging others. And I think eventually they accepted that, because the outcry of the people outweigh the judgment of promoters. If you’ve been in this industry a long time, you should have the right to challenge people who try to put you in a box, especially when you’ve seen so much more than a lot of them. ”
«When a young person comes to me, maybe about to sign with a company, I’ll give them the guidance I wish I’d had.»
Do you think this mindset also shaped how Berlin embraced you?
“It works both ways. It made me become more aware, and creatively, I ended up working with almost every single club here. It feels like I became a parent figure to a lot of people. I didn’t give in, I didn’t bend, and eventually, I think they respected that.”
What does that “parent figure” role look like?
“I’ve had my downfalls with different companies contractually. I’ve been bamboozled and robbed. But I always ask myself: did I learn a lesson from that situation? When a young person comes to me, maybe about to sign with a company, I’ll give them the guidance I wish I’d had. I openly share information. If I care about you, I bring you in as family and I want the best for you. So I’ll point out, ‘No, don’t accept that term, and you can tell them I said it.’ I’m like that. People might think ‘who does he think he is to say this?’ But I’ve stopped a lot of artists from making mistakes in situations like that. I’m protective with the people I care about.”
Did those situations harden your heart?
“No, don’t turn bitter. It’s like being a frontline soldier. You take a few knocks, but you stay standing so the ones coming after you don’t have to fall the same way. I think that’s been my staying power. That I’m selfless with my attitude about giving back to this industry and with the people I work with. No matter what I’ve achieved or what I know, when we walk through a door, we walk through it side by side. Young, old, it doesn’t matter. If I come in from ego, from what I’ve done or who I am, that kind of attitude doesn’t work. There’s no longevity in that.”
«I feel like I’m a fountain constantly pouring and you can come and take a drink from this fountain.»
Do you feel that attitude carries over to the younger generation?
“I think so, because a lot of younger artists and club communities support me. They study the history, they know who was there and they push for me. That younger audience inspires me. They’re selfless with their energy. They’re my driving force now.”
You’ve been incredibly active over the past years with many collaborations, so much new music plus a new single lined up for 2026. How do you decide who you open that creative space with, and what are you looking for in the people you collaborate with?
“If I get a good vibe from you, I give you a chance. When you’re a seasoned individual and have lots of experiences, you know what realness feels like. And I’m a selfless person. I feel like I’m a fountain constantly pouring and you can come and take a drink from this fountain. And if you do something negative to me, that’s on you. You just worked yourself out of having a loyal, faithful friend or ally in a system where I feel a lot of people just want a quick fix and they’re not looking at the long-term longevity.”
Which isn’t your way.
«I’ve never been like that. I’ve seen it all. The ups and downs, so much. Somebody doing something negative, that’s on them. It happens in life. But you can’t let that stop you from giving, especially if you’re confident in who you are and what you want to give back to life. You can’t be afraid of losing something.”
What do you mean by saying that?
“I think in the past I was a pushover. I accepted a lot of things I shouldn’t have, just to save face or stay involved in one situation or another. The older I get, the less I accept certain attitudes from people. At the end of the day, many of them aren’t truly concerned about you. But you can’t control that or cry over spilled milk. Don’t let it stop you from giving you. And I have loads to give.”
In that exchange, what do you hope to receive in return, not just musically but perhaps on an emotional or spiritual level as well?
“I don’t go into a project with the hopes of something. I go in with a viewpoint of wonderment and fascination about the possibilities that can happen with an individual. I’m not judging you, I’m not comparing you to nothing. I’m taking you at face value, who you are and what you’re presenting right at that moment,” he pauses, then adds, “When we collaborate, we automatically create something that nobody else can give. And the more relaxed and comfortable I make you feel, the more you’re going to give me all of you. The objective is for you to give me all of you, and I give you all of me. Then we create something that we can give back to life. It’s about giving yourself wholly.”
And reach those aha-moments.
“Exactly.”
«I wake up in these dream states where I’m not fully awake and thoughts and songs come to me.»
Do you ever look for echoes of the past in the people you work with nowadays?
“I don’t look at people from that attitude. A lot of people ask me about back in the day, but I’m such a forward thinker. I react to the moment. I’m not going to put you in the presence of comparing you to something. I react to you right now, what you’re giving right now, how we’re relating right now. Once you get rid of everyone else’s thought of what something should be, you react to what is. And when you put your full attention on that, it’s a completely different creative flow.”
And when a flow doesn’t click?
“I tell people: I don’t try, I do. Which is an approach that often leads to a good result. Either something works or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t work, we go back to the drawing board. I almost have a three-demerit system. If it still doesn’t work after that, I might not be the guy for this project. But I’m not judging you, and you don’t judge me. In that realm, we usually come up with something unique and positive.”
40 years in and still being so active, what reminds you that you’re exactly where you need to be?
“That I find joy and happiness in entertaining. I wake up in happiness and feel inspired. Like, I’m coming to Amsterdam soon! That’s inspiration and motivation to jump up in happiness. And like I’ve said before, it’s a fountain going on here. I enjoy creating music. I enjoy discovering music. And when the end result comes out, entertaining people or giving them a viewpoint of yourself through a song or a production, that whole wonderment and fascination keeps me excited and going.
How do you keep that fountain flowing?
“Often I wake up in these dream states where I’m not fully awake and thoughts and songs come to me. I snap myself out of it and jump up to write, because a lot is happening there. I live in this constant creative state of mind, always thinking, always wanting to channel energy back to life and give back from a perspective of what people gave me. So, I feel there’s no shortage of creativity in me. It’s something beautiful, I think, because it comes naturally.
Let’s pour into that fountain together on the 20th. At last, is there something you like to point out or share with people who’ll be joining the night?
“No, I’m just coming with love, hoping to receive love. As long as people are happy and I’ve shown them a reflection of happiness that comes from within me and what I can give, well, if that’s received, then we’ve done a good job. Than we’ve been a team for the evening,” he shares with a big smile. “I’m coming to be a team player, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for Saturday are available here.
