Nosedrip should be remarked, in a tone tinged with gratitude – he is one of the best diggers around, returning loads of extraordinary discoveries back to our world. We are thrilled by the hidden treasures this Belgian shares on NTS and his created and curated heritage-focused label Stroom.tv, which already reminds us of a monumental museum, not to mention 30 releases planned ahead – that’s why we took a chance to sit down with him for a short chat right before his visit to Vilnius this Friday.

You’re quite an exceptional digger but whom would you nominate as a personal idol in the field of music research?

James Pants has been the biggest early influence that is still heavy in the back of my head!

Your latest show on NTS featured a really nice Lithuanian folk song, didn’t it? Since Stroom.tv is big on showcasing heritage, we were curious whether you’re aware of old Lithuanian culture? If yes, how do you dig it? Maybe not specifically Lithuanian heritage but heritage from small countries, speaking the language you don’t understand.

I would love to know more… With Stroom we did quite some research about Latvian music (See the NSRD & Ingus Bauskenieks compilations + more coming in the future). Since some contexts like language are weird to me, I prefer working with someone that knows the matter and the context it got created in… Tips always welcome though.

Your mixes sound so intimate, so ambient.. Do you enjoy playing in large clubs or other big venues? How do you connect with the crowd in that case?

I think I’m good at feeling contexts and adapting to that. I would say I prefer playing in a basement for 200 people, but I def like playing in other surroundings like bigger clubs too.

Let’s talk about your specific image on social media. You are masking your face with a hand-drawn smile on almost every photo. Is there a particular meaning behind this? How have this look developed?

It started out with the idea of not showing face, a kind of critic to the egocentrism in todays DJ culture. Eventually, it turned out the exact same by coming a gimmick, so my criticism kind of failed, but most people still really don’t know how I look like. What comes in handy sometimes (smiles).

People are talking that Nosedrip leaves dancefloors grasping for breath everywhere ho goes. Well, luck is on our side this time, he is the guest of today’s Grand Otel in Amadeus, accompanied by locals Simas Slabačiauskas and Pavilonis.