The
producer behind the hit EDM act, Bingo Players, got hooked on electronic music
when he was a kid, listening to The Prodigy’s “Out of Space,” and wishing he
could make the kind of tunes that were being played on Dutch radio. But, at the
time, to make dance music, you needed physical equipment—synthesizers and drum
machines—far out of his reach at his age.
When
he was a teenager, two events would change his life. An early music software
program called ProTracker was released, and he would meet Paul Baümer, who
would become his musical partner for the better part of the next 15 years until
he suddenly passed away from cancer in 2013.
Maarten
met Paul through his younger brother in Enschede, Holland, a two-hour drive
from Amsterdam. One day, he went over to hang out with Paul’s younger brother,
and found that Paul was also making music using ProTracker software. “It was
only four channels and was really basic, but it was a start and really fun to
do.”
“When
we discovered we were both making similar sounding music with the same program
we started spending all our time together and became friends right away'” said
Maarten.
Over
the next decade they began recording; and in 2006 they began recording under
the moniker, Bingo Players. Their tracks started to resonate with the EDM
crowds in America and abroad. Their songs— featuring buzzing, bouncing
synthesizers, crunchy, guitar-like riffs reminiscent of the Chemical Brothers,
and powerful, driving beats— are shaped by a memorable lyrical hook or a
melody. 2009’s “Devotion” utilizes the catchy vocal hook, and sets it against a
funky infectious saxophone riff and syncopated backbeat.
“Most
of the time we'd just start with a melody. Then a song would just evolve,” said
Maarten of their songwriting process. “We can connect with a song if the melody
is strong even though it can still be bare bones. We need to sing along or
whistle along or to have an earworm, you know what I mean? Something that
sticks in your head.”
Their
breakout hit “Cry (Just a Little),” featured a re-recording of the hook from a
1988 Brenda Russell song, “Piano in the Dark.” With the memorable lyric looping
around an ebullient melody, it became an instant crossover anthem.
“I
was watching VH1 and I saw this ‘Back to the 80s’ program where they played
this Brenda Russell song and I thought, 'Hey, this particular part of the song
sounds really cool, maybe we could do something with it in our own style?’”
Though
they didn’t start out as DJs, once the demand grew for them to play out live,
they learned how to mix on CDJs. Soon,
they became regulars on the EDM circuit, playing massive festivals, like
Electric Daily Carnival, Tomorrowland, and Coachella.
“I
think we started to become better producers once we started to DJ,” he said,
noting that they would bring new tunes on the road and play for a crowd to
gauge their reaction.
In
between playing festivals and clubs around the world, the duo found the time to
start their own label, Hysteria (a hat tip to Def Leppard, one of their
favorite bands), releasing singles from Carl Tricks (“Mad Dash”), MAKJ
(“Springen”), and Henry Fong (“Jump”) as well as Bingo Players tunes.
In
2013, they scored one of their biggest coups. An updated version of their 2011
track, “Rattle,” titled, “Get Up” (Rattle),” with LA-based act, Far East
Movement, rapping over a bouncy, catchy beat, became a instant hit. When they
first played the tune back in 2011, Maarten and Paul didn’t know if audiences
liked it, but then, the single started to pick up steam around the world and
slowly continued to grow.
It
eventually charted in the Top Ten around the world including; Germany, Austria,
France, and Australia (where it ended up going double Platinum), Gold in
Canada, reaching the coveted #1 spot in the UK charts, and selling over 200,000
records in the U.S., reaching #5 on the dance charts. The success of the
single, and the quirky, humorous video featuring ducks squaring off against
hoodlums (which now has over 40 million views) helped propel Bingo Players high
into the DJ Mag Top 100 list last year.
But
in June 2013, at the height of their success, Paul suddenly fell ill. He was
diagnosed with cancer. Everyone was shocked. Despite the prognosis, Paul
remained optimistic.
In
October, Paul took a turn for the worse and he passed away in December 2013.
There was an outpouring of support from the EDM community with peers like
Hardwell, Steve Aoki, Kaskade, Skrillex and Armin Van Buuren paying tribute on
social media, at shows and in the press.
Maarten
was stunned and didn’t know what to do. But Paul’s last wishes were for his
best friend and his musical partner to keep making music.
“He
always said to me, 'If you can find solace and continue what we started, please
do so. Please continue the music. Carry on the Bingo Players flag,’” said
Maarten.
He
wasn’t sure if he could carry on. But, he said, “I took a holiday, took some
time off to clear my head and think about things. I thought, “Yeah Paul’s
right. I should continue, and continue the name and continue his legacy.”
After
all, they have a library of finished tracks and ideas they worked on together
that have yet to be released and Maarten can continue his and Paul’s dream of
making the music that they heard on the radio as kids. The scene might have
gotten bigger, and the production might be made on something more sophisticated
than ProTracker, but, says Maarten, “The vibe is still the same. People want to
have a good time, come together, and experience the music.” And Bingo Players
live on.
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