Bestowed with the accolade of having played one of "the best sets ever" at Club Space, Dutch DJ/producer Mau P amassed a massive fanbase of locals and out-of-towners when he debuted his first headlining tour this past January. The 26-year-old producer — real name Maurits Jan Westveen — is quick to credit his hometown as the best classroom where he honed his ear for the beats he's mastered thus far.
"Amsterdam gave me so much inspiration exactly when I needed it," Mau P tells New Times. "I think it's because I'm from Amsterdam, I might have a different approach to producing music and DJing. I've been to so many house parties, raves, and festivals back home, just scavenging for tracks. I now get to bring my own curated collection of these songs all around the world, combined with my own productions and edits. I really feel like I bring something new to the table, especially in the U.S."
Westveen, who boasts coiffed blonde hair, soft brown eyes, and a chiseled jaw that rivals most depictions of Hercules or another mythological hero, is feeling on top of the world with his recently announced Wynn Las Vegas residency and his new station, XXX Radio, on Sirius XM. But when he officially began his career at 18, he wanted nothing more than to make dance music like famed DJs Deadmau5 and Tiësto. As Mau P told Billboard in 2022, he constantly wondered throughout his early career what could get him to the level of dance music production for which he had always aspired.
Then, with the mainstream success "Drugs from Amsterdam," everything quite literally changed in the Dutch artist's life.
"The song opened up a lot of doors for me that I've been banging on for years," he told Billboard. "I've always wondered how the big guys got to where they are. I was like, 'Why is it not me?' or 'What am I doing wrong?' I guess it's all about finding your groove and your sound. I am now 100 percent inspired and comfortable in the music that I make and ready to give the world a lot more."
The song, released on Lee Foss's label Repopulate Mars, landed at number one on Beatport, the largest DJ music platform, and earned a spot on Billboard's Best 50 Dance Tracks of 2022 list alongside industry titans like Beyoncé, Diplo, and Fred Again.
The last time he played Miami, it was his headling debut. At a sold-out Club Space, partygoers moved and grooved to his infectious beats, and Mau P's generosity during his set often included throwing shirts to the audience and even sharing a cigarette with an attendee. Even girls dancing on tables had their own handmade T-shirts that read "Mau Papi."
"Only DJ that ever had me staying at space from 12:30 a.m. till 10:30 in the morning," one Mau P enthusiast commented on his Instagram post recapping that evening. "You were amazing."
Since then, Mau P's affinity for the 305 has only grown. He cites the infectious energy and long-lasting nights of clubbing that make it a breeding ground for the music he's loved for his entire life.
In fact, he thinks the Magic City is a perfect foreground for his latest traveling party series, Baddest Behavior, where Mau has full advantage and control over every listener's auditory sensations. He brings a dash of effervescent and scandalous underground Amsterdam energy with him in every venue he sells out around the world, and he's more than ready to ask Miami to bring their "baddie" energy to his Miami Music Week sets.
"I had always wanted to host my own events and have everything done my way at a party. I think we started working on designing stages and branding a couple of months ago," Mau says. "So far, all Baddest Behaviour events are just me playing from open to close and taking the crowd on a musical journey. Miami crowds are always special. I feel very comfortable playing there, so I always go a little crazy and test out new music or a couple of weird tracks that I found."
Despite experiencing rapid growth, Mau P's talent shows plenty of room for even more success, as implied by his more than 200,000 Instagram followers and merchandise that sold out in only 30 minutes for his last tour. Fans who have the pleasure of seeing him live leave the venue praising him like born-again Christians, all of them having converted to a new standard of experiencing EDM live.
Praise him!
Miami Music Week 2024 Events With Mau P
Mau P's Backyard. With Andruss, Dennis Ferrer, Detlef, LF System, Sosa, and Tini Gessler. Noon Thursday, March 12, at the Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel, 1717 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; surfcomber.com. Tickets cost $100 via tixr.com.Man P Presents Baddest Behaviour. 11 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at Floyd, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; floydmiami.com. Tickets cost $52.21 to $97.20 via dice.fm.
Check out New Times' full listing of Miami Music Week 2024 events.
