Interview with MANDO

15/11/24

Hi Mando! Who are you, and what do you enjoy doing?

I’m Tarik, but everyone knows me as Mando. Mando is also an abbreviation of my last name. It popped up years ago, and now everyone calls me Mando. I started DJing three years ago. Before that, I had a serious injury. I played football, and my focus was really on football, but I was always involved with music. There was this big gap when playing football was no longer an option, and that's when I started DJing. Now, three years later, here we are. 

So today, I juggle several roles: I’m a youth football coach, a DJ,  an ICT student and hopefully I'll be playing football again next season.

You say you’ve always had a passion for music, how did that manifest? Did you play instruments or collect music?

It was mainly singing, actually, but never for an audience (actually i did it once at an open mic). My interest grew from there. Six years ago, I started getting into electronic and house music. I discovered it at parties through friends. It just evolved from there. Then, when I had that gap after I stopped playing football, many of my friends were DJing, and it was always great to watch. I just knew I could do it too.

Cool. Did you learn from your friends or did you buy a controller yourself?

I have one friend who guided me once, about three to four hours. A few days later, I bought a small controller. I learned a lot from doing B2B (back-to-back) sessions with people. A lot of B2Bs actually.

I first saw you perform B2B with Jef Nice. Did you know him before the gig or did you get to know him through music?

I met Jef last summer at a party. He was DJing for a mutual friend. His music immediately spoke to me. We introduced ourselves, and within ten minutes, we were playing back-to-back, smashing it. At the start of this year, I started taking him to gigs with me.

And that's how it happened. It feels like I've known this guy for ages. It's great that things turned out this way.

That’s a sign that it's a good fit! Is there one event or B2B performance that stands out to you? Something you'll never forget?

Hmm, I have to think about that. Honestly, not really. I've had a lot of great B2B’s, but there's not one that stands out above the rest.

And with whom have you done B2B sets?

Yeah, with Jef Nice, but also with loads of local DJs.

Hans, a very good friend who I started DJ’ijng with that moved to Madrid. Also with Mitch & Jet Gillette who are both up and coming..

Yeah, I enjoy doing B2B’s with them. Then there's also Scars from Mechelen. He's also a great match.

But I could go on; the list keeps growing.

Alright. And then, in your solo sets, have there been any standout moments, or is it mostly a consistent flow?

I once recorded a set that almost hit 1k streams. But that was quite early in my career, like a year in. A year later, I wasn’t really into the music I played then personally. My style had completely evolved. So yeah, I removed that set. Now, I want to focus on electronic, underground music.

I’m also leaning a bit more towards alternative sounds, though some tracks still tend to be a bit more commercial.

Is there any artist you follow closely at the moment, or an album you listen to a lot? Any style you’re diving into?

There are several artists, but one label stands out: Airfunk. It’s a label from Paris if I'm not mistaken. It features artists like Sweely, Maxim db, Krol, Aline and Aman Umber. Also dj producers i like to listen to are Man/ipulate and Emi Ömar.

It’s mostly French house if you know what I mean. That’s the style I’m diving into now.

What can we expect from Mando in the future? In 2025 or beyond?

I can’t really answer that yet, but what I can say is that I’ll be organising parties, and I’ll undoubtedly have some great gigs. The ambition is there. Right now, I’m just letting things unfold. I don’t want to be too strict about it. It should stay something fun. There was a time when I was more rigid, but I’ve let that go. Now, I just want to look back at the journey I’ve had so far and reflect on it.

Nice! What would be your go-to tip for a starting DJ Something you wish you knew, or something that helped you progress?

Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions. There are a lot of things I only figured out much later. Find people to connect with, and do a lot of B2Bs. That’s the key. Play what you want to play. Don’t try to copy too much. You can do that, but the main thing is to play what you love. Don’t play just to please others. Yet, there are times I caught myself doing it unconsciously. So try to find a middle ground.

Is there a particular message you want to share with the crowd or the community as a DJ? What does Mando stand for when he’s behind the decks?

I stand for love and unity. Just... respect one another. It’s how everything should be like for me. Be a normal human being. Be good to each other. Especially in life. I try to involve a lot of people in my life. I’m very empathetic so I try to be there for my community.