Influences: Jesse Maas Shares The Records That Shaped His Sound Ahead Of ‘Keep Up’ On Haven Trax
- 19 hours ago
- 3 min read
Dutch artist Jesse Maas has been steadily building a reputation around groove, restraint and control. His productions sit firmly in that minimal-leaning space where every element matters, shaped by time spent in rooms like fabric, Shelter and Thuishaven.
With his ‘Keep Up’ EP landing on Haven Trax, he leans further into that identity. Four tracks designed with the club in mind. Raw, focused and built around movement rather than excess.
To understand how that sound formed, you have to go back to the moments that stuck.
This Influences selection captures exactly that. Tracks tied to specific dancefloors, turning points and late-night realisations that shaped how he hears music today.
DJ Assassin – Face In The Crowd (Intellidread Mix) [Cross Section Records]
I was standing in the middle of the dancefloor during Amsterdam Dance Event, at a Hyte party. Ricardo Villalobos was playing, and then this track came on... That was one of those moments where something just clicks. Like a switch flipped somewhere deep inside me. I just knew: this is what I want to do! And the crazy thing is, that feeling never left. Every time I hear this record, it still hits me. Instant goosebumps. And trust me, that doesn’t happen often.
2 Bit Crew – B2 [2 Bit Crew Recordings]
This was another one of those moments that confirmed I was on the right path. Dekmantel Festival, Boiler Room stage. DJ Central was playing a really unique set. Somewhere in the middle, he dropped this track, and everything just came together. The drums, the chords... and that dirty bassline underneath. One of those moments where you just think: yeah, this is it. And the best part? If you watch that livestream back, you can actually spot a younger version of me in the crowd. Looking a bit lost, but fully in the moment, Haha.
Terrence Parker & Claude Young – The 4 Play EP [DOW Records]
When I was younger, I was a proper party animal. Every weekend, at least two nights out and of course, the afters. Ending up at someone’s place, going on until the next day... no brakes. We’d have Boiler Room sets playing in the background, and one that came up a lot was our own Dutch Cinnaman. That’s where I heard this one. Some tracks just give you a feeling you can’t really explain. This is definitely one of them. I still draw inspiration from it to this day.
Evil C & The Hustler – Get Up [Do Easy Records]
This track... yeah, this was a big one for me. Maybe even the final push. Around that time, I was fully into that minimal sound. All I did was digging for tunes. Hours, days... just searching for that one perfect track. I surrounded myself with people who were into the same thing. Luckily, I introduced all my friends to this music, and they liked it as well. From Illegal parties in the dunes to organizing our own events... everything revolved around music. This is still a must-play for me in an opening set. Raw and simple, but that’s exactly what makes it hard to get right. This record really shaped me as an artist.
D'Angelo – Jonz In My Bonz [Virgin Records]
This one comes from a completely different angle, but it’s one of my most listened-to artists ever. D'Angelo gave me something I really needed at the time: just do it, don’t overthink. I used to listen to his music every single day, on my way to work at the beach. Just grinding, saving money, building towards my music career. So yeah... shoutout to D’Angelo for the support, without even knowing it, R.I.P.
What stands out across all of these is how rooted they are in real moments. Dancefloors. Festivals. Afters. Long days working towards something bigger.
That is exactly what comes through in ‘Keep Up’. It is not trying to do too much. It is about control, patience and knowing when to let a groove speak for itself. You can hear the journey in the details.
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