Origins: Odette on Doug Willis, Aphex Twin and Finding Her Own Sound
Updated: 4 hours ago
For Odette, the route into electronic music began before she had any idea of becoming a DJ or producer. Growing up in a flat, music was already around her, but it was an unexpected encounter with an upstairs neighbour that gave her an early glimpse into a world she would eventually make her own.
“I remember being 9 years old, living in a flat. My upstairs neighbour was a party animal and out of nowhere he rang my doorbell and gave me the CD 'Essential Elements 4'. He said, lay on your bed and just listen, so I did.”
One track in particular stayed with her: Doug Willis’ ‘Spread Love’.
“I was mesmerised by the music and especially by the track ´Spread Love´ by Doug Willis. That was the moment I knew this kind of music was for me.”
Those early encounters eventually developed into something more active. Odette was partying from a young age and had attempted to learn both piano and guitar, but neither provided the creative route she was looking for. Electronic music did.
People around her played an important role in turning that interest into something tangible. Ille Bitch taught her how to DJ, while Camiel Daamen introduced her to Native Instruments’ Maschine. Once she discovered the possibilities of producing electronically, things quickly clicked.
“I was instantly hooked and couldn’t stop making music and beats.”
There was another record that helped crystallise that desire to create. Hearing Aphex Twin’s ‘Windowlicker’ showed her just how far electronic production could be pushed, while simultaneously giving her a way to imagine turning the musical ideas in her head into something real.
“I remember hearing ´Windowlicker´ by Aphex Twin for the first time and thinking... I want to make music too. How amazing to finally have a tool to put all those melodies into real life!”
The track remains important to her today, both musically and visually. “Still to this day, this is one of my fav hypnotising tracks. Can’t forget about the music video, too. I’ve watched it too many times haha!”
More than a decade into her career, Odette’s productions have moved considerably from those first experiments. Her earliest work occupied a distinctly minimal space, a sound in which she initially felt comfortable before gradually wanting to introduce greater weight and breadth.
“I started out with the very minimal side of things. I was comfortable in that area, but at some point I wanted more. I still have that same sound, but now it’s more shaped and fuller.”
That evolution can be heard on her latest ImpressiveRhyme EP for Enzo Siragusa’s LOCUS imprint. Across four tracks, she moves from the speed garage influence and rolling low end of ‘Impressive Rhyme’ through the deeper house flavours of ‘Left To Right’, playful acid touches on ‘Glory’ and the darker hypnosis of closing track ‘Simplify’.
The increased scale of her productions is something Odette recognises herself. Put her earliest records alongside what she makes today and the difference, she says, is particularly apparent on a dancefloor.
“My tracks are better suited for a big floor, with fuller breaks, grooves and vocals.”
Her process itself remains refreshingly uncomplicated. A typical studio day begins with coffee and Ableton, followed by the foundations she relies on most.
“Always start with a kick and bassline, and from there the magic happens. I don't follow strict rules after that, once I get into the zone, a track is often born very quickly.”
Experience has also taught her when not to make music. Part of developing as an artist has been accepting that creativity cannot always be forced.
“Also, it's okay to have bad days and you don’t have to perform all the time - a break from the studio is ok.”
There is no grand destination attached to that process. For Odette, continuing to create is the ambition itself. Releases, labels and bigger dancefloors may chart the progression, but the importance of having music as an outlet has remained constant.
“I hope I never stop making music. Having the creative outlet is super important to me. I want to make people happy, or at least make them feel something, with my music. That’s my goal.”
The first record Odette associates with falling in love with electronic music arrived unexpectedly when she was nine, handed to her by her upstairs neighbour as part of the Essential Elements 4 CD. ‘Spread Love’ became the track that stayed with her and opened the door to what followed.
If Doug Willis provided the spark, ‘Windowlicker’ showed Odette what making electronic music could mean. Its hypnotic production inspired her to find a way of translating the melodies in her imagination into actual records.
The title track from her latest LOCUS EP represents where that journey has taken her. Bigger grooves, fuller production and a sound designed for larger dancefloors sit alongside the minimal foundations that first shaped her work.
From a borrowed CD in a childhood flat to finding her own space within Amsterdam’s electronic music landscape, Odette’s story has been one of gradually discovering the tools to turn instinct into sound. The methods have changed and the productions have grown, but the motivation behind them remains remarkably simple: keep creating, and make somebody feel something.
Odette
LOCUS
Explore more Origins: Origins archive · All features
