Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2013

When clubbers’ thoughts turn to Berlin, it’s generally to Berghain and its towering techno speakers. But upstairs is Panorama Bar, where a warmer, house-ier sound envelops the dance floor.

The force behind respected Berlin house label, Dutchman Peter Gijselaers aka Break 3000 brings over two decades of dance-music history to his productions, dating back to the acid-house explosion.

“I was really into the whole Manchester scene back then—bands like 808 State and Primal Scream,” Gijselaers tells Metropolis ahead of his upcoming date at Eleven. “The first real house party I went to was after an 808 State show. I’m very happy to have been able to see the beginnings of the whole thing—also the first great parties at Roxy in Amsterdam. I’m from the south of Holland and used to drive up each weekend to party in Amsterdam.”

Honing his chops behind the decks at illegal raves he and his friends would host in the Dutch countryside in the ’90s, Gijselaers spent eight years behind the bins at a record store in Holland before moving to Cologne, Germany, where the illustrious Kompakt label was just beginning to deliver a series of authoritative releases.

“That’s where it really took off with the whole Dirt Crew thing,” he recalls about the germination of his own imprint. “I got to know Riley Reinhold who worked at Kompakt. He was the first to release my records and soon after that we produced our biggest hit, “Rok Da House,” in 2004. From there on it became professional and I quit my job and did music full time.”

As Break 3000, Gijselaers’s tracks reference a broad sweep of dance music from its roots in disco through to Chicago house, techno, breaks and minimal. His signature sound is rooted in no-nonsense snare-and-bass backbeats and sleazy, acid bass lines topped off with lush Chicago melodies and orchestrations.

For the moment, though, Gijselaers is focused on helming Dirt Crew. “The label is going so well,” he enthuses. “We just started to release vinyl again, and the last disc by Detroit Swindle has already sold 1,000 pieces, which is amazing these days. There is so much new good stuff coming up on Dirt Crew—we’ve got great releases planned this year by Urulu and Steve Huerta, Chymera… and the first full album by Tigerskin.”

Having gigged from Brazil to China, Gijselaers says the best nights are still in Berlin. But there is a downside to basing his career in what is now the undisputed world capital of dance music (sorry New York—it’s London).

“There are so many clubs full of people each weekend, it’s really great, you can play for an international crowd without traveling,” he notes. “But the negative side is that it’s more like Disneyland and the quality of the crowd is not always good. Some clubs in Berlin used to be really nice but nowadays I don’t go anymore because there are only foreigners and no Berliners.”

The upcoming Japan tour will be Gijselaers’ third. “I was over to Japan in 2005 and 2007,” he says. “I was very impressed by the clubs and people behind the scene—their professionalism and care for sound and club design. Japan has some of the best sound systems on the planet. Japanese music lovers’ dedication to house music is like nowhere else and I’m really proud to be playing at Eleven for the first time.”

Eleven, Mar 22