The enormous flames during a fire or the ringing bells when an accident has happened on the track. Firefighter Chiel Aarts from Molenschot uses his experiences as a firefighter and the emotions that come with it as a DJ and producer in the hardstyle music he makes. With success, because on King’s Day Chiel will play Free Fire as a DJ at a major festival. “The contrast between people’s sadness at a fire and their happiness on the dance floor is sometimes great.”
While Chiel drives the fire truck, he explains how he comes up with new music tracks. And how his profession as a firefighter inspires and influences him. These are sometimes intense stories.
For example, the barracks where Chiel works is located close to a railway crossing where collisions regularly occur. “We once had five in four weeks,” he recalls. While Chiel and his colleagues are busy on the track, the bells keep ringing. That ringing stayed in his head at a certain point and later led to a new melody line in his music.
“I want to tell a story in my music and the fire brigade inspires me.”
When the fire suit comes off, Chiel changes into DJ Free Fire. An appropriate name that a friend came up with for him. In that role, he sometimes sits at home behind the computer for weeks, brooding over a new song in his favorite genre: hardstyle. He also performs as DJ Free Fire regularly. He needs that to compensate.
“In addition to all the good things, there is sometimes a downside to my profession,” says the firefighter from Eindhoven Air Base, who is also a member of the volunteer fire brigade in Dorst. “By pulling out we often end up in serious situations. In the event of a fire or car accident, people are upset and sad. When performing as a DJ, everyone is cheerful and the roof goes off. For me, that compensates for each other.” Without one he cannot sustain the other.
“I want to tell a story in my music and the fire brigade is inspiring,” Chiel continues. “My own songs are based on situations that I remember most. I use sounds, such as sirens or environmental sounds, but also situations or things that people say.”
“For me, music is a process of processing: a way to give everything a place.”
So there is the number Flame to the max. “That is of course based on large flames,” explains Chiel, alias DJ Free Fire. “I had just joined the fire brigade and this big fire simply had to be incorporated into my music. Another example is a car accident in which the radio was damaged, but continued to play. It no longer produced the original sound, but something that was not actually exists. I can do something with that at home behind the computer.”
“For me, music is a piece of processing,” he continues. “I can give everything a place with it. In the fire brigade you never know what will happen that day. But neither on stage. It’s both exciting and I enjoy it. It helps me.”
Chiel’s music was first mainly used in sports lessons for the fire brigade, but it has now taken a serious turn. The music label Scantraxx releases his songs. “My music is now being listened to online all over the world and is being played at major events,” says Chiel. “And on King’s Day I will perform on the main stage Hardfest in Enschede. That makes me very proud.”
