According to the music producer, there are still too many people who listen to pirate music, but lie about it when asked what their favorite music is. “For some people there is still a taboo on pirate music because it still has an image of illegal activities and drinking. But pirate music really is a music movement that deserves positive attention. It’s up to me to propagate that. The willingness to doing is very big”, it sounds optimistic.
Yet Sterken, who as a producer contributed to more than four hundred CD productions and collaborated with artists such as Jannes, Henk Wijngaard and Arie Ribbens, is not a miracle doctor, he says. “But I do try to disseminate my knowledge and network in a way that benefits the pirate culture,” says the Valthermonder. “That is only possible with the help of the radio pirates, the public and of course the artists. If they indicate where the bottlenecks are, I invest time and energy.”
As the brand new chairman of the Pirate Culture Foundation, Sterken sees more than just points for improvement. “Many things are also going well. Regional radio stations such as Radio Continu, Tukker FM and Gigant FM, which promote pirate music, are doing great. But I also don’t want to ignore illegal radio pirates. Thanks to them, a current of music has emerged where some artists owe their musical careers to. That is undervalued and we should never forget.”
He does not say what pirate music really is for Sterken. “Because that is a very difficult question. It mainly lies in the experience of the person who hears it,” says the music producer. “Après ski music is not included, but Nederbeat records and German schlager music are included. It really depends on the listener’s feeling. If you ask me, what I just called pirate music and specifically if there is expanded on the songs from the seventies, eighties and a bit of nineties.”
“But much more important than which record does or does not fall under pirate music, is that pirate music brings people together,” says Sterken. “When you see people coming together in sheds, bars or parties to enjoy pirate music together, I think: yes, this is it,” he notes with satisfaction. “In the coming period I will gather even more people around me who are like-minded when it comes to pirate music. By telling beautiful stories, we work together on a positive image that is increasingly gaining ground.”