the birdie blog

“It was 2021 and I was inspired by the upcoming wave of DIY, tongue-in-cheek rave-y music. I saw the fun in playing again.” Welcome to another episode of the Birdcage Radio Spotlight series and for our last interview of 2025, we’ve got Daniel sharing his story with us. Just through his opening words, I’ve picked up some interesting Utrecht-related terms. For instance, Daniel tells me he’s “born in Utrecht, raised across the river in Culifornia (aka Culemborg), and remigrated

“As my friends say, I'm sometimes a bit too positive. It's a way I love looking at the world, I see endless possibilities instead of the darker side or the things that could go wrong. I see things that could go right. That's a big motivation for me." While it's been only fairly recent and my Birdcage Radio Spotlight "interview victims" count is still rather low, being given the privilege to speak to these passionate and talented folk has been nothing short of inspiring. Beyon

"Trust the rhythm of your soul. Music will carry you through every storm, every fire, every joy. It’s not just sound. It’s your compass, your medicine, your magic." Long before she stepped behind the decks at De Groene Engel for her first gig - hands trembling, heart racing, you know, the usual nerves one would expect at your first performance - Rachelle Grooten was a little girl sitting cross-legged in the attic, surrounded by the hum of a Hammond Leslie organ. She didn’t h

" Being able to share my music on quite large stages and at public venues is something I am very grateful and appreciative of as I realize that not everyone gets that opportunity." For many of us who grew up in the days before getting spoilt by online streaming and curated playlists, the radio was a great source of music and inspiration. Alright, fine and sometimes questionable ads and jingles too.  This was no different for Puck’s musically-inclined childhood in which the ra

“I love collaborating with other creatives that have an idea of where they want to go but might want help and wisdom on how to get there." Here’s the beautiful thing about the Birdcage Radio community – it doesn’t only end with the DJs and musicians. It’s a collective of talented and passionate people crossing boundaries of art and creativity and together, by tapping into each other’s strengths, we’ve created something amazing that’s constantly growing and evolving. One such

"Of course, there are some moments when it's a lot and other moments when it's a complete explosion of joy. It's really varied. I think looking back, I can be really proud of that little girl who's grown to be me now." If there's one thing that you should know about Rochelle Dietz, it's that she does a lot - particularly in the world of music and arts.  "I do a lot. I like to keep myself busy with music and arts. As a DJ, a producer but also as a backstage worker, a sound te

“Seeing professionals play live and talking to them has helped me so much with my vision about music. Now, I cannot imagine myself not doing music, it’s just not me.” When Farbod Rad (yes, that’s his real name) thinks of bands like Black Sabbath, Queen, Elton John and more from the 70s and 80s, he thinks of his father who possessed a great collection of cassettes. “I remember when I used to play around in the house as a kid, there was always music playing in the background. U

“You never know if you ever want one of your greatest moments to ever be surpassed, or if you don’t want any future experiences to surpass them.” Growing up, coffeeandtrance was influenced by all sorts of music – hip hop, pop-punk, good ol’ classic rock, jazz and even reggae. He considers them his musical phases, which grew and expanded along with his age. It then comes as of no surprise that his first dip into creating music were on instruments like the drums, guitar and pia

“As a musician I am working to make music that makes people feel so good, they decide to live in a different way. And be happy. And keep that feeling with them all the time.” Steve Knots lives and breathes music. But before getting more into that, we’ll first address the “knots” bit of his name. “I don’t use my real last name (Smith) because it sounds too boring. Knots are at least like, ‘Ok we are tying something up and turning rope into a magical tool to carry things, catch

When Erik Zero discovered electronic music as a freshman back in high school, it almost instantaneously became an obsession of his.