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Spotlight: V-Time

Dutch producer duo V-Time makes their debut on Birdcage Radio Records today with Light Feather. And it's exactly as ethereal as it sounds.

Mysterious, uplifting, hypnotic. Just a few key-words that describe V-Times track 'Light Feather'. It pulls you in with a shimmering arpeggiated lead synth, plucky pads, a deep-hitting bassline, and trance-gated choir vocals with a heavenly touch.


Behind V-Time are brothers Janno and Siebe Vaartjes. Janno brings years of DJ experience across European stages, plus a formal education in sound design. Siebe brings an obsession with production and melodies. Together, they've built something greater than the sum of its parts.


And they're just getting started. Light Feather is the first of seven tracks slated for Birdcage Radio Records—two more singles and a full EP still to come this year. Let’s find out what drives them.


Great to have you on the label! First of all, how was V-Time born?


Siebe: “I’ve been producing music since I was young, but during Covid-times Janno—a well-respected international DJ back in the days—taught me how to DJ. Before we knew it, we were playing tunes all night long and throwing parties at home. That’s when we became a DJ duo and not much later, we started playing in bars in Berlin.”

Janno: “I spent a decade fully immersed in the music scene, then life pulled me in a different direction. That changed during Covid, when Siebe’s enthusiasm re-sparked my love for electronic music. Now we’re playing and producing music side by side. I am still grateful to him for that.”


What do you want to convey with V-Time?


Siebe: “There’s this track by Cortona called 'Space Dust', a track I love to hear on the dance floor. When you listen to it, you completely lose track of time.”

Janno: “That’s V-Time! Getting lost in the moment, having the feeling that the smoke machines suddenly slow down—that’s exactly what we try to achieve, it’s the V-Time sound.”


Which tracks inspired that signature V-Time sound?


Janno: “I remember when we were on Komm Schon Alter and someone played 'Watamu Beach' by Sebbo. It really blew my mind. The track had this rawness to it. Not polished to perfection, not loud for the sake of being loud, but it just kept going. I remember thinking: this is what I want to play, it really was an inspiration to change and push my sound.”

Siebe: “Another track that formed us is 'Get It Right' by Avision, a V-Time classic that works every time.” 


What is your highlight as V-Time so far?


Siebe: “The two-hour closing set we got to play last year at Wurzelfestival was amazing. The dance floor was packed and I saw people dancing with their eyes closed. That really gave me goosebumps.”

Janno: “The first time we played together. It was in Berlin in a small dancing bar called the Old CCCP, I was living in Berlin at the time so I invited all my friends. Our set ended with ecstatic people dancing on the couches, that really was the kick-off of our journey together.”


Siebe: “Another highlight is when we played at the Birdcage party at KABUL à GoGo, where we played some of our unreleased tracks.”

Janno: “Yeah, that was a really special night, I think that was our best set so far. Also the setting with the club-vibe was amazing, it all came together.”



What does it mean for you to release on Birdcage Radio Records?


Siebe: “It means a lot, we have nothing but love for Birdcage.” 

Janno: “It’s a community with so much positivity and amazing people. Founders Nicolas and Rochelle are fantastic persons and they’re doing so much for the scene. We were lucky to get to know them. I’ve played all around the world, but this is by far the best community I know, all because of Nicolas and Rochelle. And they’re fantastic DJs!”


Favourite producer

Janno: Sasha

Siebe: Sasha

Favourite song

Janno: Fango - 'Vena Cava'

Siebe: Cortona - 'Space Dust'

Favourite DJ

Janno: Nick Curly

Siebe: Sasha

Favourite mix

Janno: Nick Curly Barcelona, 2022 (Las Terraza)

Siebe: Dusky in Watergate, 2024


Where did your inspiration for your upcoming releases on Birdcage’s label come from?


Siebe: “'Light Feather' is a song which Janno initiated and I started working on in a later stage. We worked on it back and forth, but the basis was created by Janno.”

Janno: “You can still recognize some of the starting sounds, but without all the combined work it would have never reached this level. I wanted to create something that I miss on the current dance floors, something that I would like to listen to when I’m in a club. When I sent the first draft to Siebe, it was really cool that he saw the potential instead of focusing on the things that weren’t good enough yet. He then took the draft to a higher level and eventually we’ve created 'Light Feather' together. I take a lot of club experience as a DJ with me, and Siebe brings plenty of new inspiration. That mix is really great.”



Siebe: “I’m very focused on melodies. When a song has a nice groove, I feel it should be placed in a certain context, with certain notes or chords. When those hit, you get in the right zone and all the other elements fall in the right place. That’s what I try to create when producing music. Sometimes, when I’m not producing, a melody or rhythm suddenly pops into my head, which I then record with a voice note. Later, I use those voice notes in the studio as inspiration.” 



How do you guys work together?


Siebe: “One Friday night, I called Janno to ask if he maybe had a nice chord progression laying around that I could use. He sent me something, which I loaded into Ableton Live and  then started playing around with it. Eventually that became 'Still There', one of our upcoming tracks for Birdcage Radio Records.”

Janno: “That’s my favourite track. I listened to the draft Siebe made with my chord progression when I was on my way back from a festival, and I was blown away. I was the only person in the world besides Siebe who heard it, talk about fresh music haha! Because we’re with the two of us, we’re really critical. We work in Ableton Live and when we’re going back and forth, we really go into detail. Like a hi-hat 30 seconds into the song that starts to early or late or a bass sound that’s too loud. That’s different from when I produced by myself, so we really keep each other sharp.”


Siebe: “Certain elements in a song might sound nice for a while, but maybe it’s not the right sound for the mix. We can really help each other in perfecting those sounds. Sometimes it’s hard to get feedback, but in the end it ensures that we make something we both really proud of.”



For more of V-Time, you can give the duo a follow on these platforms:



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