Deeprhythms

Hi there Seb, how’s things? Can you introduce yourself briefly to our listeners?

Hi, I’m Seb aka Bon Public. I’m based in Brussels where I have co founded the collective & record label Magma 4 years ago. I’m turning 35 this year, I’ve been listening to electronic music for 20 years so I’ve passed through many different eras obviously. I’m a music lover, I love concert venues as much as I love clubs. Next to the djing & events we also manage artists : bands & dj / producers

What’s been keeping you busy of late – you’re both a DJ and a producer?

I’m djing for 10 years but I only started experimenting with music production two years ago. It took me quite some time to start the neverending learning process of creating music, it’s obviously kinda challenging to propose something as personal as sharing your own music but I try to focus on learning this new practice without any sort of result driven pressure, I want to have fun with it.

For now I’ve released two tracks on compilations we’ve released on Magma Records.

Magma’s baseline is « connecting creatives around music », it’s 100% the purpose of the project, we curate events, we manage some artists and we release music. The direction of the label is basically our musical taste, we’re not particularly looking for a specific sound, if it’s club let’s do it, if it’s some « listen at home » indie electronic or IDM material, as long as it has some soul and that we like it we could release it. Such as we do for our events : sometimes we throw club nights and sometimes we throw concert nights. We’re just music fans exposed to a lot of music and we want to find different ways to share it with our growing community. In september 2024 we’ve released “LA V.A” our first true club oriented compilation, on this there are good friends of the collective, mostly artists we’ve invited for our club nights. 

On the dj side I’ve had two amazing years, I got the chance to play multiple times in my favorite clubs in Brussels such as Fuse, La Cabane or C12, playing solo as Bon Public or with Umbra (my co-founder at Magma) under the name of Magma Boyz. I also had the chance to travel with my music : France, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, India & Nepal… to me it’s a huge privilege to be able to travel and meet likeminded people through music.

Do you have any fond musical memories from your childhood?

My early days in alternative music are deeply connected to the history of Belgian electronic music. When I was around 12, my best friend in class was the son of Patrick Codenys from Front 242. He took us to our first alternative concerts and festivals. I remember us having fun with his synths and machines at his apartment—an experience that probably changed my life in some way.

What drove you to electronic music in the first place?

At first, it was really the festivals and events I could attend when I was younger. I immediately fell in love with the experience of listening to music in a group. In the 2000s, electronic music was taking on a major role in festivals like Dour, where I’ve been going every year since I was around 14 or 15. Back then, several people introduced me to artists like Miss Kittin & The Hacker, as well as French touch pioneers like Étienne de Crécy or Daft Punk. Shortly after, the Ed Banger era began, and that’s when I truly dove into electronic music.

What about DJ’ing, and how did you get started?

At one point I realized I was actually going to the parties for the djs, from Drum & Bass parties to sometimes posh clubs where my friends were going (where they used to play housy stuff, french touch etc.) I was just obsessed with the djs, their ability to drive the night and their musical knowledge. At one point a friend bought a dj controller, I quickly started downloading music and this is how it started. The very first one to book me was my friend DC SALAS, who has been supporting me for 10 years. We’ve helped each other a lot in our careers at different levels. People like Renaud Deru aka Sono Ventura Soundsystem have also been part of the first ones who believed in me. 

Name a few records or songs that had a big impact on you in your early days and why?

I can get lost by overthinking this type of questions haha.. I feel like my musical parcours has been so diverse, it’s sometimes hard to focus on one period but there are some critical moments & records that I can try to highlight.

As I said, Ed Banger was big to me when I was like 17, I was especially into Sebastian, I like the roughness of his production, first electronic vinyl I bought was his remix of killing in the name of by RATM. Electro house / electro clash was big in my early days (and I’m happy to see those tracks coming back on dance floors today) so yeah Felix da housecat with What does it feels like or Vitalic with No Fun have been crucial to determine my taste back in the dayz. There are many tracks popping up in my head at the moment, one is Azzido Da Bass – Dooms Night (Timo Maas Remix), I remember going nuts on this one when I discovered it. 

I also discovered Drum&Bass & jungle through some school friends and the festivals, at that time, artists like Dj Hype, Roni Size etc. shaped also a part of my electronic culture. 

Later I went to some deeper stuff and discover labels like Kill The Dj, with Ivan Smagghe Jennifer Cardini & Chloe who led me to artists like Red Axes for example… Later, I ended up working at Fuse Brussels and that’s really when I discovered a whole new world of house & techno. 

Do you have any memorable experiences to share from your early days as a DJ?

 I’m not proud of it haha but very first time I played in front of an audience it was a student party at Fuse Brussels (they used to rent it for these events during the week) around 2009. I was so drunk and I did a b2b with a friend.. I don’t remember a single song we played. I believe I take these things a bit more seriously nowadays. 

You are an avid vinyl fan and record collector. Tell us a little about your collection and how you go about finding records to buy?

I’m not a heavy record collector, but there are some tracks I just need to own. Once they’re in my collection, it feels like they’ll last longer, like they leave a mark. Right now, I own somewhere between 500 and 1,000 records, spanning both club and non-club music.

Whenever I travel, I try to set aside some time for record shopping, but I also visit my local spot, Sono Ventura in Brussels, quite often. And of course, if there’s something I really don’t want to miss, I’ll grab it online. Gotta make sure it finds its way onto my shelves!

I just need to ask, how’s your vinyl record collection organised? 

I’m honestly glad I don’t own 10,000 records… I already struggle with organizing the ones I have. Right now, my system is pretty basic: first, I split everything into club music vs. non-club music. Within those two categories, it’s sorted by vibe and genre, and sometimes by label—but that’s where it gets messy. When an artist or label releases very different styles, I want to keep them together, but then it completely breaks the higher-level organization…

Twice a year, I end up putting everything on the floor and trying to reorganize it, but it’s pure madness every time. Still waiting for the ultimate system—if that even exists! 

Name five tracks or releases that are currently on heavy rotation?

Any release of the label Griffé Records.

Frog eat Frog by Louison

Soundstorm (psychosensual mix) by Jex Opolis 

Laid back frequency – Detroit in Effect 

Jaisiel – Lost paradise

Let’s talk about Brussels. Can you talk about your beginnings?

I was born and still live in Brussels, I think it’s a fun place to live right now. It has always been a hotspot for electronic music lovers since the very beginning, but I feel like something special is happening in the scene at the moment. Great radio stations like Kiosk and Gimic are shining a light on local talent, while festivals and events like Horst, Listen, Fifty Lab, Abrupt… are also giving serious attention to the local scene.

Of course, we have amazing clubs like Fuse, La Cabane, and C12, along with diverse collectives covering everything from house and techno to breaks and bass music. As a highly eclectic and international city, Brussels feels like a mix of all the cool things happening in Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, and London—but with a Belgian twist, never taking itself too seriously.

What’s the scene like today?

I don’t think like there’s a specific Brussels sound in electronic music but I think there are really good artists in every niche, in electronic music but also some stuff gravitating around it.. New wave electro pop stuff, jazz infused / inspired electronic music (there they talk about a special brussels sound with bands like ECHT!, Tukan, Lander & Adriaan, Ciao Kennedy…) 

It’s a bit like a melting pot of all the good things happening around Belgium, due to the EU institutions there’s a lot of people coming to Brussels from all around Europe, it has probably an impact on the scene as well. 

Can you name a few local acts, events or locations that should be on people’s radar?

There’s a lot to mention here, but let’s do a short selection.
Young guy, crazy selector & vinyl spinner : Nikita
Record Store : Sono Ventura (the founder Renaud is also a legendary dj, playing now under the name of sono ventura soundsystem). 
I like the vibe of what’s happening at La Brasserie Illegaal, a crazy venue especially during summer. 
So many great djs : Melissa Juice, Unos, DC Salas, AZO, ttyfal, Coline Cornelis, KŌMA, VTT, Margo, Zouzibabe… 

So the mix, can you tell us a little something about that? 

I’ve tried to strike a balance between a punchy, club-ready set and something lighter that feels just as good in your living room or through your headphones. Lately, I’ve been digging kinda deep into electro house, and you can hear those influences throughout the mix—there’s a very slight touch of disco in there, and even some guitars creeping in towards the end. The tracklist reflects this journey, blending groove-heavy basslines, hypnotic rhythms, and a few unexpected twists. 

Many thanks, Seb!

Here’s Buy Music Club list for the mix.