Maarten Hoogstraten wasn’t like other kids his age. When he was 10, his friends were buying toys to play with, but Maarten was already spending his cash on vinyl and CDs. The producer behind the hit EDM act, Bingo Players, got hooked on electronic music when he was a kid, listening to The Prodigy’s “Out of Space,” and wishing he could make the kind of tunes that were being played on Dutch radio. When he was a teenager he met Paul Baümer, who would become his musical partner for the better part of the next 15 years until he suddenly passed away from cancer in 2013. Over the next decade they began recording; and in 2006 they began recording under the moniker, Bingo Players. Their tracks started to resonate with the EDM crowds in America and abroad. Their songs— featuring buzzing, bouncing synthesizers, crunchy, guitar-like riffs reminiscent of the Chemical Brothers, and powerful, driving beats— are shaped by a memorable lyrical hook or a melody. 2009’s “Devotion” utilizes the catchy vocal hook, and sets it against a funky infectious saxophone riff and syncopated backbeat. Their breakout hit “Cry (Just a Little),” featured a re-recording of the hook from a 1988 Brenda Russell song, “Piano in the Dark.” With the memorable lyric looping around an ebullient melody, it became an instant crossover anthem. In 2013, they scored one of their biggest coups. An updated version of their 2011 track, “Rattle,” titled, “Get Up” (Rattle),” with LA-based act, Far East Movement, rapping over a bouncy, catchy beat, became a instant hit. It eventually charted in the Top Ten around the world including; Germany, Austria, France, and Australia (where it ended up going double Platinum), Gold in Canada, reaching the coveted #1 spot in the UK charts, and selling over 200,000 records in the U.S., reaching #5 on the dance charts. But in June 2013, at the height of their success, Paul suddenly fell ill. He was diagnosed with cancer. In October, Paultook a turn for the worse and he passed away in December 2013. Maarten was stunned and didn’t know what to do. But Paul’s last wishes were for his best friend and his musical partner to keep making music. After all, they have a library of finished tracks and ideas they worked on together that have yet to be released and Maarten can continue his and Paul’s dream of making the music that they heard on the radio as kids. The scene might have gotten bigger, and the production might be made on something more sophisticated, but, says Maarten, “The vibe is still the same. People want to have a good time, come together, and experience the music.” And Bingo Players live on.
WHEN: FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015 / 9PM
WHERE: AT REVOLUTION LIVE
100 SW THIRD AVE.
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL
(954) 727-0950, (954) 449-1025 (box office)