Belgian DJ and producer Odymel started DJing around 14 years ago, initially at his mom's birthday party.
"From there, I never stopped," he says. "By the age of 13, I was already playing at teen events, which gave me an early start. I also began experimenting with production around that same time. Over the years, I’ve explored a lot of genres, always leaning towards underground and bass music. I went through various stage names while refining my sound, and now, after all these years, I finally feel like I’ve found my musical identity."
Odymel describes his sound as, "Retro, nostalgic, trancy, Italo hard techno—basically, what’s written in my Instagram bio because I can’t think of a better way to put it! I aim to combine the raw electronic energy of someone like Vitalic with the emotional depth of MRD, while still delivering the kind of groove that gets people moving, like Marlon Hoffstadt."
His latest release is The Basement EP.
"The Basement EP, is a collection of three tracks that truly represent the direction I want to take my sound," he says. "It’s packed with emotion but still carries that peak-time energy that makes people dance every time. These tracks are staples in my sets—I can’t imagine playing without them. I self-released this EP, and I’m really proud of that decision because it feels personal and true to my journey."
As for gear: "My setup has always been pretty minimal. I never had the budget for high-end gear, so I made the best of what I had—and it worked. For example, I produced a huge portion of my music on a 2014 Mac Mini i5 with 8GB of RAM and used Beats Mixr headphones, without studio monitors. Despite that, my tracks have been played on the biggest stages and signed to major labels. These days, with just a laptop, you can create amazing things. My advice to anyone starting out: great music doesn’t depend on expensive equipment; it comes from your creativity and determination."
Looking ahead, Odymel has plenty planned or 2025.
"I’m super excited about my upcoming collaboration with Funk Tribu, Forbidden Voices, which drops on January 24th," he says. "January is also a big month for me because I’ll headline two sold-out Odymel & Friends shows—one at T7 in Paris and another at Fuse in Brussels. Playing at these legendary clubs has always been a dream, and now those dreams are coming true! In February, I’ll be heading to Australia for a three-week tour, which has been a bucket-list goal of mine. Beyond that, there are some massive plans in the works for this year, but I can’t reveal them just yet. Let’s just say I couldn’t be happier with how things are shaping up!"
Funk Tribu & Odymel' Forbidden Voices is out now on Urban/Universal Music. Preorder here. The Basement EP is also out now.
Photo by Blithe Williams
