Get Familiar: kruzer

Words by Passion Deez | Photography by Louis Oomes and Luca Wehneskruzer does not make music that feels accidental. Even when he describes his creative process as organic, there is a clear emotional world running through everything he creates: nostalgic synths inspired by childhood memories, cinematic songwriting rooted in real experiences, and huge melodic hooks designed to be screamed back in crowded venues. Born in Mogadishu and raised in the Netherlands, the Somali-Dutch artist has quietly become one of the most exciting new voices emerging from the Dutch alternative scene, building a sound that sits somewhere between hip-hop, pop, rock and emotional rap music without fully belonging to any of them.PhoHis latest project, VOORBIJ DE ZON (Beyond the Sun), feels like the clearest expression of that vision so far. Built alongside close collaborators and friends, the album blends raw vulnerability with widescreen ambition, pulling influence from Somali music, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, 80s synth music and films like Interstellar. But underneath the experimentation is something deeply personal. kruzer speaks about music less like entertainment and more like documentation — every song capturing a specific moment, relationship or emotional state in his life.You’ve been making music for quite a long time already, but this feels like the beginning of a new chapter creatively. Can you take us back to the start a little bit? What first made you want to become an artist?I started making music when I was around 17, around 2017. I’d always been curious about music and really fascinated by it. Then one of my friends started making music himself, so I asked him if he could teach me how to do it. At first, I was just downloading beats from YouTube, writing songs in my room and going to the engineers to record them. That was really the beginning. Eventually, I started meeting producers and building from there, but honestly, I still hadn’t found my sound yet.Around 2019, I started experimenting much more seriously and trying to figure out what I actually wanted my music to feel like emotionally. That was around the time I met a producer called Big Cam in Rotterdam, and through working with him, I really started shaping my sound. From the beginning, I always wanted to make what I call “stadium status music.” Music that feels emotional but also massive — the kind of music people can sing together live.That ambition is interesting because your music does feel very timeless and echoes the past through its references to 80s synth-heavy music, even when it’s vulnerable. Where does that sound come from?A lot of it comes from my upbringing. I was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, and when we lived in a refugee camp, my mom used to play a lot of Somali music, but also a lot of 80s music. That’s where my love for synths and nostalgic melodies really comes from. Then later, I became obsessed with Kanye West and Kid Cudi. Those are probably my biggest inspirations musically. Especially albums like 808s & Heartbreak and Man on the Moon: The End of Day. I love music that feels emotional and cinematic at the same time.The producer I worked with on VOORBIJ DE ZON, Strayed Saint, is also a huge Kanye fan, so we both wanted the album to feel nostalgic, emotional and immersive. I kept telling him, “This album needs to hit people in the heart.”The project definitely feels cinematic. If VOORBIJ DE ZON was a movie, what would it be?Interstellar. During the time we were making the album, I rewatched Interstellar again, and it really affected me emotionally. One of the hooks on the project was literally inspired by the movie. It’s my favourite film ever. The atmosphere, the emotion, the feeling of space and loneliness and hope — all of that influenced the music a lot.Did you know from the beginning that VOORBIJ DE ZON was going to become a full album?Not at all. It actually started as a small EP with maybe four songs. But we kept making more music and realised we had too much material we loved. At one point, Straight Saint literally looked at me and said, “Why aren’t we just making this an album?” So honestly, the album happened naturally. Every song was worked on heavily, too. Some tracks probably have fifty versions. We were really obsessed over details.And everybody involved in the project is somebody I’m genuinely close with in real life. Nothing was random. GRGY jumped onto one of the songs naturally during the process and made it way better. Vjeze Fur also happened almost accidentally. Everything about the album came together organically.That word keeps coming up when you speak, "organic".Because that’s genuinely how everything in my career has happened. Nothing was forced. Even the relationships I built around music happened naturally.You’ve mentioned before that Ray Fuego played an important role in your development creatively.Definitely. Around the time I was still figuring out my sound, Ray really took me under his wing creatively for a couple of years. He gave me advice, helped me think differently and pushed me creatively. I’m super grateful to him for that.A lot of my connection with the wider SMIB world also happened naturally because my best friend, Bokoedro, already knew people from there. I started going to shows and parties with him, and eventually we all became friends naturally.You also worked with BNYX pretty early on, before he became the huge producer he is now.Yeah, this was around 2019. I was in the studio with a producer friend who had some loops from BNYX. I heard one and immediately asked, “Who made this sample? This is crazy.” Then I checked his work and saw he’d already worked with people like Lancey Foux and Ty Dolla $ign. So I just DM’d him directly and told him I had a song using one of his loops. He replied within fifteen minutes and from there we just stayed connected. We still talk now.Your previous project Elke Koning Heeft Pijn (Every King Has Pain) felt much darker emotionally. Looking back now, what does that project represent to you?That project means a lot to me because at that time, I didn’t really have the resources or people around me that I have now. I didn’t have proper engineers or proper setups. Everything was raw. I was also really depressed during that period in my life.The title came from this idea that everybody is hurting in some way underneath the surface. People only see the bigger picture or the outside image, but they never really know what someone is carrying internally. So for me, the project was about understanding that pain exists in everybody’s life and that you can’t judge people based only on appearances.Your music feels very autobiographical too. Almost like every song documents a specific memory or emotional state.Because every song really is based on real life. My music is basically my diary. Even my biggest song, “Me hart is op,” is literally about my love life. Every track captures a specific moment in my life, so when I listen back to older songs, it feels like revisiting old chapters of myself.There still aren’t many Somali artists visible in alternative music spaces like this. What has that experience been like for you?At first, it felt strange because I wondered if I was the only Somali-Dutch artist making this kind of music. But eventually, I made peace with it. Now I actually hope I can become an example for younger Somali kids so they feel freer creatively. I think it’s important to represent where you come from and not hide it.I heard you sampled one of your mother’s favourite song on your EP Rezurk as well.Yeah. I always wanted to sample that song. The lyrics are very poetic in Somali so it’s difficult to translate properly, but it’s basically about a boy chasing his vision. When I told my mom I used it in the album, she was really happy because she felt like I was honouring my roots.Is there anything creative you still want to explore further?I’m already working on the next album, actually. This next project is going to be way more festival-focused. I want to make music that people can scream together live. I also want to lean further into rock & synth pop influences. Artists like David Bowie and Pet Shop Boys inspire me creatively a lot.You’ve already received support from artists like Ronnie Flex, Ray Fuego and Vjeze Fur pretty early in your journey. What do those co-signs mean to you?It reassures me that I’m on the right path. All those artists make completely different kinds of music, so the fact they all connect with what I’m doing makes me feel like maybe I’m creating something unique. What becomes clear when speaking to kruzer is that his music is less about genre and more about feeling. Every project feels carefully constructed emotionally, even when he insists much of it happened accidentally. Beneath the synth-heavy production, huge hooks and alternative textures is someone trying to document his life honestly while building something larger than himself at the same time. And maybe that is what makes VOORBIJ DE ZON resonate so strongly. It does not sound like an artist chasing trends or trying to fit neatly into a scene. Not because it tries to sound like the future, but because it sounds like someone becoming fully comfortable with who they already are. 

This issue highlights Wiley, Universally hailed as “the Godfather  of Grime”, the London-born MC and producer Wiley has played a  massively influential role in bringing the UK Grime movement to a  worldwide stage throughout his prolific and storied career marked  by the extreme highs and lows of violence, controversy, and global  stardom.Emerging from London’s culture of pirate radio stations and  garage music during the early 2000’s, Wiley followed in the  footsteps of his father - a reggae musician who introduced him  to hip-hop at a young age - and began producing instrumentals  mixing the regional influences of dancehall and jungle music,  adding verses to his tracks with a wide variety of collaborators  including members of his original grime crew Roll Deep, formed in  2001.As grime became a global phenomenon during the 2010’s, Wiley  remained at the forefront of the genre, pushing the movement  forward through his innovative work ethic and a consistent ethos  of collaboration. Today, his enduring legacy is present within the  sound he helped pioneer, becoming a foundational influence on a  new generation of stars across the scope of UK rap and drill music.This issue also highlights M Huncho, Bel Cobain, AJ Tracey, TOX DDS, Amy  Leung, Dynamite, Victory Lap Radio, D Double E, Potter Payper, Charlie Birch,  Karim B, E Pellici, Tim & Barry. Living Proof, the London Issue is available now at Patta London.

Oscar #worldpeace returns with visuals for “Chessboard Freestyle” a sharp, cinematic cut from one of the UK’s most distinctive creative voices. A long-time collaborator of Mike Skinner, Ragz Originale and benji flow, Oscar brings the same raw intimacy and off-centre storytelling that’s made his visual language instantly recognisable across the underground and beyond.“Chessboard Freestyle” moves like a late-night thought spiral: calculated, restless and unpredictable. Every frame feels intentional; balancing tension, stillness and instinct with the precision of a player always thinking three moves ahead.  

Born in Amsterdam to Indian parents and raised between Bollywood soundtracks, Qawwali, Dutch hip-hop and the soundsystem culture of her Moroccan and Turkish neighbourhood, Jyoty’s relationship with music has always been shaped by movement between worlds. In this episode of The Listening Room, the DJ and broadcaster traces the moments that formed her musically — from hearing Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in her mother’s living room and Bhangra at family weddings, to discovering Dutch rap, electronic music and eventually finding herself inside the sweaty basement of Dance Tunnel, the legendary Amsterdam club that helped shape her understanding of dance music culture.

The A1 Denim Polo Tour continues with Stop 2 landing in Amsterdam this Saturday, 23/05/26 from 11AM. Join us at Patta Amsterdam for a day celebrating classic sportswear, community, and mainline essentials. We’ll be giving away free Polos on a first come, first served basis while stocks last, so make sure to arrive early. Alongside the giveaway, a selection of Mainline A1 Denim will be available to purchase in-store throughout the day.

To celebrate a successful Bijlmer Run, and the 5th year anniversary of the event - the Patta Running Team hosted the first offical Bijlmer Run afterparty as seen by Mazen El Majdoubi. A winners and a birthday party in one, soundtracked by Stevie Tune, Jay B, AK Soundsystem, Hernsy and Lil' Vic. 

The expansion of rap music during the 1990s into the mid 2000s is widely regarded as a defining period in the development of rap music, often described as its “golden era” due to the scale of innovation and originality achieved during this time. The rise of regional styles from Brooklyn, New York to Long Beach, California gave different cities their own sound and point of view, moving rap beyond a single center and creating a genre that was relatable to people from urban environments all over the world. From groups like the Wu-Tang Clan, M.O.P, The Lox and Dipset to artists like Nas, Shyne, DMX and DJ Kay Slay; Clay Patrick McBride’s unique time spent with the artists during a developmental phase in their careers has been collected in “Triumph: Icons of Rap”. Showcasing nearly two decades of photographs of the most iconic rappers earlier in their lives.Living Proof has worked with Clay Patrick McBride to release a book on photographs documenting the golden era of rap’s defining artists during the creation of their most pivotal works, drawn from sessions Clay spent with the artists in their early years and magazine campaigns from the era’s best. The book includes test polaroids, original contact sheets and never before seen collages from the artists personal scrap book; as well hand written thank you letters from the talent. Living Proof - Triumph available now at Patta London.

A new frequency, RADIO Z. Ray Fuego and Dio are taking over with a pirate broadcast in the form of an album. Produced by Kabul $lim. RADIO Z is already planned to change Lowlands forever, but before that, they will have their one and only performance in Amsterdam.   25th of June, Skatecafe - don't miss out and get you tickets here.

Words: David Kane, originally published in Patta Magazine Volume 6Isimeme “Easy” Otabor selects Nas’ timeless classic as his ‘cover story’, a long-running collaborative column between Wax Poetics and Patta. Illmatic is a fitting first in the series to feature in Patta Magazine.At this point, there’s little we can say about Nas’ Illmatic that hasn’t already been said. Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones aka Nasty Nas, aka Escobar, was aged just 20 when he released his musical masterpiece to an unsuspecting world with a little help from his producer friends — DJ Premier, L.E.S., Pete Rock, Q-Tip, and Large Professor (who must be kicking himself for turning down the opportunity to executive produce the record) — which has gone on to transform hip-hop, modern music and the wider pop culture canon.  Yet despite more than 30 years of lore-building, there are still some lesser-known aspects of the album and the greater cultural fabric it is woven into — and the millions of people's stories it continues to soundtrack.Otabor is a Chicago-born curator and gallerist whose work bridges contemporary art, fashion, and community-forward programming. “Born and raised in Hazel Crest in the south suburbs. My parents are both from Nigeria — first generation — they came here in their early twenties and tried their best to make a way for us. I started in sneakers, working at all the sneaker stores as soon as I could get a work permit. “I went to school for fashion, worked at RSVP Gallery with Don C and Virgil (Abloh), and learned by doing whatever needed to be done. That led to (the clothing brand) Infinite Archives and then Anthony Gallery, named after my dad,” he explains over a call from Florida. He’s often on the move, listing off Amsterdam (where he recently launched the second Anthony Gallery), Berlin, London, and Tokyo as recent destinations. Something of a Japanophile, Easy’s initial touchpoints into art came through anime like Akira, Fist of the North Star, and then Takashi Murakami, thanks to his work on the cover art for fellow Chicagoan Kanye West’s Graduation album. Easy credits his brother Ade for his omnivorous approach to culture. “He introduced me to Illmatic — really, all the music I know came through him. I was lucky to have a brother who knew what was happening, who was open to different sounds and always tuned into what was next.” The Illmatic cover operates as a kind of cultural Rorschach — the same image, endlessly reinterpreted. For some, it’s a portrait of lost innocence; for others, a map of inevitability, where place and identity are already fused. What you see says as much about you as it does about Nas.“Honestly, whenever I think of Illmatic, I think of that cover first. There’s a quote I can’t fully remember, but it’s about true genius being found in simplicity. You see where Nas grew up, merged with a childhood photo, those piercing eyes — but also this sense of knowing what he was about to do. Even the background, driving through his neighborhood, all comes together. It’s a perfect blend. You feel like you see yourself in it. No matter where you’re from, you can relate to that feeling of reflecting on your past while being ready for the future, and the present.”The 30th anniversary of Illmatic in 2024 coincided with a global tour, a 7” boxset release, and the publication of a cluster of new and archived content celebrating the record, including a musty interview recording with Nas’ father. In one video, Olu Dara, a successful jazz musician in his own right, recalled the moment the photo was taken. It was when he returned to the States after a long tour in Europe, found Nas and his brother in Queensbridge, who both excitedly ran towards him.  Olu said he saw it in Nas’s eye — “his mind was saying, wow, what a world.” In addition to Olu — who in the same recording mentions a “man with a camera” rather than explicitly claiming to have taken the photo himself, as is popular belief — the artwork was part of a cross-generational collaboration that included photographer Danny Clinch, with art direction by Jo DiDonato, and design by Aimée Macauley — the latter two, employees of Columbia Records. Clinch photographed Nas and his crew in Queensbridge, the largest housing project in the US. Six images appeared across the original vinyl and CD releases.According to Large Professor, speaking to DJ Vlad, the portrait of Nas, in which his hand obscures his face — complete with a small rip — was always meant to be the cover. The tear was accidental. “He had it under a piece of glass, and I guess when he went to grab it, the glass must’ve stuck right there, so that’s the rip right there.” It stayed because it felt right.Illmatic is widely considered to be the first of many hip-hop album covers to feature a child — from Biggie through to Lil Wayne, and Kendrick Lamar. Ghostface would later infamously call out rappers (supposedly Big) for biting the cover art during a skit on Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Link. Though Nas later dismissed the critique — but it’s not the first outside the genre.When I send Easy a Discogs link to A Child Is Born (1972) by The Howard Hanger Trio, he chuckles at the artwork. “If I had to guess,” he says, “it’s probably a record his dad had in his collection.” The resemblance to Illmatic is uncanny: a child’s face, roughly the same age, gazing directly at the viewer, superimposed over a crumbling city street. Musically, it’s a deep, almost spiritual modal jazz record, featuring eerie interpretations of Simon and Garfunkel’s Scarborough Fair, and Eleanor Rigby, by The Beatles.When it surfaces, A Child Is Born now sells for three figures, likely inflated by its accidental proximity to one of hip-hop’s most revered LPs. The trio released just three albums between 1970 and 1977 before quietly disappearing. Howard Hanger himself came from a lineage of principled Methodist ministers; a family history marked by civil rights activism, anti–Vietnam War protest, and the defence of same-sex unions. No official link has ever been acknowledged between the two covers. Which only reinforces the point: the difference isn’t what you take — it’s whether you make it yours.The red thread here might just be family. As Easy explains, “My older brother changed my life. I probably wouldn’t be where I am without him. Even recently, with a Jordan release, I made sure it landed on his birthday.” Easy’s referring to the 2025 release of the Infinite Archives x Air Jordan 17 Low, inspired by the OG model by Wilson Smith, the first Black sneaker designer for the Jordan brand.Long before culture was flattened into clicks and stories, Easy Otabor was dedicating himself to moments — overlooked and era-defining — that once felt abundant and now feel increasingly rare. As for Illmatic today?“I go back to it all the time. There are just so many records on there — ‘Life’s a Bitch’, ‘The World Is Yours’, ‘Halftime’, ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell’. The whole album stays in rotation. So when the question came up about album covers and what they mean, it was a no-brainer.“It’s as timeless as the record itself. It taught me not to overdo it — that less really can be more, and sometimes more powerful than anything complicated. Every time I look at it, everything stands still for a moment.” 

Interview by Passion Dzenga and Liesje VerhaveLaunching in 2021, Echobox has been forging a path for community radio by showcasing the diverse characters and concepts that surround their station. In this feature, we will be looking into one of the broadcasts that you can tune into, so get locked in and don’t touch that dial. Among them is Sophie Straat Hit Squad, a broadcast that feels less like a traditional radio show and more like a personal diary set to sound. Known for her sharp lyricism, multimedia approach and the self-built world of Protest Fest, Sophie Straat doesn’t separate curation from creation. Whether she’s programming a festival at Paradiso, touring across Europe, or stepping behind the decks, the thread remains the same: instinct over formula. Her Echobox residency wasn’t born out of a lifelong radio ambition; in fact, she admits she initially dreaded the idea of “having to listen to music again.” But somewhere between R&B deep dives, themed playlists about “winning,” and rediscovering the pleasure of listening without overthinking, the show became a reset button.Sophie Straat Hit Squad operates in the grey areas, where personal taste meets politics, where pop stages follow DIY rooms, and where a Justin Bieber record can sit comfortably alongside experimental drums or Gnawa rhythms. It’s less about making “social messaging music” and more about standing for something without announcing it. As she puts it, the artists she gravitates toward might not call themselves protest acts, but they represent what she stands for, and that’s enough. In this conversation, we speak to Sophie about rediscovering joy through radio, growing up in De Pijp, building Protest Fest into something tangible, and why identity is never fixed.What made you want to start a radio show, and what space did Echobox give you that you didn’t have before?Well, it was never really my dream to start a radio show. They asked me and I thought it was quite fun to do. What I like about it is that… I’m a musician, so I listen to music differently. Lately, I kind of lost my interest in music because I’m always working. When you listen to music, you’re always actively listening, and I lost the fun in it.I was actually really not looking forward to my radio show because I thought, oh yeah, shit, I have to listen to music again. But then, when it was coming up, I started listening to easy listening music. R&B, soul, indie kinds of places, and then I enjoyed it again. It’s fun. And it’s also like… people always have this image of you as a musician and what you listen to, and it’s fun to show them what you listen to. Do you get what I’m saying?The last show I did, I recorded yesterday, it’s for Thursday because I’m not in town, but I feel like that really represents how I feel now. I feel like every show is kind of like that. The description isn’t really correct, but every show is themed. Two shows ago, it was themed around “winning” because Zohran Mamdani got the win in New York, so I curated a playlist with a winning theme.So it’s both. It’s fun to curate a playlist in different ways, whether it’s something that happened, or how you’re feeling, or whatever. That’s what’s nice about music. When people ask what you listen to, it’s never one thing. It’s a billion things. And that’s what’s nice about curating.You curate in a lot of spaces, including Protest Fest. When it comes to your radio show, are you more open-minded to include things that are just “good music,” even if it doesn’t connect to the social lens people associate with your work?That’s a very complex question because “good music” is not really describable. And also, Protest Fest isn’t really only… what did you call it? Social messaging. When I make music myself, the goal isn’t to make social-message music. I make music, and it happens to be social-messaged. And in a way, the artists I listen to, they could fit into Protest Fest. And the lineup this year is Asma Hamzawi, who’s a Gnawa artist from Morocco, and Able Noise, which is experimental drums and vocals. They’re not really out there to be protesting or something, but I feel like they represent what I stand for. And that could be anything.After half a year of doing Echobox shows, how has the concept evolved for you? Are you more into collaborations and guests now?Yeah, I think next time I’ll take a guest. I’m always open to taking guests. It’s just that the show always comes up, I see it in my calendar and I’m like, oh shit, I have to do Echobox. And then I go up there and I just play the music that I feel like playing. But I was thinking to take a guest next time.Have you ever freestyled a show and it turned out better than expected?Terrible yeah. I’ve had that a couple of times, actually. Most times. Actually, most times. But yesterday I did prepare and it was really nice. So I’m going to do that more often. It wasn’t different than if it would be live because I still had to do it within an hour, but… because I haven’t listened to music in a while, it felt fun again. I tried to listen to music without thinking, and that was really nice for once. Listening to music that’s pleasant and not complicated or complicated in a way, but just… not thinking.What’s your relationship with community radio? Were you listening to stations like Red Light Radio before you had your own show?Not really Dutch or Amsterdam community radio, to be honest. Red Light Radio was always there and I’ve been a couple of times, but I don’t really have like a famous past with it or something.You grew up in De Pijp. How did that shape your taste? Do you play local artists, or are you more interested in the global conversation around music?De Pijp didn’t really influence… I guess. I mean, I’ve been raised by my mom but also by my neighbours and like my best friend’s mom, and she listened to a lot of Dutch hip-hop and rap, and that was the first music I listened to if I think about it. So in a way De Pijp influenced me because we were always over there, but I’m not sure if the neighbourhood introduced me to music I still listen to. But I think it’s interesting that you’re raised not only by your parents but also the people around you, and then after that, you choose the people around you that form you. That forms your musical interest as well. Life passes and you meet people, and those people have an influence on your taste and curiosities. The different lives you have within one life bring insights, music and tastes. That’s what I really like about it.You’re on tour right now. What kind of music do you listen to when you’re not working?It could be anything. And I’m not the only one choosing. It depends on how we’re feeling and what people want to listen to. I’m really looking forward to Jebba’s album; it’s coming out the day our tour starts, so I know I’m going to listen to that on the first day. Usually, when we’re on our way home, either we’re really tired and don’t listen to music, or we’re hyped and then my guitarist, Los, comes in with his awful playlists. It could literally be anything. I don’t know how to answer that.Do you listen to your own music?I listen to it for practice. Sometimes I listen to it with other ears, as you place yourself within someone else, but not really for fun. When it’s not released yet, I listen to it a lot the whole day, on my bike, in the train, I can’t stop. And then when it’s released, I’m like… over it.On tour, who controls the aux? Who’s the dominant one on the speaker?That’s funny you say that because… Justin Bieber actually got me out of that not-wanting-to-listen-to-music thing. I listened to this record, and I was like, oh yeah, I enjoy this again. The latest is Swag 2, which is also a great name. But yeah, I could be dominant, but I guess I’m the most dominant one with the speaker.The tour starts in early March. What are you most excited for?I’m really looking forward to Protest Fest, obviously. And the first week is going to be fun because it’s four shows in a row, so we’ll get into it. It’s always fun, so it’s a good starter. Then… N is always good fun. And then two times Rotterdam, which is also fun. So the first week is going to be a really good start.And we’re going to do two radio shows during the tour, actually, during Rotterdam twice, we’re going to do Operator Radio, and then in Brussels, we’ll do Kiosk as well.Do you have any tour rituals or anything you do before being away and sleeping in strange places?We don’t sleep in that many strange places because we’re mostly touring here and in Belgium. I think we only sleep three times somewhere else: Brussels, Rotterdam and Groningen. But I really like that the only thing I have to think about is getting in the bus. That’s the only thing I’m doing in the month. I’m really looking forward to that, because when I’m not touring, I’m busy with a billion things, and this March is just about performing.You’re a multimedia person, photography, music, video, art school. When did sound become one of your main expressions?When I was at art school, I always loved music, but I think I always used music within projects. I don’t know, I suppose I always used music within projects and I use my other stuff within other projects. It’s one big mess. But if you ask my main medium: music. Definitely. That’s my job. That’s what I do every day.Your album title asks, “Who the hell is Sophie Straat?” So: who is Sophie Straat today?I feel like we’re all not one particular personality or secret identity. We have multiple sides to us. It would be terrible and destructive if we said we only have one part and one identity. We have to go out to our different personalities and not be filtered into one place. You can be one thing one day and a completely different thing the other day, and don’t get stuck in an identity crisis because it’s not you or whatever. I want to embrace that and be someone else when I want to be.This project feels different from your earlier work. What are you looking forward to on this tour? What will feel new?Everything is always different. We evolve, I hope, and don’t stick to one thing forever. This album’s been out for a few months, and we did one tour in DIY places, small rooms, and now we’re doing the big pop stages. So it’s the album again but in a different place, which is fun. It’s going to sound different because the sound system is different, the production is different. And I like how you can play the same stuff in a different place and it can be completely different.You’ve collaborated with everyone from Goldband to the Metropole Orkestra. What do you look for in collaborators and in guests for your radio show?Either they’re people I think are fun and I love them, usually friends, or I think they’re really cool and I want to hang out with them and I see it as a good excuse. It’s one of those.Protest Fest has been at Paradiso for a while, and it donates to charity. Why build that platform?It started out because I had my show there and I thought, I might as well bring some other bands because I have that place. It’s kind of like curating a radio show, because you think your music is cool and you want to show the rest as well. It’s very self-centered, I suppose, because you think you’re cool and you want to let people know what is cool. That’s how it started.Why was donating part of the idea, and why support MiGreat this year?When I’m calling it Protest Fest, I can’t really own all the money that’s given to me. And if you’re owning money, you might as well donate it. MiGreat is doing interesting stuff; it’s very active. When you donate to somewhere, you don’t really know what they’re going to do with it. But MiGreat tells you what you can do. We’re probably also going to do a workshop to be active. People always ask, what can I do, how can I help? and MiGreat really tells you what you can actively do, like marry someone without papers, or they have these examples that are active and solve stuff.Where does the “Hit Squad” name come from? Because you played Punjabi Hit Squad on the show too.Yeah, that’s where it’s from. First I wanted to play that song as a jingle every time I would start, but after a while I stopped doing that. But that’s where it came from.Tune in to Echobox, broadcasting from below sea level every week, Wednesday until Saturday.