Mau P's journey didn't begin in search of the glare of the spotlight: it unfolded in the dimly lit corners of the underground, where energy is pure and ambitions run deep.
Fortune had different plans for the prominent DJ and producer, who, despite his underground leanings, has released a string of major commercial hits in a short time, starting with the infectious anthem “Drugs From Amsterdam.” Since then, Mau P, real name Maurits Westveen, has become nothing less than a pivotal figure in the electronic music landscape as he bridges the past and future of house music with unparalleled finesse.
In the heat of Miami Music Week, EDM.com We caught up with Westveen for an interview at The W Hotel. She shared insights into her musical journey so far, which has oscillated between the allure of commercial success and the raw, unfiltered essence of underground dance music with each intriguing chapter.
There is perhaps no better example of this dynamic than Mau P's latest Beatport #1 hit, “Beats For The Underground,” which has not only dominated the charts but has also taken warehouse parties and dance floors by storm. dance from the clubs of the world, all after evolving through six different versions.
“The fun thing was that people noticed little changes I added in each version of the song,” Westveen recalled of the song's unique trajectory. When he realized that the recordings on YouTube were getting hundreds of thousands of views, the decision to schedule them for official release was a no-brainer.
With a background rooted in big room house music styles under the umbrella of his former alias, Maurice West, Westveen's transformation into Mau P began as a daring dive into the midst of the pandemic.
Indeed, the artist's move from the festival sensibility of Maurice West to the underground panache of Mau P has not been without ironies. “Drugs From Amsterdam” catapulted him into the spotlight far beyond the smoky halls of the underground scene he so cherished.
“They didn't let me be underground,” jokes Westveen, reflecting on the song's unexpected success. “We wanted to delve more into underground sounds and with the first song we had already ruined it.”
Despite the whirlwind of successes, Mau P remains immensely grateful for the journey and the options it has given him. However, the rapid growth was not without difficulties.
“No one knew what Mau P was and what we wanted to achieve here,” Westveen says of the moment immediately after his breakthrough. “We had to be very careful when choosing lineups, which parties to play at, and what remixes to make.”
Ultimately, she believes taking advantage of these opportunities has been a privilege, allowing her to chart her path with intention and authenticity. “It's easier to have that problem [of choice] and being able to say “no” to many things rather than having to do it all over again starting little by little from a clandestine perspective,” he adds.
Mau P's success is emblematic of a cultural recalibration, seeking to honor the rich history of house music for loyalists while pushing it through a modernized lens for the next generation of producers. In his unique position at the intersection of these worlds, he is both beneficiary and catalyst of that change, appealing to a desire for authenticity and depth that the dance music community has been longing to revisit.
“The most interesting thing for me, since I started making Mau P, is that the boundaries between genres and subgenres have blurred,” says Westveen. “I feel like a lot of people don't know how to label songs anymore.”
The blurring of stylistic lines is an indication of a broader evolution. And it's in this melting pot of genres where he finds his groove with an audience increasingly indifferent to labels, but deeply connected to the essence of what makes dance music resonate across generations.
This spirit extends to Mau P's live performances, the arena where he truly shines as he shares his passion and unique vision for the future of underground dance music. He says that despite initial expectations of him delivering a string of Beatport Top 100 hits, his true determination lies in showcasing the unheard of. It is here, amidst the energy of the crowd, that she thrives in her craft, educating and uplifting audiences with sounds that defy conventional categorization.
Fortunately, it has earned increasingly visible opportunities to do exactly that. Mau P was recently booked to perform at Coachella's ambitious new stage, Quasar, marking another milestone in his hot career.
He also just announced the biggest outing yet in his “Baddest Behavior” party series at Brooklyn's Under The K Bridge Park, where a marathon set from opening to closing promises an unforgettable experience for nearly 7,500 attendees. Tickets to the fair, scheduled for September 13, are now on sale.
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Follow Mau P:
X: x.com/realmaup
Instagram: instagram.com/maupmusic
Facebook: facebook.com/maupmusic
Spotify: spoti.fi/3vHLn9Q
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