Designend, moshend, programmerend of crowdsurfend: Met twee handen op één buik weet dit inventieve duo elke grond vruchtbaar te maken om creatieve verbindingen te laten bloeien. Wat is Handshake en wie zijn de gezichten achter dit genre overschrijdend collectief? Om daar achter te komen nodigde ik ze uit bij mij thuis voor een koffie en een kiekje.
Mirand Gashi | 17.02.2022
Tell us about yourselves! Who are you guys?
Eros: I’m Eros, I’m a design student at the DAE.
Ingrid: No, you’re a designer.
Eros: Yes I’m a designer! In school. At the academy.
Ingrid: Well I’m Ingrid, I’m also a designer in school, but also specifically not in school. I think.
Eros: And that’s where we met each other. We really bonded because of our love of music. And one day Ingrid proposed an idea about starting a collective.
Ingrid: No, you’re a designer.
Eros: Yes I’m a designer! In school. At the academy.
Ingrid: Well I’m Ingrid, I’m also a designer in school, but also specifically not in school. I think.
Eros: And that’s where we met each other. We really bonded because of our love of music. And one day Ingrid proposed an idea about starting a collective.
What does Handshake mean?
Ingrid: I came up with the name! Initially when this idea came around -before corona-, the idea was to connect cities or countries or places with each other. I figured that the Dutch music scene is very internationally focused. Lots of local acts of course want to go beyond and they think the UK is the gate to go international. And then I thought okay there could be a link. So like a handshake between cities from the Netherlands and from other places around the world.
And then of course due to corona that couldn’t happen anymore. The message in the beginning of the pandemic was “Don’t shake hands, don’t touch anything!” So it was actually quite ironic and it felt like something forbidden. The first show would’ve happened in may 2020…
How did you get connected to Effenaar?
Ingrid: I just sent an e-mail. I didn’t think it would be that easy and it actually was! You need an idea and just do it. In the end the responsibility was on our side which made up for a nice balance between our work and the work on the side of the venue. We didn’t feel like we were on our own and it felt like we had a say and had creative freedom.
Eros: So what Handshake stood for initially was shaking hands between countries. Now we’re shaking hands between artists/ musicians and anything creative actually. First we booked these wonderful upcoming bands: Tramhaus, Vitamin B12 and POM. We asked local artists to design the limited edition poster. And we even silk-screened them as well.
Ingrid: Just getting our hands dirty aswell. Shaking hands with dirt and ink on it.
Eros: Exactly, not just the show. We wanted to make it an experience.
Eros: So what Handshake stood for initially was shaking hands between countries. Now we’re shaking hands between artists/ musicians and anything creative actually. First we booked these wonderful upcoming bands: Tramhaus, Vitamin B12 and POM. We asked local artists to design the limited edition poster. And we even silk-screened them as well.
Ingrid: Just getting our hands dirty aswell. Shaking hands with dirt and ink on it.
Eros: Exactly, not just the show. We wanted to make it an experience.
What went down during Hit The City?
Ingrid: It’s interesting in a venue like Stroomhuis. During Hit The City which we went to everyday, it was so nice to see that Saturday was filled with rap and Sunday was completely different. Shout out to Boolin!
Eros: The audience totally changed the day after with the punk, everybody went wild! Crazy shows.
Ingrid: We even crowdsurfed and jumped from the stage! I’ve always wanted to do this. I was like fuck it, this is my show!
Eros: The audience totally changed the day after with the punk, everybody went wild! Crazy shows.
Ingrid: We even crowdsurfed and jumped from the stage! I’ve always wanted to do this. I was like fuck it, this is my show!
What is the closest thing to real magic?
Eros: Discovering a new song that makes me feel like I’m in outer space. This is magic to me.
Ingrid: For me it’s crowdsurfing. If someone were to ask me what kind of superpowers I’d have it would say flying or teleportation. And it felt quite like flying or teleporting myself.
Ingrid: For me it’s crowdsurfing. If someone were to ask me what kind of superpowers I’d have it would say flying or teleportation. And it felt quite like flying or teleporting myself.
What has been your best decision so far in terms of Handshake?
Eros: To take every opportunity and don’t doubt it. Grab it and then form your opinion after it.
Ingrid: Do what you want, ask and go for it. I think most of our decisions have been taking after this pattern of like: “Okay you want something? Make it for yourself or ask for it.”
Ingrid: Do what you want, ask and go for it. I think most of our decisions have been taking after this pattern of like: “Okay you want something? Make it for yourself or ask for it.”
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Both: There is no such thing!
Eros: I mean, I play ABBA every time I DJ. But it’s not a guilty pleasure because it’s amazing!
Eros: I mean, I play ABBA every time I DJ. But it’s not a guilty pleasure because it’s amazing!
What does the future hold for Handshake?
Ingrid: Well there is a show coming up soon actually in Stroomhuis!
Eros: Lewsberg with our support acts KIEFF and The Klittens on the 18th of March.
Ingrid: And yeah hopefully more shows. We watched the Eurosonic livestreams and it’s nice to see how many acts are coming up and starting to do interesting things. It’s very inspiring to see so many people and if we want to see them we’ll just book them!
Eros: Lewsberg with our support acts KIEFF and The Klittens on the 18th of March.
Ingrid: And yeah hopefully more shows. We watched the Eurosonic livestreams and it’s nice to see how many acts are coming up and starting to do interesting things. It’s very inspiring to see so many people and if we want to see them we’ll just book them!
Are you spiritual people?
Ingrid: Lately I been having lots of coincidences, but it’s too matching to be a coincidence. And then he says “There’s no such thing as coincidence.” So I think those coincidences or whatever they are aren’t happening for nothing. I think there is a reason and maybe the reason is within myself or the outside world.
Eros: I believe that there are things in life that we cannot explain. We know it’s happening but we don’t exactly know why, coincidences are one of those things. I don’t want to dive into those things and figure out what it is because it would ruin the mystery of it. Some things just happen and you have to accept it, or not. And just live your life.
Eros: I believe that there are things in life that we cannot explain. We know it’s happening but we don’t exactly know why, coincidences are one of those things. I don’t want to dive into those things and figure out what it is because it would ruin the mystery of it. Some things just happen and you have to accept it, or not. And just live your life.
Is there a trend you’ve been noticing in the creative scene that you wanna explore more? Or is there a trend you’re trying to avoid?
Ingrid: I’m not sure how big of a trend this is because apparently this has been happening since the 90s in the Matrix but, I’ve been doing photogrammetry for a project. It’s 3D scanning. Now you have an app where you can take a picture of something and it would turn it into a 3D. It’s very accessible and I’m actually making a music video with 3D scans. It’s an aesthetic I’ve been noticing with other creatives too. I feel like trends always come back and it’s interesting to take something you see a lot and turn it into something you don’t see very often.
Eros: Anything unnatural. I don’t like artificial. I believe that things should be as natural as possible and I wanna live that life. For instance plastic surgery or just changing things on your body or environment. You think they’re changes for the better but in the long term they’re not. Or the consumerism, you buy something for a single use and throw it a way. It seems nice at first but now we’re carrying the consequences.
Eros: Anything unnatural. I don’t like artificial. I believe that things should be as natural as possible and I wanna live that life. For instance plastic surgery or just changing things on your body or environment. You think they’re changes for the better but in the long term they’re not. Or the consumerism, you buy something for a single use and throw it a way. It seems nice at first but now we’re carrying the consequences.
What would be your ring walk song?
Eros: Stabilise by Nilüfer Yanya. I could listen to this song every time of the day.
Ingrid: Mine is Due Lipa – New Rules. BUT: the 80s remix. It’s only on YouTube.
Ingrid: Mine is Due Lipa – New Rules. BUT: the 80s remix. It’s only on YouTube.
How do you want a Handshake event to be remembered?
Eros: I want you to go to Handshake with an idea or thought about what it could be, but when you get back home, I want that idea to be totally different. Like you’ve experienced or discovered something new.
Ingrid: The crowdsurfing. And that it felt like a safe space.
Ingrid: The crowdsurfing. And that it felt like a safe space.
In ‘Effe Kletsen’ ga ik iedere week langs bij mensen uit de muziekindustrie die me inspireren. Gewapend met een analoge camera en vragenlijst, leer ik ze van dichtbij kennen. Stay tuned voor meer slappe zever, inspirerende verhalen en mooie koppen. Next up: de wondere wereld van Pxrple Jazz!
