Querry Veldt

Querry shares with us his emotional connection to his production process, how listening certain music can invoke synaesthesia, his views on what it takes to remain successful in a fast moving industry and also his hopes to be able to live more sustainably from his music.

Querry Veldt is a Nijmegen-based DJ and producer whose sound is rooted in house music, driven by a deep love for dub, groove, and subtle musical storytelling. Known for carefully crafted sets and productions that unfold with intention, Querry Veldt takes listeners on a journey where rhythm, atmosphere, and emotion are equally important.

With an experienced approach behind the decks his selections balance depth and movement, blending warm grooves with hypnotic textures and understated energy. His style reflects a strong narrative flow, allowing each track to build naturally into the next while maintaining a strong connection to the dancefloor.

As a producer, Querry Veldt has released music on respected labels such as Pirka, Conceptual, and Perception, slowly but surely earning recognition within the underground house scene. His work has also been remixed by Janeret and Sascha Dive, further solidifying his presence among established artists in the genre.

Do you have a ritual when composing music and how do you stay inspired after all these years?

Inspiration for me kinda comes naturally. It's a mix of various inputs. Part of it are life experiences: feelings, places and people. The other side of it is the music itself and how it can enrich my soul. 

I can immediately picture entire worlds and cinematic scenes when hearing sounds & music, kinda like a controllable daydream. This truly enhances a project I am working on or a record I am listening to and it gives a huge amount of inspiration and frankly makes me feel alive. Most of the time it is tracks that have quite a depth to them, either emotionally or within a soundscape. Tracks like these open up some sort of portal to a universe that is hidden inside that record.

What is the one thing that you always do when producing that if you didn’t, it wouldn’t be a 'Querry Veldt' ’track?

One thing that truly defines a Querry Veldt track is the universe building that takes place in my soundscapes, most of the time that would be done via various sources of reverb and delay and playing with sounds to give them more depth and character. 

Overall I'd say my sound is quite wet, sometimes creating one big pool where everything is neatly flowing in place. There is also a certain emotional feel contained in my records. As a producer I truly write what clicks with me emotionally at that moment in time, no matter if I have a plan or not. That element is a bit harder to put into words and in some tracks it is more noticeable than in others, however there is always that 'hint' of Querry somewhere inside. My records are meant to be experienced and felt, maybe even to have meditative qualities to some degree.
 

 

If you could go back in time and give guidance to your younger self, what would you say that would impact your career the most?

Success isn't guaranteed, no matter how hard you work. One of the things I have learned in my 10+ years in the music industry is that no matter how hard you work for it, you are not entitled to success.

 I have had a very successful drum & bass 'career' under the name Leniz but the one thing that burned me out was simply the fact that I thought that if I worked hard, success would come my way. Although it is not completely untrue it does not mean you will reach the top. I felt like I had reached my limits for a few years and kept pushing myself, became jealous of others and frankly my sound (which is kind of similar to the Querry Veldt one) had reached its limits within that scene/industry. But I wanted MORE, I felt like I had more in me. It took ages to let go and take a step back and once I finally did I was completely burnt out. I think this is a general struggle for many artists as it is quite a competitive industry. However I didn't really know how to manage it and I lost the joy of music and being in my position and forgot about the progress I had already made and that in that sense I was already quite privileged to be in that position. I started focussing more on Querry Veldt, also to find my love for music and making it back. And it did, I feel more in touch with myself now as I am truly expanding on what drives me as a person. So additional advice would be, follow your own heart no matter what temptations might come your way.
 

 

How do you feel about music producers having to DJ in order to bring in an income?

I think it's a bit small-sighted. I've always been an active producer in more niche styles and the problem with the niches is that the tracks don't always get the dancefloor recognition in order to truly make a living out of the things I do. Which in all fairness, I understand. However it does mean a lot of good music in these particular niches don't really get the spotlight they deserve as, especially nowadays, the hype and respect is also mostly focussed on the gigs and what does well on the dancefloor. 

Finding a balance is key and if you become lucky and make it there is always the fear of losing that spot as trends shift. This could either result in staying true to self and losing some of that relevance or deciding to move with these trends and leaving a part of the true you, the artist, behind.

 I feel in all fairness if producing was as big of a part as DJing for ones income, we would have more artists that could really delve into their own and develop their own signature sound without the fear of losing credibility for it. Because at the end of the day, truly expressing yourself and your music being YOU, brings more joy for an artist.

At Outboard, our aim is to establish a new way of remunerating music producers , fairly and transparently. Why did you choose to come on board?

I don't like the current state of affairs within how income is divided. Simply put, I want the recognition that my records get to turn into a bit more income financially so I can invest more into creating music while not necessarily following the dancefloor trends. I am not alone in this and there are countless of talented producers in these niches that deserve the same in my opinion, so with that I feel like Outboard is a step into showing how it can be done and how to give back to artists that have put years into developing their craft and dedicated their life to this thing called music.

Querry Veldt - Bright Eyes is out now on OTBD015

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