OdS #23

Owen is a Dutch visual artist and a DJ who has been active in the music industry since December 1993. He is known as the founder of Hashtek23 Records, and is an integral member of the Hashtek23 soundsystem. Born in 1974, Owen's journey began in local clubs across the Netherlands, where he experimented with club, progressive, trance, and old skool music. With some successful performances in France and Spain, Owen took a break in 2002 to later return to his passion for music. In 2013, Owen immersed himself in the underground tekno scene of the Netherlands. His talents as a DJ caught the attention of people in the local tekno community and in 2014 he founded the Hashtek23 soundsystem with a group of like-minded friends. Their successful performance at the Fuckparade 2k14 led to the Hashtek23 soundsystem becoming a steady participant of the parade from 2014 till 2019. Owen has also performed at many freeparties and teknivals, and his energy and presences at many parties has established himself as a known figure in the underground music scene. In 2018, Owen began designing artwork and merchandise for Zodiak Commune Records. His artistic flair and attention to detail helped him to stand out in the industry, and he went on to establish Hashtek23 Records in mid-2018. The label's first release was in March 2019, and the response has been above expectation. Owen has since gone on to release more exciting music on his label, and his passion for the tekno music continues to grow. Aside from his involvement with Hashtek23 Records and the Hashtek23 soundsystem, Owen was also a resident DJ at Radio UMX in the period 2017-2021, where he showcased his love for underground music. His ICT expertise and knowledge has led to him co-founding the Underground Frequences Online (UFO) livestream channel in 2020, together with Èmèl. The channel has become popular amongst fans of underground music, and has given himself, his friend(s) and guests a platform to further share talents with the world.