Wessel van Diepen
Encyclopedia
Wessel van Diepen was a Dutch
radio
host for Radio 538
(until October 2006) and is the most successful dance-pop music producer in Dutch history.
At 15 he started his own illegal radiostation called "Radio Stad Delft", his first step towards a blossoming radio career. Later, when Wessel was 17 years old, during a holiday in Wichita
, Kansas
, United States
, he made a radio roadtrip visiting several stations in that area and there he met a DJ at KKRD who gave Wessel the opportunity to fill in for him on air for a period of three months.
Back in The Netherlands
, in 1986, he got noticed by 3FM
DJ Rob Stenders and through him he got his demo to several Dutch radio-stations in broadcasting capital Hilversum
. After numerous offerings Wessel decided to accept a job as a DJ at the VARA
, which also broadcasts via 3FM
.
As he was a fresh breeze throughout Dutch radio, soon he was contacted by popular broadcasting organisation Veronica. They wanted to recruit him for some radio and TV programms which included the Europe-wide broadcast popmusic TV-show Countdown
, which shot Wessel to international fame.
In the early 90s Veronica moguls Erik de Zwart and Lex Harding deserted Veronica and started Radio 538
and Van Diepen ended up going with them. Besides hitting big ratings with a daily drive-time show, he took the opportunity to exploit his dance minded side and created the internationally awarded radioshow "Van Diepen's Dance Department", where every notable DJ spinned vinyl, ranging from Oakenfold to Digweed and from Paul van Dyk to Tiesto. When Dutch musicvideo channel TMF
(The Music Factory) was launched in 1995 and Wessel got on board, he once again gained TV fame as a VJ with a popular show called "Wessels Woelige Wereld" (translated: "Wessels Wild World"), which he hosted until 1999. He resigned as a radio presenter in 2006, but continued to produce music using the pseudonym DJ Delmundo.
During the 90's he started producing hitmusic, together with Peran van Dijk and later Dennis van Den Driesschen ('Danski'), leading to successful acts such as L.A. Style
(James Brown Is Dead (with Van Diepen doing the trademark megaphone catchphrase)), Nakatomi, and eventually worldwide phenomenons Alice Deejay
and Vengaboys
.
Over the last thirteen years, the Vengaboys alone sold over 15 million singles, 4.5 million albums, went platinum in 73 countries and performed in more than 130 different countries.
The Vengaboys split in 2000, but announced their comeback in 2010 with the space age disco bliss single Rocket To Uranus
, featuring Perez Hilton and Pete Burns (video only), once again co-written and produced by Van Diepen.
Wessel also owns a recordcompany called "Violent Records".
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
host for Radio 538
Radio 538
Radio 538 is a Dutch commercial radio station aimed at young people. It has a broad format which includes Top 40, dance, R&B and recent hits...
(until October 2006) and is the most successful dance-pop music producer in Dutch history.
At 15 he started his own illegal radiostation called "Radio Stad Delft", his first step towards a blossoming radio career. Later, when Wessel was 17 years old, during a holiday in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he made a radio roadtrip visiting several stations in that area and there he met a DJ at KKRD who gave Wessel the opportunity to fill in for him on air for a period of three months.
Back in The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, in 1986, he got noticed by 3FM
3FM
3FM is a Dutch radio station on the NPO which broadcasts popular music. It can be compared with BBC Radio 1.-History:3FM was created as Hilversum 3 by minister Maarten Vrolijk on 11 October 1965, to counterbalance the popular offshore station Radio Veronica...
DJ Rob Stenders and through him he got his demo to several Dutch radio-stations in broadcasting capital Hilversum
Hilversum
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called "'t Gooi", it is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller villages...
. After numerous offerings Wessel decided to accept a job as a DJ at the VARA
VARA (broadcaster)
The Omroepvereniging VARA is a Dutch public broadcasting association operating within the framework of the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep system, founded in 1925 as the Vereeniging van Arbeiders Radio Amateurs...
, which also broadcasts via 3FM
3FM
3FM is a Dutch radio station on the NPO which broadcasts popular music. It can be compared with BBC Radio 1.-History:3FM was created as Hilversum 3 by minister Maarten Vrolijk on 11 October 1965, to counterbalance the popular offshore station Radio Veronica...
.
As he was a fresh breeze throughout Dutch radio, soon he was contacted by popular broadcasting organisation Veronica. They wanted to recruit him for some radio and TV programms which included the Europe-wide broadcast popmusic TV-show Countdown
Countdown (Dutch TV series)
The Dutch music show Countdown was a popular music show from 1978 to the early '90s, broadcast by the broadcasting system Veronica. It ranked as the top music show in the whole of Europe. Due to the popularity this show, the career of one of its hosts throughout the entire period, Adam Curry, rose...
, which shot Wessel to international fame.
In the early 90s Veronica moguls Erik de Zwart and Lex Harding deserted Veronica and started Radio 538
Radio 538
Radio 538 is a Dutch commercial radio station aimed at young people. It has a broad format which includes Top 40, dance, R&B and recent hits...
and Van Diepen ended up going with them. Besides hitting big ratings with a daily drive-time show, he took the opportunity to exploit his dance minded side and created the internationally awarded radioshow "Van Diepen's Dance Department", where every notable DJ spinned vinyl, ranging from Oakenfold to Digweed and from Paul van Dyk to Tiesto. When Dutch musicvideo channel TMF
The Music Factory
The Music Factory is a pop music television channel that operates in Belgium .TMF previously operated channels in the Netherlands , the UK with TMF UK and Australia with . The brand is owned by MTV Networks International...
(The Music Factory) was launched in 1995 and Wessel got on board, he once again gained TV fame as a VJ with a popular show called "Wessels Woelige Wereld" (translated: "Wessels Wild World"), which he hosted until 1999. He resigned as a radio presenter in 2006, but continued to produce music using the pseudonym DJ Delmundo.
During the 90's he started producing hitmusic, together with Peran van Dijk and later Dennis van Den Driesschen ('Danski'), leading to successful acts such as L.A. Style
L.A. Style
L.A. Style was a Dutch electronic dance music duo, founded and produced by radio host Wessel van Diepen, who also created Nakatomi and the very successful Vengaboys, also produced by Fonny de Wulf, Michiel van der Kuiy [aka Denzil Slamming] & FX.The group was fronted by Rapper/Singer/Songwriter &...
(James Brown Is Dead (with Van Diepen doing the trademark megaphone catchphrase)), Nakatomi, and eventually worldwide phenomenons Alice Deejay
Alice DeeJay
Alice DeeJay was an electronic music group, who achieved success from 1999 to 2002.-Members:The group consisted of record producers Pronti , Kalmani and DJ Jurgen with Marc Lee-Smith remixing and the DJ's From Mars lead singer Judith Anna Pronk...
and Vengaboys
Vengaboys
Vengaboys are a Eurodance pop group based in Amsterdam. The brainchild of two Dutch producers Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen , they enjoyed commercial success in the late 1990s. They are best known for their two UK number one singles, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" and "We're Going...
.
Over the last thirteen years, the Vengaboys alone sold over 15 million singles, 4.5 million albums, went platinum in 73 countries and performed in more than 130 different countries.
The Vengaboys split in 2000, but announced their comeback in 2010 with the space age disco bliss single Rocket To Uranus
Rocket To Uranus (song)
Rocket To Uranus is the 2010 comeback eurodisc song for Dutch eurodance group Vengaboys.It's due for release in May in their home country The Netherlands, and dates for other countries are expected to be set soon....
, featuring Perez Hilton and Pete Burns (video only), once again co-written and produced by Van Diepen.
Wessel also owns a recordcompany called "Violent Records".