Interview with a Creative Genius: 16 Bit Lolita’s

16 Bit Lolita's aka House Gods

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The interview was conducted with ½ of the group, Ariaan Olieroock (left).  Incredibly nice person and great DJ.  I had the pleasure of seeing him live this past July.  It was quite an incredible show. Here are the Lolita's biography.

"Peter Kriek and Ariaan Olieroock had been making music on their own for some time before joining forces and becoming 16Bit Lolitas in 2003. This collaboration quckly produced a wave of releases. Tracks such as The Puppet Show, Destiny, My Lexicon, Stereo Control and the epic Sedna quickly followed on labels as diverse as Yoshitoshi, Alternative Route , Release, Sadie, Plastic Fantastic, Nu Republic, Armada, Minimal, DK and LMR. A hectic three years has propelled the boys into the spotlight where their crisp creations have carved out a sound that is both cool and sophisticated. It embraces all that is good about House.

Peter and Ariaan consistently turn in tight productions that stand out in a crowded market place. It’s electronic music that has been patiently crafted and produced with emotion as well as technical proficiency. The 16Bit sound is aimed at the ‘thinking clubber’: shimmering bass ines that are devised to test the cream of the world’s sound systems to the max, compressed kicks that rarely exceed 128 BPM with sparkling hi-hats sprinkled on top. On many tracks, hints of vocals sway in and out of the mix and the subtle loops build tension in a way that defies the producers’ relatively young ages. It’s music that can create a soundscape and deliver a killer blow without the need for constant drum rolls or appegiated synths.

Now Peter and Aad play at almost all of the festivals and big club venues both domestically and internationally, they have headlined some of the world's most prestigious clubs, clocking up the airmiles to play punchy tech-fuelled sets at Crobar in New York and the Space terrace in Miami. Sellout gigs in Argentina and Budapest have seen their reputation rise a highlight being and the UK quickly followed, including a Bedrock's birthday bash in London.


Currently hot new singles include a remix of Loafer “Dirt Bike” and “Non Verbal language” and “Back 2 One” on the UK's Hope Recordings, “Passing lights” / “Chuck Nology” on Yoshitoshi offshoot Shinichi and “Gamma Radio” on legendary UK imprint Renaissance as well as a big summer release on CR2 entitled “The Break” With as yet unreleased music licensed to forthcoming high profile compilations such as Deep Dish’s Sharam’s Global Underground, Jimmy Van M’s Balance, Nick Warren Global Underground and Hernan Cattaneo’s Master Series, the future looks bright for Amsterdam’s floating future house heroes, 16 Bit Lolitas."

Creativity Questions:
1.  When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person?

A: When I was young I used to arrange all the boxes I had as some kind of drum kit and would hit them with sticks until they were completely destroyed.

2.  When did you know that this was what you wanted to do with your life?   How did you get started?

A: About 3 1/2 years ago we decided to just start making music and try to be more serious about being DJ's as well.  Of course before that we both already had some experience making music and DJ-ing.  So we just took it from there! Music has always been a calling for both of us.  We just decided to give everything we had and take the risk!

3.  What traits, if any, do you think that creative people have as compared to people who are not creative?

A: What mostly sets them apart from people who are not creative is their creativity!

4.  Do believe that your training has influenced what you create?

A: That is a deep philosophical question.  If with training you mean all the lessons a person receives when growing up, then yes of course.  Every person is influenced greatly by the way we are shaped in this world we live in.  The sum of all the good and bad lessons defines us as individuals and also as artists.

5.  Have you ever felt that your personal expectations have limited your creativity?   If so, how have you dealt with this?

A: I don’t think so.  It’s more expectations of other people that can sometimes limit our creativity in some way.  But that is part of trying to make music to be sent into this world, sometimes you have to make some compromises here and there!

6.  Have other people supported or inspired you?   Please explain.

A: We encountered both resistance and support from people.  Some people really only want to protect their territory while other (more enlightened individuals) have been more willing to help us out.  Regarding inspiration we are inspired by all music out there that comes from the heart, in all styles.

7.  How have you dealt with any criticism you have gotten because of your creative endeavors?

A: Sure, especially when we were starting out no one really believed we had a chance of going somewhere in this industry.  Then again the most important thing is to have belief in yourself. We believed in what we were doing and in the way we were doing it.  So that gave us enough strength to deal with any criticism.

8.  Do you ever feel that you have to censor your creativity because you don't want to offend anyone?

A: No, if we really wanted to offend someone we would just do it.

9.  Do you do anything special to get your "creative juices" flowing?   Please explain.

A: Yes, before we start making music we both stand on our head for about an hour and recite the alphabet backwards.  Sometimes we take out some clay and do a competition who can make the best looking baby elephant out of clay.  We generally do many things to get our inspiration to the right level!

10.  Does your work convey a specific emotion or message?

A: Not a specific one, every track/song has its own emotional content and message.

11.  If you could be any object, what would you be?  Why?

A: Always wondered what it would be like to be a black hole, its kind of convenient because all you need comes towards you automatically, that must be handy!!

12.  What are your words of wisdom for someone starting out in your field?  

A: Be a good person, work hard and believe in yourself!