DJ Bakermat calls Twente home: “I long for peace and nature”

From countryside to beats 
Bakermat broke through in 2012 with his track “One Day (Vandaag),” a surprising mix of house, saxophone, and the iconic words of Martin Luther King. It marked the beginning of a career that took him to the world’s biggest festivals and clubs—from Tomorrowland to New York, from Ibiza to Rio de Janeiro. 

But the further he got from home, the more he began to long for what once was. “I was often on planes and staying in hotels and busy places. What people don’t see on Instagram is how much time you spend indoors as an artist. Airports aren’t exactly inspiring. When I’d come home to the countryside, I realized how much I’d missed it.” The longing for peace, nature, and his family grew stronger than the allure of the city. 

Trees, treehouses, and farm life 
Ask Lodewijk about his childhood in Markelo, and you’ll get a broad smile and a short but powerful answer: “Beautiful.” He remembers his childhood mainly as a time spent outdoors. “I built treehouses. That’s pretty much all I did—head into the woods with friends and build treehouses endlessly. We were always outside. That feeling of freedom, that outdoor life. That’s something that’s always stayed with me.” 

Bakermat says that during his time abroad, he began to miss the peace and space of home more than anything else. The contrast with life as an artist couldn’t have been greater. He now lives back in Markelo with his wife and two daughters, in a place where he can indulge his love of nature and animals. “I love going for a short walk every day. And I’m a bit of a hobby farmer—chickens, goats, that sort of thing. I think it’s fantastic.” 

World traveler with roots in Twente 
Still, he carries a piece of Twente with him wherever he goes. “What do I take with me from Twente? A kind of reserved demeanor, but in a good way. When I enter a different culture, I don’t immediately jump in with an opinion. I observe first. I think that reserve is often appreciated.” He doesn’t consider himself a typical “noaber” when he’s traveling. “I don’t knock on the door of the hotel room next to mine to ask if everything’s okay.” Still, he definitely recognizes the Twente down-to-earthness and laid-back attitude in himself. “I just take it easy. I don’t get too worked up. That’s how I feel comfortable.” 

He rarely performs in Twente itself. “It’s funny, isn’t it? I’m from here, but my music has never really been a big deal locally. Still, it would be wonderful to do something in the region sometime.”

The Power of Returning 
He hadn’t exactly seen it coming that he would return to his hometown after twelve years. But now that he lives there again, it feels like coming home. “For a long time, I underestimated the bond I have with Twente. But now that I’m living here again, I realize how much peace of mind it brings. You live in a completely globalized world where you can live anywhere. But there’s still something special about the place where you come from.” 

For anyone hesitating about returning to Twente, he has a clear message: “Just do it. Follow that feeling. During the pandemic, I spent three months here. That’s when I realized: this is another way to live. And that, too, is a high quality of life.” 

Dreaming from the Herikerberg 
Does being back in Markelo mean his international career is on the back burner? Not at all. “I don’t go on those really long tours that last for months anymore. But I’ll keep making music and performing. Ideally, I’d like to build my own studio here where international artists can come to write and record. Holding sessions right in the middle of nature. That sounds amazing to me.” 

His message to young people in Twente is therefore clear: “Go out and explore if you need to. I did that, too. But know that there’s always a way back. And once you get a taste of life here again, it might just turn out to be surprisingly good.”