Duncan Stutterheim, the co-founder of major dance music promoter ID&T -- which is responsible for festivals like Tomorrowland, Mysteryland, TomorrowWorld and Sensation -- is stepping down after 23 years at the helm. He took the firm from a small event company in his native land of the Netherlands to one of the major players of the festival marketplace, regardless of genre, over his time as head honcho. He explained his decision to step down in an interview with Dutch newspaper Volkskrant and why he felt out of place in the modern dance music climate.
"We just felt that we grew out of it," explains Stutterheim, referencing his wife Lisca Stutterheim, the artistic director of ID&T.
He admits that part of the reason is because of the change in music that has become popular. He picks out Martin Garrix as the poster child of the new EDM explosion worldwide that has affected his festivals.
"I've always been on the dance floor, always. Now I do not dislike the music of Martin Garrix -- I can appreciate it, but do not dance to it," he says.
He also notes that things have not felt the same ever since SFX acquiried ID&T in 2013. His entrepreneurial spirit has become corporatized now that he helms a large corporation, which is a piece in an even larger company.
"I'm an entrepreneur at heart, now, I have been employed for two years and I found out that something is completely different. I spend 80 percent of my time managing people, budgets, meetings, etc. SFX deserves the energy I had several years ago," he says.
Stutterheim will be leaving the company before the busy summer is over, calling it quits with the Amsterdam Sensation event July 4, an event he organized from the start.
He has not ruled out getting back into promotion, but does want to take a year off before making any final decisions.
