Young Marco (NLD) & Vladimir Ivković

Synonymous with institutions like Dekmantel and Rush Hour, Young Marco has toured the world extensively over the past decade. Since the last time he visited our Boat, he has become a proper DJ superstar—just as we always knew he would.

2023 was a big year for him. Young Marco explosively crossed over into new territories with the release of the instant classic What You Say?. The record, which samples Imogen Heap’s 2005 hit Hide and Seek, received its now-iconic debut during his set for Boiler Room at Dekmantel and has since catapulted him onto multiple commercial radars worldwide.

Young Marco’s sonic proclivities have run far and wide. After exploring almost every conceivable genre of club music and its history, his own characteristic trance-inducing sound took shape. His high-energy, psychedelic house and techno sets veer toward the unexpected, lifting crowds into a state of ecstasy all over the world.

As the mind behind Safe Trip Records, he applies the same guiding principles. The label is heralded for its output, pushing up-and-coming talent and a string of highly successful, sought-after compilations—from the ’90s Italian house series to later collections of early trance.

Marco’s discography includes two studio albums, a large array of EPs, and compilation appearances that stand as a testament to his uplifting, heartfelt sound. As a remixer, he has collaborated with the likes of Robyn, Sébastien Tellier, Marie Davidson, and Metronomy, reimagining their tracks with his signature flair.

Co-headlining the night is our dear friend and resident, Vladimir Ivković—your favorite DJ’s favorite DJ. Vlada is someone with a particularly unique talent for selecting records and weaving them into a larger—and often unusually compelling—narrative.

He left Yugoslavia for Germany as a teenager and spent the next two decades honing his skills while throwing events like Selected and Substance, which played host to a cross-section of boundary-pushing DJs long before it was fashionable to do so. Eventually, Ivković found his musical and spiritual home at Salon des Amateurs, an unassuming spot in Düsseldorf that has gradually proven to be wildly influential, giving rise in recent years to otherworldly talents like Lena Willikens, Tolouse Low Trax, Jan Schulte, and many others, including Ivković himself.

That adventurous spirit has also found its way into Ivković’s curation of Offen Music, a label he launched in 2015. Although the imprint’s output is nearly impossible to categorize—experimental Serbian rarities sit alongside ambient excursions and moody synth-pop in its catalogue—the label’s open-minded approach and embrace of off-kilter sounds perfectly encapsulate Ivković’s artistic temperament.

In recent years, that temperament has increasingly found devoted followers worldwide. Simply put, Ivković has become a staple of the European club circuit, and even the festival scene has come calling.

Still, despite all of these international adventures, Ivković has kept his focus on music—especially the dark and often psychedelic sounds that lurk in its unexplored corners.

Whether he’s broadcasting on the radio or piloting the dancefloor, Ivković applies a curatorial mindset and a deep love of music to all of his creative exploits. Yes, he’s a DJ, but he’s so much more than that—he’s a storyteller, a connoisseur, and, most importantly, an artist.