Nachtblumen Podcast #28 AHIL
At the height of a warm and golden Dutch summer like we haven’t had in a long time, it’s time for a new episode in the Nachtblumen Podcast. I am happy to welcome a long-time friend and emerging artist from the Rotterdam scene: Arthur van den Hil, artistically known as AHIL.
Born, raised, and nowadays rooted in Rotterdam, AHIL belongs to the new wave of artists shaping the city’s deep and hypnotic techno landscape. In addition to DJing, he is the founder of Hypnosis -a multidisciplinary platform where sound, art, and community intersect.
His musical journey began in 2013 when he first went to Awakenings Festival, where he heard Chris Liebing and Speedy J for the first time, which made a lasting impression, and opened a world of sound. The experience led him on a path into the world of electronic music that would take him through iconic venues like Maassilo and Factory010, events like Rotterdam Rave and Strobe Techno, and toward a growing devotion to the genre. Yet the most transformative encounter happened at De School, during one of its early unannounced “De Zomernacht” nights. Hearing Ryan Elliott and DVS1, meeting the community and experiencing the vibe in that context opened a door into the emotional and immersive potential of club culture. What followed was years of exploration, music collecting, digging, and connecting with the local scene of like-minded listeners, clubbers and artists.As his passion grew and deepened, so did his relationships within the community.
With the start of the pandemic, he finally made the leap into DJing. His first official set was with the Amsterdam organization Orphic - a rite of passage in the Dutch underground, known for cultivating emerging talent and their strong community. Not long after, his hometown debut followed at Perron for Embodiment, which was how he started rolling into DJing more, and marked the beginning of his artistic career. Ever since Arthur has been working on his craft, and performing at multiple venues and events across the Netherlands, and has most recently become a resident at one of Breda’s forward thinking organizations PULSE.
In AHIL’s musical identity there’s a clear focus on atmosphere and groove. His sound is characterized by subtle layers of hypnotic repetition, percussive detail, and sometimes minimalist approach that invite deep listening. His inspirations include DVS1, Garçon, Human Space Machine, Jane Fitz, and the aesthetic of labels like Amenthia Recordings to name a few. Monument Festival—where he has been a regular attendee for six years—remains one of his greatest influences, shaping not just his taste but his understanding of community, the power of a soundsystem and curation.
In 2023, guided by a desire to contribute something personal to Rotterdam’s local music scene, he launched his platform Hypnosis. He wanted to create a space for collaboration, expression, and connection. Through the platform, he’s worked with artists like Nelly, Zara, Vand, and Nikos, as well as photographer Clemens Wildschut and painter Roelof Munnik. He continues to focus on projects that prioritize creative exchange and sharing of passion for music and art. For Arthur, collaboration is a value as much as a way of being - it transpires in every set, every event and intention behind Hypnosis.
“The mix I recorded for Nachtblumen is somewhat of a timeline of my artistic journey and influences,” he shares. “After visiting Waking Life, I came home very inspired. The morning sets every day were something special - both from a music point of view and atmosphere and vibe. Jane Fitz, Vlada, and DJ Red among many inspired me to dig deeper within myself and my collection and create not just a set, but more of a conceptual journey. I took all that home, and then I started digging back in my collection and records for tracks that influenced me over the years and made me the artist I am today. It was the perfect way to piece the music story together.’’
The result is a deep techno journey, where the young artist shows his true sound identity through staying true to his roots in the dreamy atmospheres, hypnotic rhythms and highlighted love for percussion.
Looking ahead, AHIL prefers to let things unfold organically—both in his personal life as a DJ and in the future of Hypnosis. He’s interested in curating events across genres, perhaps even experimenting with launching a house music-focused concept in Rotterdam. His collaborative spirit continues to find new ground, most recently through projects with Deep Space Series and radio platforms like Kiosk Radio in Belgium and Radio Hinter in Amsterdam, which would probably develop further and occur again in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled and ears open for what’s to come, but until then press play and enjoy this mesmerizing musical trip.