Vault Sessions was born from the raw, industrial heart of Amsterdam’s underground techno scene. It began in the early 2010s, sparked by a small group of passionate techno enthusiasts who craved a deeper connection with the darker, heavier side of electronic music. What started as an intimate initiative aiming to celebrate electronic music quickly evolved into a movement, shaping the city’s underground soundscape with its devotion to pure, unfiltered techno. 

Over the years, Vault Sessions has evolved into more than just events—it’s a movement that celebrates freedom of expression and the relentless energy of techno. From intimate warehouse raves to large-scale festivals, each edition is meticulously curated to create a unique connection between the music, the artists, and the audience.

Leaving behind our 10-year anniversary, Vault Sessions’ mission continues to expand, always innovating, while staying true to its underground roots. Whether you’re a longtime supporter or new to the scene, Vault Sessions promises to take you on a journey like no other, where the music speaks louder than words.

One of the founding member of Vault Sessions, Bas Jenster, sat down to talk to 6AM about the 10 year run of Vault Sessions, rave culture, and expanding globally while staying true to its roots just before their collaborative show with 6AM and Synethetik Minds (WORK).

 

Hi Bas! Thanks so much for talking to 6AM Group how are you doing?

Just recovered from a hectic Amsterdam Dance Event where we did four events in a row!

Listening to the masters of our upcoming 11YRS VA and highly anticipating our upcoming collab with WORK.

Long story short; Great!

You helped start Vault Sessions from Amsterdam’s underground techno scene in the early 2010s. Can you take us back to one of those first warehouse nights — what was the moment that made you realize this was something special? What were some notable challenges that you all had to overcome?

I think the moment that I personally realised this was something special. Wasn’t at a Vault event. It was the first time I went to a rave, from that moment on i knew this is what i wanted to do. Both my partners have had similar experiences. 

They became dj’s, i started hosting events (in a bar, borrowing a soundsystem from a friend)

 

Vault Sessions talks about the dancefloor as a space for unity, freedom, and inspiration. How do you actually create that feeling for people? What are some details behind the experience that help turn a regular party into something people remember?

I think (hope) every raver/promoter has experienced that one moment on the dancefloor where everything just seems to click. The umami flavour, the final piece of the puzzle, goosebumps. The first time i went to a rave in a stripped bare to it’s foundations old photostudio, in the north of Amsterdam. I experienced this feeling. I’ve been hooked ever since.. It’s not just the music, it’s the space, the lights, the people. If any of the core elements are missing or unbalanced, this vibe is hard to create. We took quite some years to find our own formula for this vibe for Vault Sessions. For us it was a combination of being a true inclusive event, a certain colour pallet of lights on the dancefloor & longer events. The latter was probably the most defining moment, instead of a sprint, we started doing marathons. A certain easiness or peace is felt in the crowd when they know there’s still a long way to go, it gives people the opportunity to really, get into groove. (dee-lite shout out haha)

 

ADE25 at Tillatec

 

You just celebrated ten years of Vault Sessions, which is a huge milestone. Looking ahead, what’s something new or experimental you want to explore in the next couple of years that still feels true to your original mission?

Besides running the label & the agency which are both still relatively young, we have some exciting new event spaces next year, a new event concept and some more developments regarding the events. 

Who knows, maybe one day we actually open the “Vault” 

 

The scene has changed a lot over the last decade. How do you keep Vault Sessions true to its underground roots while also growing and reaching new audiences through bigger stages and international shows?

In 2026 during our annual bday weekender beginning of February we will not only be celebrating 11 years of Vault Sessions but also 10 years of Radion & Vault. We’ve hosted events for 3000 people in big warehouses, festival stages with over 5000 people. We’d take a concrete hall with a couple 100 people over that any day. Our ADE closing with KEY vinyl was a perfect example of this. The vibes you get with this amount of people has a threshold. Once you pass 1000 people, real synchronizing rarely happens.

 

ADE25 at Radion Vault Sessions x Key Vinyl

 

In addition to globally celebrated events, Vault Sessions is also a highly respected label. What made you all decide to add this into Vault Sessions? Did the addition of the label change anything with all other facets of Vault Sessions?

You know those songs everybody is always requesting a track id for and then they turn out to be unreleased? We have those tracks now, this was the sole reason we started the label! Haha. All jokes aside, we want to push quality music in all forms possible. Having a label was a dream of all three of the founders. It’s a blessing but also a responsibility, we are aware of our influence and are dedicated to shine a light on real talent.

 

You’re teaming up with 6AM Group & Synetik Minds (WORK) for an upcoming show. What does that collaboration represent for you, and how does it fit into the next chapter of Vault Sessions?

It’s a huge milestone for us! It’s our first time touring North America and the grand finale is with you. We’ve been following both your collectives work and really respect what you do. We often forget how lucky we are with the regulations in Europe and to realise your collective is making it happen with so many things working against you is really impressive. 

Long story short: 

It’s our pleasure and many thanks for the invite!

Connect with Bas Jenster: Instagram

Connect with Vault Sessions