The Amsterdam duo bring 15 years of house music excellence to !K7‘s legendary compilation series, featuring five exclusive productions and picks from around the globe.
Amsterdam-based duo Dam Swindle announces their contribution to !K7‘s prestigious DJ-Kicks series on November 20, 2026, and becomes the first Dutch artists to ever partake in the legendary compilation series. The announcement follows the reveals of two new singles, with ‘I Want You‘ featuring Allysha Joy arriving October 7, and ‘Keep On‘ on October 28.
Lars Dales and Maarten Smeets, better known as Dam Swindle, have spent 15 years laying down roots in the soulful house music scene, and have just celebrated the 100th release on their Heist Recordings label. With a hand in Amsterdam‘s club culture through their involvement with RadioRadio, the Amsterdam–based producers are ready to share in their love for house music with the world via the !K7 DJ-Kicks compilation series.
Their 74-minute DJ-Kicks mix features forgotten gems and forgotten dance-floor favourites with five exclusive Dam Swindle productions, as well as music by Osunlade, Eli Escobar, musclecars and others. Recorded in their studio underneath Amsterdam‘s Volkshotel, the pair had to sift through 30 demos to create the 35-track DJ-Kicks mix. Each track was crafted with the concept of a certain moment in the mix in mind.
“It was close to writing a whole album,“ says Smeets.
While not re–working familiar classics, the duo delved into each other’s record collections for tracks that had personal value and a certain dance-floor impact. The mix juxtaposes classic US house with contemporary talent, including Makèz, D Stone and Nachtbraker, who also created a bespoke introduction and outro, using fragments from Dam Swindle interviews. The mix reflects the contrasting musical styles of the duo. While Smeets found inspiration in the eclectic mix of Henrik Schwarz‘s 2006 DJ-Kicks contribution, Dales preferred a more club-focused direction. The end result is a mix which balances on a fulcrum between the two, informed by years of experience and musical evolution. This attention to transitions is seen throughout the mix, with Dam Swindle‘s edit of Eli Escobar‘s ‘Seein You‘ flowing into Mr. De‘s ‘All For Granted‘, before Soundstream‘s ‘Mercury Mood‘ ushers in a darker, more introspective sound, to bring the mix to its climax.
“For Dales, the compilation represents a full-circle moment, which draws together the records which inspired him and the sounds which are to lead him into the future,“ he says
“When people listen to the mix, they’ll understand where we come from, what we do and where we’re going.“
Dam Swindle’s DJ-Kicks compilation arrives via !K7 on November 20, 2026. ‘I Want You‘ featuring Allysha Joy is out October 7, with ‘Keep On‘ set for October 28.
Tracklist:
1. Nachtbraker, Dam Swindle – Intro
2. Comfy Bella – Konkahs
3. Frank Booker – The Sun
4. Marcel Vogel feat. Sensational – If You Like
5. Eli Escobar – Seein You (Dam Swindle Edit)
6. Mr. De’ – All For Granted
7. Makèz, Javonntte – There’s No Way
8. Dam Swindle – Don’t Sweat
9. Osunlade – Jus Anuda Groove
10. Dam Swindle – My My My
11. Native Rhythms – Ya-Hey (Jazz N Groove Deep Mix) [Dam Swindle Edit]
12. Dam Swindle feat. Allysha Joy – I Want You
13. Kimara Lovelace – When Can Our Love Begin (The Shelter Dub) [Dam Swindle Edit]
14. musclecars – Tonight NV South Jersey Dub
15. Dam Swindle – Keep On
16. Storm Mollison – Gotta Go
17. Dam Swindle – Filter Baby
18. Chris Simmonds – I Changed My Mind
19. D Stone – Slow Soil
20. Harvey Sutherland – Hummingbird
21. S.A.M. – Hit You With My Phone
22. Soundstream – Mercury Mood
23. Nachtbraker, Dam Swindle – Outro
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