Spotlight: Rachelle Grooten
Trust the rhythm of your soul. Music will carry you through every storm, every fire, every joy. It’s not just sound. It’s your compass, your medicine, your magic."
Long before she stepped behind the decks at De Groene Engel for her first gig - hands trembling, heart racing, you know, the usual nerves one would expect at your first performance - Rachelle Grooten was a little girl sitting cross-legged in the attic, surrounded by the hum of a Hammond Leslie organ. She didn’t have sheet music, just her ears and an instinct to follow tones and emotions wherever they led while seated for hours. That same intuitiveness and self-taught magic carried her to the piano, and later on, into the heart of electronic music… her calling.
At fifteen, fate came in the form of her neighbour Simone (a local legend in her own right) known for hosting after parties that had her teenage curiosity sparking. One quiet Sunday, while her parents were out, she mustered up some courage and knocked on Simone’s door. Simone was obviously surprised but before long, Rachelle was being shown the basics of DJing and was even told she could come back for lessons. And that she did. That fateful day was a defining moment that changed everything for her.
Her sound started with straightforward techno and house, but over the years, it has evolved into something more textured - melodic techno rich with emotion, layered with hypnotic depth. “It’s about telling a story now,” she says, “about taking people on a journey, not just playing tracks.
I’ve got two sides. I call it my Yin & Yang! I play emotional, hypnotic melodic techno, but also more downtempo, organic sets for the chill vibes. So I have a light side and a dark side, and I love exploring both.”
Her influences are as eclectic as her style. Rachelle’s childhood was filled with The Rolling Stones and Talking Heads, Michael Jackson and Prince, African rhythms and Spanish guitars. Ballet classes added classical music to the mix. Her aunt and uncle, “proper old-school housers,” gave her a first taste of club culture while bands like Muse and Linkin Park fuelled her skater-girl energy. By the time she hit her teens though, house music had claimed her heart for good.
But it was touring with Oliver Schories that turned her passion into a profession. Traveling through the Netherlands and Germany, she realized the scene wasn’t just a dream… it was tangible, and she belonged in it! From 2014 to 2020, music was her full-time life, until a deeply personal pause came when her mother fell terminally ill. She returned to Oss to care for her, stepping away from the decks until after her passing.
The return hasn’t been without its challenges. Post-COVID, the DJ landscape became crowded with fresh faces and shifting sounds. But she’s still carving her space, playing memorable gigs at places like Melkweg for Geheime Liefde and at the Diynamic Festival for Solomun himself. “That was such an honour, an unforgettable experience to be part of a line-up like that!”
Another fond memory for her was the first time she played in Berlin, during a CLICK meets Innervisions night. “I got to close the Acid Bogen stage at Kater Blau with a 5-hour set. That night still gives me goosebumps… the energy, the crowd, the flow, it was pure magic!”
Her own event, Rach Fest, started as a birthday celebration but quickly grew into a vision: a gathering where music meets connection, where campfires and cosy living-room vibes welcome everyone, and where compassion is as important as the bassline. “Music can truly heal and connect people,” she says. “That’s what drives me.”
These days, she’s also the Community and Event Manager at Birdcage Radio, a place she describes simply as “home.” She first joined as Radio Manager, took a step back due to health issues, and later returned to help build the warm, creative space she treasures. The Birdcage community, she says, has taught her the power of authenticity. "I work with so much love alongside Rochelle and Nicolas, we’re building a vision that really aligns with everything I stand for: connection, warmth, music, and creativity. That kind of vibe is rare, and I treasure it deeply."
Looking back at her journey, if Rachelle could speak to her younger self now, she’d tell her this: “Trust the rhythm of your soul. Music will carry you through every storm, every fire, every joy. It’s not just sound. It’s your compass, your medicine, your magic. Dive deep, dance wildly, love loudly. Your truth lives in every beat you dare to play.”
Wanna know what Rachelle is up to and listen to her music? You can follow her on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachellegrooten
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/rachellegrooten
