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From Tiësto to Martin Garrix, it’s no question that one of the Netherlands’ finest exports is DJs. But DJ success isn’t a national birthright, either. After toiling for nearly a decade, releasing house tracks under the name Maurice West, Amsterdam-born Maurits Jan Westveen used the COVID lockdown to reinvent his approach to creating music. In 2022, his breakthrough single “Drugs From Amsterdam” introduced the world to the uninhibited and raucous DJ now known as Mau P.
Since then, Mau has established himself as a meticulous party track producer with impeccable taste, his single releases earning cosigns from an enviable array of dance music’s most credible, including Chris Lake and John Summit.
This summer, in addition to hitting the North American festival circuit and dropping by Vegas for his residency at Wynn’s Encore Beach Club, he’s returning to Ibiza for a second season with his signature party, Baddest Behaviour at Pacha. Later this year, he’ll launch his own label imprint while hoping to finish what will be his debut album.
When Playboy caught up with Mau, he was in his newly-adopted home of Barcelona, where he and his girlfriend, model Julieta Gracia, try to overlap amid mutually booked and busy schedules and where Mau was trying to prepare himself for helming a gauntlet of a summer party season.
What was your original vision for the Baddest Behaviour shows?
I wanted it to be the kind of event I wanted to experience before I was a DJ when I was going to clubs. In my head, I’ve never not been equals with the people that come to my shows, so I feel that energy translates into the crowd. It’s not like we’re worshipping someone. You’ll never see me be a diva.
Being in the DJ booth still sets you physically apart from the crowd. How do you think about creating the vibe on the dancefloor during your sets?
As a DJ it’s like I’m driving the spaceship. If I play for a really long time, it gives me a bigger chance to connect everyone [to each other]. At the end of the set, hopefully everybody will feel like we had a really awesome time together and you were part of a good crowd.
What is the craziest thing you’ve seen on a dancefloor?
Titties. I mean, there are always titties. But in general, I don’t get to see as much as I would like to of what’s going on. Sometimes I’ll see videos [after a gig] of people doing crazy stuff while I was super serious, focused, trying to mix another song. I get almost too locked in.
Because you’re not able to enjoy the moment?
I just overthink things so much. I’ll be thinking five songs ahead and pinpointing what sounds the crowd will like at that moment or what would be very suitable for the way that the sun is setting or the way that the lights are looking. Or if I see one person yawn in the crowd, I’ll be completely thrown off.
The world often thinks of the Netherlands as being a very sexually progressive culture. How do you see your country’s attitudes towards sex compared to the rest of the world?
Of course, in Amsterdam we have the Red Light District and we have sex workers in windows as if it was like a shopping item. But at the same time, I think we’re a little bit shy. When I came to the U.S. for the first time I was shocked by the messages that I would get. I don’t want to hype myself up too much, but it felt so accessible and so easy to get with a girl. In the Netherlands, the girls would be more like, you have to win me over first.
You’re also a Scorpio, the sign with a reputation for being open minded and sex-positive. Do you think that influences the way that you show up to a crowd as Mau P the DJ?
I’ve used it as [part of] my branding. A couple years back, I would see other DJs’ posts and all of the captions would look the same like, “oh I just played in this place thank you guys so much, I’m so appreciative, the show was amazing.” I got so bored of seeing that. I started posting and you see a couple nice videos or pictures but underneath it would have one sentence that’s really out there. One time I had a caption that was like “I don’t believe in zodiac signs I believe in good pussy.” People started printing that out on t-shirts.
I think it was around this time when you were somewhat notoriously called out for “not dancing” in a viral post from a fan and you turned that audio into a track. With so much feedback out there, how do you actually filter out the noise and focus on what’s worthwhile?
After reading everything that’s been said about you on the internet, you realize that there are actually a lot of people who don’t put their thoughts out there. So if I played a show and I thought it was really amazing but I’ll read like five people on X say that they didn’t like one song then it sounds like five people out of the five people that posted something online didn’t like it. But imagine like the thousands of other people that went to the show that just didn’t give any feedback, but I knew I had a great time and I saw a lot of people having a great time. Even the “Mau P isn’t dancing” thing—that girl was just like ragebaiting whoever was watching that video. So you have to take everything with a grain of salt.
One time I had a caption that was like “I don’t believe in zodiac signs I believe in good pussy.” People started printing that out on t-shirts.
In addition to being very sex positive, the image many people in North America have of the Netherlands is that your country has a progressive relationship to drugs.
I think now it’s a pretty open topic in the U.S. I feel like maybe “Drugs From Amsterdam” sort of contributed a little bit to—at least people in dance music—being open about drugs. Because drugs are such a big part of dance music but it was like we were almost scared to talk about it. It’s just a way that people like to elevate their sort of senses to enjoy the music more, get lost a little bit more, before they have to go back to whatever they have going on in their day-to-day life.
I know you still get asked about that record. What’s your relationship like with it now? Does it annoy you to have to play it every night?
I love it. I’m super thankful for whatever creative spurts in the moment I was in when I made it because it changed my whole life. I’m never going to be annoyed by that song.
Your girlfriend, Julieta is from Spain. I read that you met at Pacha in Ibiza last summer?
One of her friends is my booking agent, so she was at the [pre-gig] dinner with all the artists and people from the club. I saw her and I was like, she’s way too hot for me, I’m not gonna talk to her because I don’t stand any chance. So the whole night I didn’t say a word. I introduced myself and then I sat on the other side of the table.
Like everything else, it sort of evolved way later in the night at an after party and the next day. She took me to her house on Ibiza and to this beach very early in the morning as the sun was rising. We sat on this rock in the sea. It was way too romantic to be a one-night stand, but while I was in that moment I was like, I don’t know what the fuck is going on. We just went back to the exact same rock for our anniversary.
Was she a Mau P fan before she became Mau P’s girlfriend?
No, no, no. She told me later that she knew who I was and just wanted to fuck me. She didn’t know I was also a nice guy.
She doesn’t work in music, but do you share music together?
For sure, like when we’re away from each other we send each other Spotify links. I try to think of what’s a good song for her day. Like if she’s walking around New York, for example, listen to this song, look around you, and feel like you’re in a music video.
What are you listening to right now beyond what’s in your DJ sets?
I was just listening to Inna. That kind of music is so niche I mean, I don’t know anything else that sounds like that. It’s very global but also like clubby super euro.
Dating can be a challenge when you’re a touring DJ, away from home, spending your nights in dark spaces with lots of horny people. How have you dialed in what works?
It’ll only work if you really want it to work. It’s not challenging to just be with her, but it’s challenging to travel so much and maintain a normal sort of relationship. One component is just scheduling stuff together. My whole schedule’s done already for this year, so we’re just gonna try to see where we can see each other and squeeze that in. It’s nice that my job is to be at parties and it’s super fun, but [Julieta] also wants to be with me when it’s not all about me and I’m busy mixing songs. It’s nice to do normal person stuff together.
There are plenty of people who see the lifestyle of a successful touring DJ as goals, like the chance to live the ultimate single guy fantasy. So why tie yourself down?
I’m just the type of guy that likes to be in a relationship. I like to have a second pair of ears and eyes who you can always share anything with. Like your number one trusted person. Every time I was single, I enjoyed not having to think of anyone else for a little bit and then I got bored. It’s nice to share this life with someone.
There are still other ways to turn up. Will we see any of your own baddest behavior on display during the Baddest Behaviour parties?
That’s honestly all summer when I’m on Ibiza. It’s just such a dangerous place because you go have lunch with someone and then you start having a Bloody Mary and then before you know it, you’re in a club, and then before you know it, you’re at someone’s house and then the sun starts to come up and you’re like, fuck, not again. And then the next day, it happens again.
Every time I was single, I enjoyed not having to think of anyone else for a little bit and then I got bored. It’s nice to share this life with someone.
Beyond this summer season, what’s your biggest grind right now?
An album that has been a really mind-boggling process for me so far.
So this won’t be a compilation of tracks you’ve already released?
No, this is completely new stuff that sounds like nothing that I’m hearing right now. It’s something that I want to leave a mark on the whole timespan of dance music.
Do we know when it might be dropping?
I wish I knew. I actually was so stressed and working so much [in the studio] that I got this injury on my nerves and muscles in both of my arms. I wasn’t able to do anything for a month. That’s one of the episodes I’ve had from this album [process]. I think it’s because I set the bar really high. I’m being tested to give the people a really good album.
In general, DJs should not be getting work-related injuries, right? We have to take preventative measures!
I know, I know, I know. That’s why I’ve been seeing a lot of physical therapists to prepare for this summer. I also feel like I’m right where I need to be. I’m almost 30 and this made me realize that you have to stretch and move your body and not just sit behind a computer in awkward positions and DJ with two low decks and fly and drink and all of that. This made me go on a real health game. I wanna be able to do this for as long as possible.