This is My Story
Johan de Leeuw
At the tender age of 11 in 1998, I embarked on my musical journey alongside Jef Buter, delving into music production and giving rise to our collaborative project, 2-Trance. Over the years that followed, we dedicated ourselves tirelessly to refining our craft, striving for a professional standard as we produced and remixed tracks.
Our efforts bore fruit in early 2003 when Jef and I achieved a breakthrough victory in an online American talent show with our debut single, “2-Trance – In My Dreams.” The track garnered widespread attention, receiving extensive airplay on radio and television.
“In My Dreams” caught the interest of Woody Van Eyden, leading to its signing in 2003 with Clubbgroove Records (Germany), a label co-owned by ‘ATB.’ Renowned DJs Woody van Eyden and Alex Morph contributed an impressive remix, further enhancing the track’s allure. It became a prominent feature in the inaugural ‘ATB – The DJ (In The Mix)’ release in 2003.
By 2006, “In My Dreams” had attained global recognition with its re-release on vinyl, making waves in numerous dance charts worldwide. This success propelled 2-Trance into the limelight, garnering attention from DJs and trance enthusiasts internationally.
In early 2005, Jef and I, alongside Danish DJ and producer Michael Splint, and Spanish DJ & producer Lucas Carmona Moreno (aka LCM!), ventured into establishing our own record label, Novascape Records. From 2005 to 2007, Novascape Records released a series of highly successful trance tracks, earning international acclaim from DJs and securing regular features on Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance radio shows.
In 2007, Jef and I amicably decided to part ways, each pursuing our individual musical endeavors.
Since 2005, I have been actively engaged as an independent producer and composer in various music studios, collaborating with esteemed national and international artists. This collaboration has yielded numerous chart-topping singles and albums, including an official number 1 hit and a golden record with the children’s song “Henkie – Lief Klein Konijntje!”
From 2012 onwards, I have collaborated with Theo Nabuurs (better known as Mental Theo), achieving numerous high rankings in international dance charts with our joint projects and singles. Our music has also been prominently featured as the theme for Dutch TV shows.
Under my own name, Johan de Leeuw, I have explored various electronic music styles, ranging from Balearic chill vibes to more energetic electronic sounds. In 2024, I began releasing music under my own name, defining a new chapter and personal sound.
That new chapter quickly proved its strength: my single “Peru” reached Number 3 in the Beatport Hype Top 100 Organic House and climbed to Number 13 in the Beatport Main Top 100 Organic House chart. Achieving chart success under my own name for the first time marked a powerful and deeply meaningful milestone in my career.
Alongside this, Theo Nabuurs and I fully immersed ourselves in techno under his alias, Theodor Nabuurs. Our techno productions are released through one of the world’s leading techno labels, Filth on Acid, led by Reinier Zonneveld.
In 2024, another major milestone followed: the relaunch of Novascape Records under my direction. With renewed vision and passion, the label continues its mission to inspire, innovate, and release music across a wide range of styles.
Life is beautiful, and the journey of discovery worldwide is endless. Travel, people, emotion and culture continue to fuel my inspiration — and music remains my lifelong companion. Keep an eye on my journey, and stay tuned.