Behind the story of Wouter S and No Boundariez ‘Stutter’ (VIP)

Originally released in 2014, Wouter S’ Stutter became a notable part of the Dutch UKG and UK house movement at the time. He was bringing together garage, house and tech-house influences into his productions. More than a decade later, the track is getting a new chapter as he joins forces with No Boundariez for a fresh VIP rework on Heldeep Records.

In this interview, Wouter S and No Boundariez talk about the origins of Stutter, the story behind their collaboration, their shared connection to UK sounds and what it means to introduce Stutter to a new generation of ravers.

What do you remember about the period when you created “Stutter”, and how does it feel to see the track being revisited more than a decade later?

Wouter S: I created this track together with a friend of mine, I believe in 2012. I remember creating it in my studio apartment (not to be confused with a music studio) with only a laptop, some vinyls and the built-in mouse of my Macbook. I/we wanted to create something fresh and called it Powerhouse. A bit of a blend of garage, house and a bit of tech elements. I feel honored to see how many people to this day still take joy out of listening to this one. Revisiting it wasn’t easy. Normally I’m not the type of person who likes to rework old work. However, when I finally got to listen, I heard elements where I could work with and was very happy with the results.

‘Stutter’ was originally released back in 2014. When did you first come across the original track, and what was your first impression of it?

No Boundariez: Dani had known the track since the moment it was released. He was following the UK scene very closely back then because he was really impressed by Low Steppa. When he heard Stutter and Rippin the V’s, he was immediately sold. Especially because they were UK-inspired tracks coming from the Netherlands.

When reworking a track with such a strong history, how do you decide which elements should remain recognizable and which ones are better left behind?

No Boundariez: For us, it was important to keep that same feeling the original track had, but put it in a new jacket. When listening to the track, we wanted people to have that feeling of, “Yes! I can definitely hear a lot of the original elements in there, but it still feels different.” That’s why we chose the most recognizable elements and brought them back, but arranged and approached them in a slightly different way. And some elements you left behind because you don't want it to be an exact copy.

How did the two of you work together throughout the process? Did you approach the remix with a lot of back-and-forth, or did one side take the lead creatively?

Wouter S: Well, that’s kind of a funny one. I was playing a festival show here in Amsterdam. These guys showed up and they asked for permission. The fact that I had a couple of beers, I think I reacted like, go for it or as I say in Dutch “moet jij weten”. Anyhow, a few months later I opened my mailbox, completely forgot about this whole interaction, and noticed a draft. I gave it a listen and was really starting to get excited and proposed a studio date (a real studio this time, not like the original lol). To see where we could end up. And here we are…

No Boundariez: It’s funny, because it wasn’t really a spontaneous idea. Well, it was spontaneous at that moment, but the two of us had already talked a few times about potentially remixing Stutter or Rippin the V’s. So when we saw Wouter at a festival, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring it up to him. Luckily, he’d had a few beers by then haha. ;)

A lot has changed in the music scene since 2014. In what ways do you think the new version reflects where you both are musically today compared to the time when the original ‘Stutter’ was released?

Wouter S: That’s quite an understatement indeed. Musically to me not much has changed really. I’m just older I guess. All jokes aside. I’m going back to my “roots”, focussing merely on UK Garage vibes, so this new version definitely reflects more on where I currently am.

No Boundariez: The music scene has definitely shifted quite a bit over the past few years, although we think UKG still has exactly the same essence. For us, it’s also about the fact that we were just starting out making music back then and were each finding our own way in the scene. Over the years, we ended up following a lot of the same movements and sounds coming out of the UK, which is probably why we understand each other so well now. Stutter VIP is really a reflection of the taste we’ve developed over the years.

Now that ‘Stutter (VIP)’ is getting a new life on Heldeep Records, what does this release mean to both of you, and what do you hope listeners take from the new version?

Wouter S: To me it means old wine in a new bottle - joking - no, I hope that it creates a new life for the new and old version. Very pleased to do it on Heldeep. And I hope it energizes the new generation of ravers.

No Boundariez: Stutter meant a lot to the Dutch dance scene in the UKG/UK house space back then. Hopefully, we can get somewhere close to the impact it had at the time. But aside from that, it’s already a win for us that we got to do this with Wouter. Being able to release it on Heldeep as well really completes the whole thing for us!