Let’s Talk About Might Delete Later

As the pulsating energy of Tomorrowland 2024 swirled around us, I found myself in a quiet corner, face-to-face with one of electronic music’s most intriguing rising stars.

Might Delete Later, with her warm smile and eyes that sparkled with creativity, immediately put me at ease. There was something refreshingly genuine about her presence – a quality that, I would soon learn, infuses every aspect of her artistry.

As Might Delete Later began to share her story, I was struck by the beautiful simplicity of her concept: turning voicemails from strangers into electronic music that pulses with human emotion. It’s an idea born from the isolation of the pandemic, yet it has blossomed into something that connects people in ways I never imagined possible.

As we chatted, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder. Here was an artist who had found a way to make electronic music – often criticized for its detachment – into something deeply personal and touching. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and I found myself leaning in, eager to catch every word about her creative process.

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Might Delete Later full interview at Tomorrowland 2024

So I have to be honest, I didn’t know you before. But I was stunned in a good way by your production and your idea of music. You are like no other artists: you put out songs but you kind of engage with the public. So I wanted to ask how it all started, how you thought about this idea, and why electronic music in general, and not, maybe, another kind of type of music?

Well, the thing is, I used to do a lot of what is called top lining. So I worked with Patrick Topping and those kind of guys. I’m still doing it, but a little bit less now especially during Covid. I felt really alone in the studio during that time and at some point I thought, you know what? I have to change something; I don’t want to make music alone anymore. This was the time when you could not go out. And so what I did was there was this book closet on our streets. And one day I put a sticky note, a yellow sticky note, just saying, “Hey, here’s a phone number call it if you want”. I went home and had no idea that anything was going to happen. Next thing I knew, a neighbor was calling: “So my apartment was flooded”, and then another girl said: “I’m not sure if I’m feeling it today. I’m feeling bad” so we started talking. These conversations somehow clicked and we came to an idea. A voicemail is something that we’ve forgotten about. Who uses voicemail these days? And I bought this single-use SIM card inserted into an old Nokia. And from then onwards.

There’s always a Nokia in every story [laughing]

And it’s so reliable. And yeah, right now I receive about 10 to 15 voicemails per day. Which is wild.

Amazing as I think the fact that you interact with people on a personal level, that you can hear their voice it’s I thing that you won’t see normally.

Yeah, sometimes I listen to those voicemails and I get goosebumps and I think “Did someone just say this openly?”

Some people might draw comparisons between your work and that of Fred Again, who’s become quite famous recently, because of the voicemail in the songs. But you mentioned that you started during COVID-19, which seems to predate Fred’s rise to prominence. That’s interesting timing. Given your unique approach, how would you describe your musical genre? I’ve noticed elements of UK garage, tech house, and house in your music.

I would say it’s very much house, but also very pop. Pop because every song evolves around the voicemail or the voicemail mixed with my vocals. But ultimately I just make whatever happens in my head. And mostly it is house and pop. But that’s not always the case; lately, I got so many, so many touchy voicemails that I had to make something slower from it. The main thing is that it’s mostly ends up being danceable. Something in between.

You mentioned before that you were in the studio, so, are you kind of a hardware girl or more a software girl? Do you like to use a synthesizer or something like that?

I’ve lately been a bit overwhelmed with the teenage engineering gear. So good. They’ve also been really nice to help me out with some awesome gear. So I think it’s in between. I also really love that I can take the voicemails with me on a bench in Amsterdam and just sit and do everything on software, but when you play some old prophet synths or something like that, you feel it. It’s really warm (the sound – editor’s note). Plus on the stage, we’re playing live with the modular. We like improvisation so a set is never the same. There are always different voicemails. There’s always a different modular.

Now, let’s talk about the industry. We know that the electronic music environment is kind of male-oriented and there are a lot of male people on the top. How do you live being a female artist in a male-powered industry?

To be honest, I have to. I have to say that sometimes it’s been a bit rough, especially because sometimes, especially when I was a top liner, you would enter a studio and the first thing they tell you is: “Oh, so you’re the singer?” I also am a singer, but I also produce. I always wanted to have a hold of all my tracks from start to finish, and that’s what I do. And still, it’s especially true when you go to the Amsterdam Dance Event, for instance. It’s a weird thing that there are so few women producers out there, but there are a couple, and they are amazing. I think it’s growing and we’re getting there, but it’s a rough place out there in terms of just getting the support you need. It’s a big competition. But I’m proud that there are so many amazing artists, especially at this festival (Tomorrowland) as well, coming out.

And what about your production routine? I’ve seen you released an album but a lot of singles as well. What was the drive to it? What was the idea behind writing an album instead of another single?

Well, first of all, it’s my own self-confidence. It’s just, I need to get some kind of a border where I can stop. But I feel that sometimes the voicemails that I get are in some kind of a time frame. They are often times related to what’s happening in the world. What is happening in those specific countries or in those specific languages? And I feel that a collection of singles makes like a complete package for that period in time. And so right now I’m actually working towards an album as well. I feel there is a set, there’s a theme, and that just needs to be put out and needs to be attached to a certain period so that later in 50 years, when I listen to this, I’m like “yep, that’s where we were. That’s how we felt”.

Then that’s, and you’re going to play Tomorrowland in a couple of hours so what can we expect? So you told me before there are some new songs.

Yes, there are. There are a lot of new songs. And actually, there’s one song that I made two days ago. I asked people on my social media to leave a voicemail if they would possibly want to end up being heard on the stage. And there might have been some that made it to my set. And also, I know for a fact that that person will be in the audience.

You’ll have a live reaction out of it

Yeah, exactly. Actually, I know his name because of Instagram. He told me he was going to be there. His name is Will. So big up for Will. And that’s actually why I’m making this whole music for that. There will be someone sitting at a cafe or being at that festival who’s going to be like: “Wait a second.”

“It’s me”. Yeah, that’s fantastic. And last question. So as you receive voice mail, you put out this paper card that turns out to be environmentally friendly. You thought about 360 degrees on the whole process, including the fact that this thing could have an impact on the environment and how to tackle that.

The thing is, we try to do the best we can. We have our own merch and we have these bags that we give only to those people who decide to order the flyers and merch around the world, and our flyers are made from biodegradable paper as well. And even the sticky stuff is made from recycled paper. The thought behind it is thanks to my art director Hime, who’s sitting here. He helps me enormously to make sure that we can pull this off together. But we really want to make sure that if we do make something, it’s the safest for the planet we can think of. It doesn’t mean that it’s easier, it’s a lot harder and a lot more expensive. But we just try to put out things that have the least impact that we at this stage can.

Well, wonderful. That’s amazing. I hope you will have a great time at Tomorrowland. And we will be there for sure.

As our conversation drew to a close, the anticipation for Might Delete Later’s upcoming set was palpable. The idea that someone in the audience might suddenly hear their own voice, transformed into music, sent a shiver of excitement down my spine. It was a reminder of the magic that can happen when art and life intersect in unexpected ways.

Make sure to follow Might Delete Later on Instagram and all their social media. You can also check the full Tomorrowland set below.

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