I AM: KLOFAMA — The Next Wave

The rise of Mats van Biljouw has happened with unusual speed. Just three years ago, the 23-year-old DJ and producer was making music in his bedroom in Horst, Limburg, and sharing his first tracks with friends. Today, he travels internationally under the name KLOFAMA, performing for thousands of people at some of Europe’s leading hardtechno events.

His rapid breakthrough is the subject of I AM: KLOFAMA, a short documentary produced by CULT. Directed by Sten Hoeijmakers of CULT. Productions, the film follows Van Biljouw during a year in which his career reaches new heights—and the demands that come with it become increasingly difficult to ignore.

The documentary moves through the different spaces that now define KLOFAMA’s life. Airports, hotel rooms, backstage areas and international stages show the constant movement behind his growing career. In between those moments, the film returns to Horst, the place where Mats grew up and where he continues to find familiarity.

That movement between the international stage and his hometown forms the emotional foundation of the film. In front of thousands of people, KLOFAMA is a powerful and recognisable performer. At home, Mats is still surrounded by the people and places that knew him before the bookings, the online attention and the growing expectations.

The distance between Mats and KLOFAMA

At the centre of I AM: KLOFAMA is the question of what remains when the performance ends. The documentary looks beyond the artist’s public image to explore the person behind it.

Mats’ career has grown quickly, but personal development does not always move at the same pace. As more people come to know KLOFAMA, Van Biljouw must continue to understand what that identity means to him. How do you remain authentic when an audience connects with a version of you that has become larger than your private self? How do you process success when your life changes before you have had time to adjust?

The film explores these questions through intimate, everyday situations. At the kitchen table, in conversations with family and among friends from before his career took off, Mats is shown outside the environment in which he is usually seen. These scenes provide space for moments of doubt, loneliness, pressure and relief—feelings that can easily disappear behind the energy of a live performance.

Rather than portraying his success as a simple upward journey, the documentary shows its complexity. Every new stage and sold-out show brings recognition, but also greater responsibility and higher expectations.

The new route to an international audience

KLOFAMA’s career reflects a broader transformation within electronic music. Digital platforms and social media have changed how artists build communities and reach audiences. A DJ no longer needs to spend years establishing a reputation locally before attracting attention abroad. With a distinctive sound and a strong connection to listeners, an artist can achieve international visibility in a remarkably short time.

Van Biljouw’s story is an example of that new reality. Music created in his bedroom in Horst has taken him to major hardtechno and electronic music platforms including Blackworks, Verknipt, Rotterdam Rave and Teletech. He has also performed at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

During the past two years, he has sold out several all-night-long shows in the Netherlands and abroad. These performances show the scale of his development: within a few years, he has moved from emerging talent to an artist capable of drawing large audiences independently.

That achievement is central to the documentary, but it is not the only focus. I AM: KLOFAMA is equally interested in the human experience behind the numbers, the venues and the growing international profile.

Remaining grounded

For Mats, the connection to Horst remains important. It represents a part of his life that existed before KLOFAMA and offers a counterbalance to the speed and intensity of the music industry. Returning home does not make the pressures of his career disappear, but it places them in a more familiar context.

The documentary uses that contrast to examine what it means to become publicly visible at a young age. Success can open doors, but it can also create distance between the person an artist is and the image audiences expect to see.

In that sense, I AM: KLOFAMA is not only a film about hardtechno or the rise of a DJ. It is a portrait of a young artist trying to remain connected to himself while his career moves faster than ever before.

I AM: KLOFAMA is currently in production and is expected to premiere in mid-2027.