Charly Lownoise (NL)

Charly Lownoise was born Ramon Roelofs in The Hague, the Netherlands. The brother of a school friend of Ramon's owns a mobile discotheque and regularly organises parties. At the age of 13, he was introduced to disco and Italian music at one of these parties. The equipment setup, the electronic music, and the hypnotic effect of the lights made an indelible impression on him. From that moment on, Ramon knew this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

A passion was born. Music keeps him busy 24/7. With part-time jobs like delivering newspapers, washing car windows, and delivering and assembling furniture, he saved up for equipment and (at the time) vinyls. Much of his energy is spent practicing mixing, cutting, and pasting on his tape recorder, and hosting radio shows for the local radio station.

After attending Technical College, where Ramon trained as an electrician, he aspired to join the Navy as a professional soldier. Besides practicing his profession, he seeks adventure and hopes to see the world. After about two and a half years, he realises that the Navy was the wrong choice. Ramon is homesick. A career in music continues to niggle and gnaw at his subconscious. Moreover, he doesn't particularly likes the military system. After the Navy, he works for a year as a welder in his stepfather's steel construction company. Then as a courier at Rabobank. And in his free time, he always pursues that one passion. Finally, in November 1993, the moment arrives when Ramon starts working full-time as a DJ/producer. What started as a hobby has now become a full-time job!

Ramon had met Mental Theo about a year earlier at a Mallorca reunion at theJaarbeurs in Utrecht. Theo has excellent musical ideas and complements Ramon perfectly. The reverse is exactly the same. Both their ambitions reach a higher level.
Fantastic years follow, during which Ramon lives his dream. He seized the opportunity presented to him. Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo traveled from Australia to America and toured throughout Europe. Their greatest success came with their hit single "Wonderful Days" in 1995. This track achieved gold status in both Germany and the Netherlands. They played approximately 250 shows a year. In four years, they released three albums and 13 singles, all of which topped the charts in both the Netherlands and Germany. Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo were booming.Ramon enjoyed everything that came with being a "Star DJ," unaware that this existence also had its downsides.

At the end of 1996, tensions rose so high that Ramon was 'knocked out' during a performance in The Hague. He was exhausted and at the edge of a burnout.

Seeking peace and depth, he discovered Zen meditation. Shortly afterward, he began Zen training.