Dutch producer and DJ Jan Theo Berendsen, better known as Jengi, has quickly become a standout figure in house music.
Photo credit: Sacha Hoebergen
From the early buzz of ‘Bruh’ and his 2017 EP ‘Colors’, to his viral hit ‘Bel Mercy’—which racked up over 150 million streams and went gold in the Netherlands—Jengi has consistently captivated global audiences.
Following up with releases like ‘Take U’ and ‘Things We Do’ with The Magician, the Tomorrowland Music mainstay continues to evolve while maintaining his signature playful energy. Jengi’s remix work for artists like Tiësto, Sam Gellaitry, and Mr. Belt & Wezol further showcases his versatility. On stage, he’s toured across Europe, Asia, Australia, and made his U.S. debut in 2024.
To celebrate the release of his euphoric new single ‘Closer’ on Tomorrowland Music, Jengi shares his top 10 tracks that shaped his musical journey and continue to energize his sets today.
1. Mall Grab – I’ve Always Liked Grime
“I played this track very often combined with my own records back in the days. This track inspired me to make ‘Berlin Trauma’ EP, a pack of edits that also included my biggest song ‘Bel Mercy’.“
2. Andree – Feel So Free
“This used to be a euphoric and strong tune during the time I started DJ’ing when I was 18. Looking back on this track reveals lots of good memories and I still love playing this jam.”
3. PYRMDPLAZA – House Bump For Joe Kay
“Love this tune. This shaped me as an artist for sure. When I was a starting DJ I struggled a lot with convincing audiences to like the house music that I played and made. This song opened lots of eyes for people and till this day I still play it and people are going crazy.”
4. MNEK vs Disclosure – White Noise (Full Crate & FS Green Remix)
“Love these guys’ productions, I looked up to them when I was a kid. I think they opened the doors for me and many others in the Dutch music scene to experiment with club music. This tune set the mood for me to be more open for house music and I still love this record after all these years.”
5. Jengi – FLACKO (Jengi Remix)
“This was the first edit I made in the style that eventually created tracks like ‘Bel Mercy’. An A$AP Rocky sample with a house beat on it. Not super innovative but six years ago it was a pretty powerful bootleg and the crowd went crazy. If I hadn’t made this, I think my life would be very different.”
6. Sam Gellaitry – Assumptions (Jengi Remix)
“I was honored and hyped to make an official remix of Sam Gellaitry. I was inspired by the Scottish artist back in the SoundCloud days. This was also a breakthrough record that allowed me to go back to more melodic / feel-good dance music. It also appeared on the EA Sports FC 24 game. I still play this very often in my sets.”
7. Skream – Space Ghetto
“Love this piano sample topped off with the dusty drums. Good for a late-night set and spinning this jam during my closing set at Mysteryland 2022 brought me lots of joy. It was probably my best set yet, that full set is on my SoundCloud page by the way.”
8. Todd Terry – Let Me Tell You Somethinn (Tee’s Illhouse Mix)
“Always good times when this is played in my sets. You can spin it every time, at rooftop sets in the afternoon or late club nights. Groovy and energetic, you can not hate on this.”
9. The Solid Collective – Can You Feel It
“Probably one of the best club tunes that is ever made. Perfectly built up, goosebumps every time I hear this track. Lovely piano part is such an emotional one, great track to close your sets with. Just amazing.”
10. Itchy + Scratchy – Stacey’s Cheese & Tomato Sandwich
“Feel-good tune and this will make me happy while playing in my sets.”
Jengi’s ‘Closer’ is out now on Tomorrowland Music. Stream and download here.
Follow Jengi: Soundcloud | Spotify | Instagram | Website
