Sem Jacobs, a young Dutch prodigy, has rapidly risen to prominence in house music. In just two years, he’s transformed from an emerging talent to a globally recognized name.
Photo credit: Sem Jacob – Official
Jacobs’ success stems from his raw talent and innovative sound. His tracks ‘Pass Me The Wine Please’ and ‘Jiggy Jerry’ have become anthems in prestigious venues—from Circoloco at DC-10 to major festivals. Industry titans like Marco Carola and Seth Troxler frequently feature his music in their sets.
His recent collaboration ‘Blue Berries’ with Tagmann has further elevated his status, garnering millions of streams and significant radio play. This track showcases Jacobs’ ability to create music that resonates with diverse audiences.
Sem’s career took off in 2022 with breakthrough performances at No Art and London’s Printworks. He also launched FUNKiMAN, a record label that blends his passions for music and wine, delivering timeless grooves that captivate both industry veterans and house music fans.
As we delve into Sem Jacobs‘ world, we uncover the story of a visionary artist. Join us in exploring Sem’s curated list of timeless tracks that have shaped his distinctive style and continue to inspire his work.
1. MAW feat. India – To be in love (MAW 99 Mix)
“‘To Be In Love’ is such a classic. In my opinion one of the best House tracks ever made, with a beat so unique you can immediately tell the name of this MAW masterpiece. It truly has all the ingredients a good House track needs. An authentic and catchy groove, a soulful vocal, don’t forget about the insane bass-line and the chords that give me goosebumps every time I hear it. It’s groovy, euphoric and emotional at the same time and therefore a real song instead of just a track. What a creation this is.”
2. Silicone Soul – Right On! (12″ Disco Edit)
“This one is special. It gives a bit of background about how I got to know many tracks back in the days. When I was younger, I always played at my uncle’s bar (with Tagmann). When we finished playing we always stayed with my cousin who played us many different tracks. One night he and his friend played us this track and we were blown away. The day after Tagmann and I went to a festival and once we came to the stage where Joris Voorn was playing, we heard this track (even though it was already quite an old track), what an experience it was and what a tune it is.”
3. DJ PP – Miami Vice (Original Mix)
“This track is a bomb. It’s simple but so good, I play it very often. The thing I like most is the way the track is built up. It has a long buildup and at some point the risers stop… this makes people think ‘what’s happening, where’s the drop?’… and all of a sudden the drop kicks in. Very nice way of arranging and building up the energy. I just love it. It can work as a real surprise live, so good.”
4. Voilaaa – Spies Are Watching Me (Original Mix)
“Another track that I love. I have to be honest, I haven’t played it many times. But the first time was in 2022 in Medellìn, Colombia. This was the closing tune and it was so nice. Back then everything was quite new, I had to play one of my first shows solo on the other side of the world. But it went well and this tune was definitely the icing on the cake that night.”
5. Cesar Merveille & Pablo Cahn-Speyer – Tribute (Original Mix)
“‘Tribute’ is a great track that always works. It’s so groovy, I love the arrangement. You can play it during a warm up set, but also at peak time. The breaks really give you a moment to breathe which works nicely during (longer) sets. Tunes like this don’t have that many catchy ingredients but they’re solid, mature, and just so good.”
6. Noel Nanton – El Rey (Original Mix)
“Here’s a track that I also found more recently. It’s a bit older but still gold. Again, all about the groove, not too polished (which I love) and with an amazing spoken word vocal. I truly can’t wait to play it out in South America. A track like this also gives me a lot of inspiration. I love how some producers just keep it simple, where many producers add too much to a track nowadays (just like me sometimes as well).”
7. Soul Avengerz – Bodyrock (Soul Avengerz In The Club Vocal Mix)
“It was last week when I found out about this track and I think it’s great. Would love to try it live really soon. It has a great bass, sick vocals and I just wanted to let you hear this. Will let you know later if it works as well as I think haha.”
8. Marco Carola – Play It Loud! (Original Mix)
“This might be a track that anyone that loves House knows and it could have easily been one of the many other tunes by Marco Carola, but I just love the style of these tracks. It never gets old, really. Nowadays many people know Marco for his sets as a DJ, but let’s not forget the many big tunes he has released. For me, the Tech House music from around 2010, was one of the best. It’s so inspirational that with a track like this, he’s made a bass melody which is so authentic and catchy that it stays in your head. The energy and arrangement also work so well, I have a lot of respect for this tune.”
9. BV3K – Astounded (F-Thing’s Flute Dub)
“This track is just something else. Don’t think many of you have heard it before and I actually had to search for the vinyl as it’s not been released on digital, but what a tune. It’s so rare that I had to add my Vinyard Set for Maslow Unknown in which I played it, because the track is not on YouTube, unfortunately. First time I heard it was when I saw Luciano playing it together with Villalobos. The flute melody is just so cool. It makes me think of some old Latin album by Gloria Estefan, that I grew up listening to.”
10. George Morel – Let’s Groove (Original Mix)
“This track is another classic that many of you might know, but it’s just timeless and works. The melody is ‘one of a kind’ and even though some might not know the name of the track I’m pretty sure they’ll still be able to sing along. First time I heard it live was at a festival in the Netherlands (the same one where I heard ‘Right On!’). It got the complete audience going wild and trust me, it still does.”
Sem Jacobs’s ‘Blue Berries’ is out now on FUNKiMAN. Stream and download here.
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