Dutch musician Jordi van Achthoven, widely recognized as one half of Tinlicker, is embarking on a deeply personal chapter with his new solo alias, They Call Me Steve. We had the pleasure of speaking with him on a number of topics.

How has 2025 been for you when you look back, what have been the  highlights? 

2025 has been a great year personally. I finished my first album as They  Call Me Steve. But it’s also been a year I needed to step back a little  from music. I needed to get out of that computer. I also moved this year  to a very nice place. There is a garden where I spend a lot of time In this  year. The highlight was finding rest for my brain. 

What sparked the decision to introduce they call me steve as a new alias  alongside Tinlicker? 

The idea for the name came actually as last. There was not really a  decision to make. I basically was already creating the songs. And It was  just too different than the “tinlicker’ songs. So after a couple of songs I  could actually feel the coherency in it. And thought it would be nice to  finish it as an album. After that I had to create the name haha. 

How did stepping away from the Tinlicker name change the way you approached writing music, and how do the outcomes differ? 

Ive always been creating different kind of electronic music. Ive never  been stuck with just one style. So actually, tinlicker was and Is the first  project I’ve been so long in. And it started to bore me in a way. Because  things became too mechanical because I was repeating and repeating  the same things over and over again. The they call me Steve songs gave  me back this freedom. And there was no pressure at all for no one to  make it. And that was a blessing. 

Escapism feels deeply personal. At what point did you realise this  collection of tracks wanted to live together as an album? 

after a couple of ideas, the songs started to tell a story. And most of  them were personal. Ive been adding a lot of texture in them,  background noises from locations Ive been into. Or audio notes from  friends, and even my daughter. And therefor i gave myself the challenge  to make an album of that. Cause that is the only way to finish it.  Otherwise I keep a half collection of songs on my computer and I hate  that haha

You’ve said some of these tracks were made years ago on your laptop,  what made now the right moment to finally release them? 

Well, the ideas for some of the songs were already there. But what  happened with They Call Me Steve, I found a sound. And that sound  fitted in most of the old songs. Which was very fortunate. And all of the sudden it went really fast. 

How did revisiting older material feel creatively and emotionally  compared to writing something new? 

I sometimes compare music with for example cheese. The more you  keep it, the better It becomes. Well not in all cases. But I found some  songs and I forgot about them. and I forgot that I actually made that. So  in a way it felt that I was remixing my own music with a fresh look. 

Tracks like “Lara” are inspired by your daughter – what impact has  having a daughter had on being an artist? 

when I create I often look from other people’s perspective. And Lara is a  song that I actually look though the eyes of my daughter. The chord and  melody structure comes from a children’s song called Frere Jacques  which she usually plays on my piano in the living room. So it was the first  time I was looking at life as a child while creating music. That was  something new and I enjoyed that very much  

There’s a strong lo-fi, everyday intimacy running through escapism –  What drew you to using field recordings and daily-life samples? 

I think it always gives a personal touch. But it also create a certain depth  in music. And that is how I see music. All the sounds are layers, like  being in a living room with a bunch of people, and I see the people as  instruments. You dont want everyone to stand at the same place. But if  you spread everyone out, there is room for everyone. So thats how I also  look at instruments and sounds. Giving them the room they need.

How do you balance making music that works both in clubs and in quiet,  reflective settings like at home or in a café? 

that balance goes quite naturally. In 2024 I spend a lot of time in music venues and clubs playing as tinlicker. And therefore in needed  something else. and In all fairness, I actually never go to any club or  dance night. so I can only make dance music from my knowledge that I have gained in my lifetime. 

How do you imagine performing this material live – Does it lend itself to a  different kind of setting or experience? 

I mostly imaging things and then I create these things. So I had this  imagination of playing my album in front of some friends and one of my favourite coffee places in utrecht called Koffie Leute. So thats what I did. 4 weeks ago I played a show there for just my friends. And It was great! Its been recorded so its going to be uploaded at some point.

What is on top of your XMAS list right now?

World peace, no war. More love

And what future goals do you have for your career or yourself in 2026? 

Playing shows, making another album. and I cant wait cause I already  started making new tunes.