Part 1

Name: Sharon Pieksma aka SHARE
Occupation: DJ
Nationality: Dutch
Current release: SHARE's "Oh Please" was included on Crosstown Rebel's Spirits VII compilation.
Recommendations: I really love the work of Felipe Pantone, an Argentine-Spanish artist. He creates colors and movements within colors, it's very beautiful what he does. I love the deep colors and the soft colors, and how the colors are always mingling and mixing the way he does. So just have a look, It's really cool.
I also highly recommend watching the videoclip by “Territory - The Blaze”, as it tells such a great story in a visual way, showing a lot of human emotion.

If you enjoyed this SHARE interview and would like to stay up to date with her music and current live dates, visit her on Instagram.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in DJing? How and when did you start DJing?

I think the seed was planted very early.

As a kid, I was always dancing and playing music on my little cassette player. I had this one tape with 90s or 2000s tracks on it, and I would play the same song over and over, dancing around my room. I wish I still remembered which song it was, because I’d love to remix it today!

Later, I always carried my Discman with me, constantly listening to music. When I got one of my first computers, I was already making playlists, downloading tracks (sometimes from those old-school hack sites back in the day), and organizing music just for fun. Looking back, I realize I was already training my ear, figuring out which songs flowed together, building moods, creating little soundtracks for myself.

Even with my friends, I somehow always became the one in charge of the music. They’d say, “Share, you should put on a playlist, you always find the good songs.” So, in a way, DJing was already there before I ever touched decks, it just grew naturally out of my love for collecting, curating, and sharing music.

Today, DJs are rarely just DJs. Very often, they can be producers who are also DJs or DJs who are also producers. Where do you see yourself on this spectrum and what kind of potential issues and cross-pollinations does this create?

I definitely see myself as a DJ who became a producer. For me, creating my own music was a natural step. Sometimes you want to go somewhere with your sound, but you can't find the tracks that reflect it, and then it's really nice to be able to make the music that goes where you want to go.  

it’s inspiring to make something personal in the studio and then share it with people on the dancefloor. But at the same time, I think the art of DJing is really underestimated. It’s not just about mixing tracks together, it’s about creating euphoric moments in the moment, building a journey, adding effects, shaping transitions so that the dancefloor feels alive beyond what the track itself gives you.

Of course, producers who DJ bring their own beautiful approach too, sometimes very minimalistic, very focused on the music itself. Both paths are valid, but they offer different energies. For me, producing has actually made me a better DJ, it helped me understand sound more deeply and define what my own “Share” sound really is.

At the end of the day, both producing and DJing are complete art forms. And when they come together, it’s magic. Being able to play a set entirely of my own tracks one day, that would be a dream come true!

What were some of the most important insights you gained from teachers/tutorials, other DJs, or personal experience? What does it mean to be a “better DJ?”

I’ve always been really curious about other DJs’ perspectives, so I watch a lot of tutorials and talks to learn new tricks and ways of thinking.

For example, Carl Cox has been a huge inspiration for me. Not only because he’s such a respected DJ and true icon in Ibiza, but also because of how humble he remains after so many years in the scene. Just seeing how he talks about the art of DJing is incredibly inspiring.

I’ve also learned from artists like Maceo Plex and others who share their knowledge through tutorials and talks.

[Read our Carl Cox interview]

One of the most important insights I picked up was about mixing in key. It sounds simple, but I had no idea about it before, and once I discovered it, it completely opened up a new dimension in how I build my sets. Tutorials like that really push me to try new things.

As for what it means to be a “better DJ”, I think it’s about staying open. Open to new techniques, open to changes in the music scene, and open to what people need on the dancefloor by understanding the feeling and energy in the world.

Music and people are always evolving, so being a better DJ means tuning into that constant change and channeling it through music. Keep your eyes and ears open and take inspiration from everywhere.

For you, is there still listening outside of looking for music for your next sets? If so, what do you prefer to listen to and how does it possibly nonetheless have an influence on your performances?

Yes, definitely! I listen to a lot of music outside of preparing sets. Whenever I get the chance, I love diving into other people’s sets because you sometimes hear tracks or styles you wouldn’t normally come across, and that can be so inspiring.

I remember once listening to a progressive house set from Guy J that completely blew my mind. For a moment I thought, “Wow, I want to play progressive house!” It really opened me up, even though I always come back to my own sound in the end.

[Read our Guy J interview]

But beyond club sets, I also listen to music just for myself. Mantras, healing frequencies, sounds that really work on your energy and create a different kind of state of mind.

Even if I’m not consciously searching for inspiration, it always finds its way back into my own sets eventually. Because in the end, everything you absorb shapes the way you share music on the dancefloor.

When digging, what are you looking for? Is the process all about taste for you, or is it about “going beyond taste?”

For me, digging definitely goes beyond just taste.

Even though my taste is always the starting point. I don’t only look for tracks thinking, “Okay, this is what I’m going to play.” Instead, I like to keep an open library of different sounds, because you never know what the moment will call for. Maybe it’s suddenly the right time for some jazz, or maybe a deep, emotional house track fits perfectly.

I think it’s important not to focus too narrowly on one idea of what you want to play, but to stay open and flexible. Anything can happen, and I want to be ready for anything.

On the basis of one of your most recent gigs, tell me about how the preparation- and decision making process works during a gig with regards to the inclusion of key records, the next transition and where you want the set to go?

For preparation, I usually start by going through all my new music and creating a playlist that feels right for that specific venue or gig. If it’s a two-hour set, I’ll often include around 80 tracks. This sounds like a lot, but it gives me the freedom to move in different directions.

I tend to organize them loosely in phases: slower or deeper tracks for the beginning, more housey or melodic ones for the build-up, darker sounds for peak moments, and then tracks that feel right for closing. That structure gives me a framework, but once I’m playing, I like to stay open and flow with the crowd’s energy.

Of course, I also have my favourite records and my own productions or new tracks I really want to test, so I need to feel how and when I can include them. But I never hold onto a plan too tightly. It’s about reading the room and adjusting: sometimes bringing things down if the energy is too high, sometimes pushing further when the crowd is ready.

My own track “Moon” is a special track because it’s very deep, so I play it when working towards the high or deeper vibes, but I can also play it during peak time.

It’s like creating a wave, moving from euphoric highs to deeper, more introspective moments and then rising back up again.