Leon Bolier

Born Leendert Wouter Bolier, Dutch DJ and trance producer Leon Bolier emerged as a central figure in the Netherlands’ renewed dominance of the trance scene as the 2010s neared and progressed. Initial recognition arrived through early work alongside his brother Bart as Subsphere, yielding several acclaimed cuts that appeared on Green Martian and A State of Trance. Turning solo in 2005, he generated an extensive catalog of original material and remixes while sharpening his abilities as a floor-reading DJ. After aligning with the Spinnin’ sublabel 2Play in 2006, he issued twenty tracks on the imprint across the following three years. His debut album, Pictures, arrived in 2008. The two-disc collection comprised twenty-four tracks and multiple collaborations with Simon Binkenborn, Jonas Steur, Sied van Riel, and additional artists; it earned acclaim for its range of influences and for expanding trance conventions, particularly through the prominent single Ocean Drive Boulevard, while also yielding the singles “Thug,” “XD,” “YE,” and “Acapulco.” These releases secured Bolier’s position at the leading edge of the Dutch trance resurgence and placed him on DJ Mag’s 2008 Top 100 DJs list. He returned to that ranking in 2009, climbing thirty-two spots to number 68. He maintained a release pace approaching one track per month and performed hundreds of shows annually, leading to the follow-up album Phantasma in 2010. Issued on his own Streamlined Recordings, a Spinnin’ sublabel, the two-disc set was praised for balancing high-impact club tracks with more ambitious material and featured collaborations with Alana Aldea, Marieke de Krui, Sied van Riel, and further contributors. By 2011 his musical focus had shifted, evident in the electro and progressive directions of tracks such as Disco Davai. In 2015 Bolier introduced the alias WSTLNDR and returned to the trance approach of Phantasma with the September release of his third album, Atmostopia. Presented as an expression of complete artistic liberty from standard dancefloor expectations, the record appeared on the former DJ Tiësto-owned Black Hole Recordings imprint. It departed from the numerous guest features of prior projects, instead employing richer sonic palettes, effects, and textures to evoke settings beyond the club environment.