Hi, my name is Merlijn! I grew up in The Hague, where my curiosity for technology and creativity started early. From countless hours with LEGO to helping my dad and his twin brother (a carpenter) with hands-on projects, I’ve always loved building things.
My journey in higher education has been just as exploratory. I first pursued Computer Science at TU Delft and later at UTwente, but I quickly realized I wanted a broader, more hands-on approach to engineering. That led me to ATLAS, an interdisciplinary program that combines technology, design, and innovation.
My journey in higher education has been just as exploratory. I first pursued Computer Science at TU Delft and later at UTwente, but I quickly realized I wanted a broader, more hands-on approach to engineering. That led me to ATLAS, an interdisciplinary program that combines technology, design, and innovation.
Beyond engineering, music has played a huge role in my life. I started with the cello at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague when I was 4, delving deep into classical music and even experimenting with composing. Around the age of 14, I discovered electronic music and began producing in FL Studio, eventually transitioning to Ableton and picking up DJing, with a focus on house music.
Now, as part of DreamTeam UTwente, I have access to amazing workshops where I can bring my ideas to life. My projects often blend software, hardware, and interaction design—whether it's building electronics with Arduino and Raspberry Pi, designing interactive installations, or experimenting with web development.
The cookery project
The eWorkshop
The lasercutter
The mWorkshop
My home studio
I tinker the most in the domain of electronic music. With the wide availability of digital synthesizers and samples, it has become very easy to play around with sound. My favorite is Serum, which is a wavetable synthesiser with the option of substractive synthesis, FM, AM and more. The possibilities are pretty much endless and you can keep clicking around until you think something sounds good.
I would define 'tinkering' as the process of (semi) open-ended creation through trial and error in a low-stake environment. Essentially a safespace to make mistakes and see what cool end result you can get with only a vague goal in mind.
Unfortunately electronic music creation mostly involves screens, but to try and get away from them I like to DJ! My controller does have a screen (although small), but I would love to own actual synthesizers and drummachines to create a live setup without any screens. An additional item on my wishlist would be a CDJ-2000nxs2 to complement my CDJ-XZ and learn how to DJ with 3 channels.