Turn Signals and Turntables
Combine two unrelated things inside the brain
of Dutch artist Olaf Mooij — the electronica
song “God is a DJ” by Faithless, and the
Popemobile — and the result is the DJ Mobile.
Mooij bought the used car from a local gas
station. “I always liked the Ford Sierra,” he
says. He worked up the quirky design using
buckets, cardboard, and duct tape. Later,
he swapped the prototype materials out
for wood and polyester.
With 14 woofers, tweeters, and other loudspeakers boldly splaying in various directions
out the back of a dark blue 1983 Ford Sierra,
the DJ Mobile has a surreal, cartoonish look.
Not only does the car have a professional-quality Beyma sound system, but it’s also got
a DJ setup, with a place to set up turntables
and a mixer on the roof of the car. There’s
a hole in the roof as well, where the DJ can
stand and mix.
As you might imagine, the DJ Mobile
commands a good deal of attention when
it gets driven around. Though it’s street
legal, Mooij notes that driving around can
be dangerous because of how distracting
it is to other drivers. The people most notice-ably affected when in the presence of the
The idea came to Mooij, 53, when he heard
the song and then thought of the infamous
vehicle that the Pope makes public appearances in — a normal-looking car in front with
a bulletproof glass, pope-sized display case
in the back.
DJ Mobile are “the guys with big car hi-fi
sound systems,” says Mooij, who get “pale
with jealousy.”
Goffe Struiksma
Next up: Mooij is currently building a
temple out of three old Volkswagen Beetles.
—Laura Cochrane
» DJ Mobile: olafmooij.com
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