Vato Gonzalez
Vato Gonzalez is the performing name of Björn Franken, a Dutch DJ, producer and songwriter from Spijkenisse who built and popularized the "Dirty House" subgenre within Dutch electro house during the late 2000s. Signed to Spinnin' Records and DOORN Records, Gonzalez is best known for "Badman Riddim (Jump)," featuring Foreign Beggars, which reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart following its release on 19 June 2011 and remains his commercial peak.
He is cited among the pioneers of Dutch house, or "Dirty Dutch," alongside Sidney Samson, Afrojack and Chuckie, a sound defined by complex Latin-influenced drum patterns, reduced basslines and high-pitched lead synths that shaped European electro house through the turn of the 2010s. After his self-described Dirty House phase from 2007 to 2009, Gonzalez found renewed traction when his music gained support on BBC Radio 1, extending his reach into the UK market.
Nearly three decades into his career, he continues to perform regularly across the Netherlands, including club dates such as The Steam Room at The Tequila Club in Amsterdam. His genre range has since broadened into future house and bass house, though his catalog remains most closely tied to the Dirty Dutch sound he helped establish, working independently through his own label and event brand alongside his continued club residencies.