It started in the street.
Three musicians kept crossing paths
near the Rijksmuseum. Deniz and Joris played.
Kristof went home with a sheet of steel
and taught himself to answer it.
With simple tools and a few guiding tips, Kristof taught himself to build the instrument they all loved. The first pans were rough. The next ones were not. People started asking where to buy one.
Today Mokum Instruments is a workshop and a school in the heart of Amsterdam. Every instrument that leaves the bench is hammered, tuned and signed by the maker, not a production line.
In late 2024 the three of them played the Royal Palace on the Dam for the Prince Claus Fund, with members of the royal family in the audience, on Kristof's handpans. The street is still where the sound feels most at home.
Every instrument I create carries the love and dedication I put into it, made with the thought of the music and meaning it will bring to its new home.
Kris, 2025
