Back in London at the Beat Factory studio he managed Fruithouse Records with Sonia Cristina from Curved Air, and assisted producer Graeme Holdaway on projects such as Salad and Transglobal Underground.

With the support of Thomas Brooman and Peter Gabriel, Takkenberg and the members of his band "Bass Camp", performed at the WOMAD World Music and Dance Festival in 1995 where he recorded with Vernon Reid of Living Colour, Joe Strummer of The Clash, Mark Rutherford, and Ayub Ogada.

He also worked with Kevin Locke and Pow Wow of the Lakota-Sioux Nation, Sôzan Chiaki Kariya[permanent dead link‍] from Japan, and Purna and Paba Das Baul from West Bengal, composing a Real World compilation release featuring them, and Ali Farka Toure from Mali.

His Work for Orange, "Future Thoughts" together with Max Richter, directed by Ridley Scott, and recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Snell, was finalist at the British Television Advertising Awards in 1998.

Rugby union and the bands Early Birds, Flat Hat, Crosstalk, Red Shift, Dirty Boots and Earth Hum, from 1985 to 1995, formed his ideas on friendship and loyalty.