Sander Kleinenberg: Everybody loves music

Certainly, Kleinenberg has that ‘x’ factor, that unique individuality as DJ that makes his sets memorable. He also has an astute sense of music as an artform, a trait possibly gleaned from his artist parents. DJ Magazine rates him amongst the top 20 DJs in the world, he has his own Renaissance series of compilations, and he recently won Best Remixer at the USA Dancestar Awards. Never heard of him? Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and N.E.R.D see him as the “go to” guy when they want a hot remix, and he’s been on fire – his mixes of N.E.R.D’s ‘Maybe’ is crazy, and it’s no secret Sander has catapulted Mr. Timberlake to favour within the club scene through top remixes of ‘Rock Your Body’.

Chiefly associated with progressive house years ago, Sander embodies many more sounds and styles. His music can evoke deep dancefloor moments, and has an irresistible sexy funk to it, whether it be quirky broken house or banging trance-scapes. After mixing a Global Underground Nu Breed compilation and an Essential Mix CD, clubbing brand Renaissance threw Sander the reins to his own series, ‘Everybody’. ‘Everybody’ was a revelation, and one of the standout mix CDs of 2003. Cleverly mixed, encompassing fresh club music and with an emphasis on putting the fun back into club music, Sander showed his artistic mastery.

One year later, ‘This Is Everybody Too’ is ready for release. “It still represents me as a DJ,” explains Sander in his mixed Dutch/English accent. “I think I’ve found my own personality within this music. I’m finally not afraid to step out of the box and come up with the way I wanted to approach these things. It does exactly what it says on the box. I’ve tried again to search for what I believe in my taste is the most interesting music being produced out there and trying to put it together as cleverly as possible. This release has two original tracks of my own on there. I really hope that it’s a fresh reflection on what’s happening on dancefloors in the world and also I didn’t want to make it too narrow minded so that it’s only one scene or one genre that’s represented. It really goes from what I hope are the best from the different sub-genres, so it’s got some breakbeats on there and some quirky stuff at the beginning of both CDs that’s maybe a bit odd.”

Sander’s own productions highlight his achievements, and harken back to his breakthrough – 1999’s ‘My Lexicon’ off the ‘Four Seasons EP’, Championed by Sasha, ‘My Lexicon’ set Kleinenberg up as a producer who knew how to balance driving grooves with melodies to light up the dancefloor, and his run has continued. New single ‘The Fruit’ is out soon on his own Little Mountain Recordings. He shies away from comments about a potential album. “You’ve got to be careful with dropping original album stuff because we are DJs. People expect me, doing what I do, whereas because it is an album I would like to do it differently, and collaborate with people. I feel slowly maybe I can manouver myself into someone who can get something across. I will get there, I will lay down that sort of musical testament at some point because I do feel that somewhere I’ve got an album in me but I’m not quite there yet.”

From Sander’s perspective, he’s pleased that the production techniques of electronic music are being employed in popular music: he’s by no means a purist. “Seeing those two worlds come together is a really great step forward,” he says languidly. “I’ve always dreamt of a world where you turn on the radio and you hear the coolest instrumental music with the coolest songs put over it. I think electronic music now really is at the stage where it can really blend in with popular music and can have a dominant place. I think everybody’s Mum should go ‘I like this, it’s a nice song’.”

As for his nationality, for a country with 16 million people, the impact the Dutch have had on dance music is tremendous. “We’ve always been a trading group of people,” observes Sander. “We’ve always looked out beyond our own borders, but since we’re so small we’ve always needed to get places abroad. We’re a sailing nation and I guess the Dutch DJs are the equivalent of the Dutch DJs in the 17th century, discovering Tasmania. We’re now discovering new musical ground. It’s in our nature to go abroad and represent ourselves.”

Globally, it’s a brave new world of dance as Sander sees it. “I think our scene really matured slowly but surely, Usually when something blossoms, a lot of people step into it, try to make some money out of it, the press jumps on it and tries to describe it, and the nature of dance music or house music or however you want to call it is that as soon as it’s written about, the names already have changed and new styles and new scenes have already developed. I think we’ve moved forward from that period as well. It’s now up to us to do something positive with it. It’s come of age, it’s become a mature and healthy scene, which to some people might be the end of it, but for a lot of other people it’s just the beginning and I include myself amongst them.”

Sander Kleinenberg’s latest mix CD, ‘This is Everybody Too’, is out now through Renaissance/Stomp. You can catch Sander touring the east coast this October:

Fri Oct 1, Brisbane – Club VIP (BUY TICKETS)
Sat Oct 2, Melbourne – Godskitchen (BUY TICKETS)
Sun Oct 3, Sydney – Sounds on Sunday