House
Sander Kleinenberg - 'The Art Of Remixing Is Delicate'
You originally came to the attention of dance music fans worldwide with the release of the seminal 'You Do Me Wrong'. In the eleven years since you've been involved in dance music, what would you say has been the biggest change you've seen happen?
The biggest change for me was switching from analog to digital technology
You came to the fore of the scene in 2000 with the release of the classic '4 Seasons' EP series which notably included 'My Lexicon', one of the most famous underground house cuts of that era. Do you have any plans to continue this series at all?
The series was finished after part 3 was released in 2004. I like working with concepts and I'm currently working on ideas involving a new series of audio visual material which i where my main focus is at at the moment. I'm obsessed with the possibilities of this marriage between audio and visual, but i have also used the last 2 years to explore and experiment which will soon ready for the general public.
You've remixed for the likes of Mylo, Royksopp, Sasha & Emerson and even Justin Timberlake in the past. When you begin remixes, what elements do you look for in the original track, and do you ever aim to stay true to the original too much?
I think the art of remixing is delicate. I feel you should stay true to the original intention of the artist but still manage to weave your thoughts into it's patterns. This is difficult if you're an emotionally driven artist like I am so I decided not to do them anymore. I have learned a lot about production and songwriting during my stint as a re-mixer but thought it was time to move on. No regrets!
You're the resident for Pure Pacha over in Ibiza this year. How did it feel to be asked to become a resident for such an honoured party?
Being part of the institution that Pacha represents is something that I can only describe as heart warming. The people that run the club do it with such passion and dedication that its truly an honor to be able to contribute to all of that. But above all, its such an amazing mixture of people from all parts of the world and all levels in society and seeing that club in full swing at five in the morning is very good for the soul.
In many clubs, often the screens for visuals are so small that perhaps clubbers cannot fully appreciate exactly what you are doing. How would you improve visuals in clubs and festivals if you were given the opportunity?
It's not so much that I want my visuals to take over the music since they are a supporting element of my performance. I wouldn't want my audience to be "watching" me play. I still want them to "hear" me play. However, it is true that I'm constantly battling to get the best possible result on the dance-floors which obviously means trying to get the best tools for the crowd to enjoy, and that doesn't always work. I'm not Madonna and this is nightlife we are talking about so clubs are sometimes somewhat ill-equipped. But hey.. I'm trying!
There is the "sync" aspect between the music and the image that was obviously technologically impossible a few years back. Well it was, but not with the freedom that a DJ has. Capturing this "sync" enables great visual moments that are sure to be picked up by the crowd, even if it is only subliminally. Like I said before, I wouldn't want my sets to become movie theater experiences. When you take this concept of playing self created audio/visual presentations one step further, it can become somewhat of a virtual concert type of experience - something I have been involved in developing at the moment..
Its the need to be relevant to this scene and help it to move forward. I know that sounds pretentious but fuck it. It's truly the reason why I'm exploring the possibilities. The new Pioneer A/V mixer (which will be released soon) is the last step into making the DJ fully flexible in playing audio/video DJ sets. It gives my sets identity and freshness which is something that became more and more difficult with only playing other peoples records.
You set up and manage the Little Mountain Recordings label which has given birth to some monstrous tunes as of late, including the awesome 'More Grey Than Blue' from Fine Taste. What is your general music policy for the label, and how are things looking for the rest of 2007 with the label?
It needs to rock hard and come from a genuine intention of making the world a better place if only for 5 minutes.
How much do you think digital downloads have affected the music market? Do you still feel attached to vinyl?
I'm totally not attached to vinyl at all. Digital downloads have revolutionized our industry by making it more democratic and accessible to everybody. This is a great thing for everybody and has definitely pushed the boundaries in regards to exploring other ways in being original and somewhat unique. Hence the visual route I have taken. I also think that the running time of a promotional track has gone down from months to weeks because of digital download technology. Let me explain... Sasha and John had a fantastic residency in one of New York's most famous nightclubs of recent times called Twilo several years ago. For many people it was a pilgrimage to go to New York and check out this night because they knew they would hear the most unbelievable unreleased music that wouldn't be available for months, which really gave those DJ's tremendous power & influence. This phenomena has now vanished and record labels have been increasingly concerned that new tracks will leak onto the internet/peer-to-peer networks before the official release date. In essence, the idea of digital downloads has destroyed the building process of a new track dramatically by minimizing the time between promo and official release to a bare minimum. Therefore, DJ's should and are exploring new ways to stand out and shine.
You're about to release your latest compilation 'This is Sander Kleinenberg' on Renaissance… How did it feel to be asked to mix another compilation? Do you plan to do any touring to promote it?
Currently touring it, and happy doing so.. check www.sanderkleinenberg.com <http://www.sanderkleinenberg.com > for al the info of where and when!
It would be a charity and I would give the million pounds to people who actually need it. The event would be in Vondelpark in Amsterdam. As for the line up? pffff... Muse, Radiohead, Depeche Mode, Chemical Brothers, Telefon Tel Aviv, Coco Rosie, Chicken Lips, Trentemoller live, Booka Shade live, Dubfire, Loco Dice, Frankie Knuckles, Derrick May, Francois K, Laurent Garnier & Sasha off the top of my head.
Finally, you're given one million pounds to host an event and can book any DJs or bands at any arena in the world. Where would you have the event, and who would you book?
Featured Tracks:
| Club Nights: Live It - This Is Miami (7:47) | Cue in Player | Play Now | |||||
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Artist: Sander Kleinenberg Label: Gut Records - sus Genre: House (Deep, Tech House) Release Date: 2007-06-26 
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