This Dutch DJ/Producer had quite an amazing year in 2013: a?string of massive releases ?Joyenergizer,? ?Neon,? and ?Into the Light,? along with his hits on his label Doorn Records (?Puzzle,? ?Flute? and ?Stars?), that kept him in the Beatport Top 10 seemingly all year.??Amsterdam Dance Event 2013 saw the launch of the Doorn Label Night World Tour at Escape which was a massive success ? selling out ? with a lineup featuring?Moguai, Dubvision, Firebeatz,?Quintino,?and Sander himself.??If the tour comes to a city near you, be sure to check it out ? it makes for quite an energetic and fun night!
DJ Ron Slomowicz: Last night was your first label night, what did you learn and is there anything that you would do differently next time?
Sander Van Doorn: There was a lot of competition last night and we were sold out, I think that it?s going to be a big success.??This is a new concept and all five DJs did a phenomenal job last night. The atmosphere was crazy and I couldn?t have wished for a better kickoff. The Doorn Records World Tour kickoff party was phenomenal and I am so happy!
RS: How did you choose the DJs that are going on tour with you?
Sander Van Doorn: I have done a couple tours with Firebeatz and Dubvision, and I feel that our sounds are compatible. Quintino just released the track???The Puzzle? on Doorn Records and I am in the process of producing a track with Moguai. He is a personal favorite of mine, I absolutely love his sound.
RS: I noticed that you went on kind of early; did you schedule it like that on purpose?
Sander Van Doorn: Well there were so many DJs to cram into that short amount of time and that was the most logical set to do. The others DJs needed time to do their sets as well so I did an 1 ? hour set and just started a little earlier.
RS: Is there any chance for a re-vocal and single of the ?Sweet Dreams?/?Koko? mash-up that you did?
Sander Van Doorn: I made that track for the Stereosonic Tour in Australia last year. I wanted to have a gimmick in my set and kind of revamp ?Koko.? I produced the track and believe I already gave it away, so there won?t be a single release.
RS: Why did you start Doorn as your own label?
Sander Van Doorn: I started Doorn about 4 years ago as a platform to release my own records, but all of a sudden I got tracks sent to me by other talent. I discovered that I really loved the whole A&R process that comes with releasing a track and helping and guiding artists. One thing led to another and one track a month became two tracks a month, and last year it just blew up. I ended up putting out 1-2 singles a week and right now I?m #1 with the guys from DVBBS???Tsunami, ?it?s insane!”
RS: You also signed a track to Roc Nation, how did the ?Nothing Inside? track come about?
Sander Van Doorn: I did the track with Mayaeni and from there the guys from Roc Nation picked it up. We actually called them last month because they have been very secretive about the release but they told us they are really excited and ready to go. They spotted the track and really love it.
RS: What are you working on right now?
Sander Van Doorn: I am working on a lot of projects. I have a few collaborations coming up, and one that is a remake of an old remix that I did called ?Direct Dizko.? I am going to do a new version of that with Yves V from Holland. I am in the studio with the guys from DVBBS for a follow-up collaboration with Firebeatz. I have some new single releases and I am also thinking about working towards an artist album for next year.
RS: Your podcast name is ?Identity,? where did that name come from?
Sander Van Doorn: The show originated about 8 years ago, and I wanted to have a show that really fit my profile. The show became my identity as an artist. When people listen to the show they get to know what I am all about.??They get to know the guest mixes, the music that I play out, and the experiments that I try with deep house, dubstep, or even trap. I like see what their responses are and it?s a part of my identity to be as versatile as possible.
RS: What are you most excited about with the world tour coming up?
Sander Van Doorn: I am excited about the whole touring part and being with friends and colleagues. I am excited about going from the clubs to larger capacity venues. I think there are going to be a lot of collaborations originating from the tour. It?s going to be a fun ride; everyone last night was so excited about the tour.
RS: How important do you think it is to have an MC with you?
Sander Van Doorn: It just depends on the kind of party. With club shows, sometimes it is important to have an MC and at festivals it can be interesting. I am not the type of person to pick up a microphone and start MCing myself; sometimes I just need a little bit of backup. I am working with some really cool MCs right now and they know how to dose it and not make it like a big rap. It can create an extra dimension to the set..
RS: You probably know Linda Nuanloong who is a huge fan of yours. She wanted me to ask you if the move from electro trance to more housey stuff was intentional, or if it was something that just happened.
Sander Van Doorn: Yes, I know her! It was a very natural process and the whole basis of all my tracks have always been very musical and melody-based. I am tougher on some tracks than others, but the core part of my sound has a lot of melody to it. I have never really stuck with a certain style; I just go to the studio, produce a track, and see where it goes. I don?t ever give it a style or a name; it has just naturally progressed to what it is right now.
RS: If people want to follow you what is the best way?
Sander Van Doorn: Facebook and Twitter are great. Facebook.com/sandervandoorn and Twitter.com/sandervandoorn.
RS: What would you like to say to all of your fans out there?
Sander Van Doorn: Thanks for all of your support over the last 10 years. It has been a fun ride and a dream come true. It is so amazing to see all the familiar faces at my shows, especially in the US. I hope to see all of you at one of my new shows very soon!
Interview conducted during Amsterdam Dance Event 2013.