Sander van Doorn

Up-and-coming Dutch trance master talks about latest album "Eleve11"

By Michael Hamersly | mikehamersly@gmail.com10/27/2011

You've no doubt heard of Dutch superstar DJs Tiesto, Armin van Buuren and Sander Kleinenberg. Now add up-and-coming trance master Sander van Doorn to the list - after all, he was just crowned the No. 16 DJ in the world by DJ Mag's annual poll. Van Doorn - who rocks LIV (4441 Collins Ave.) on Saturday night in support of his new artist album, "Eleve11" - talked to Miami.com about the show.

Tell me about "Eleve11" - what kind of sound or mood were you going for?
Well, nothing in particular as far as sound goes. I worked on the album for about one and a half years and I really wanted it to be a proper artist album, not just a bunch of club tracks.

How does it differ from your latest compilation mix album, "Dusk Till Doorn"?
Well, "Eleve11" is all original works by myself and the artists I wrote and collaborated with (such as Laidback Luke, Adrian Lux and Sidney Sampson and Nadia Ali). "Dusk Till Doorn" is a mix compilation with various artists.

What can we expect from your show at LIV?
I never plan my sets out, so we will see what the crowd brings. I'm sure it’s going to be a wild one.

How often do you visit Miami, and what do you think of the city?
Let’s see - I am there at least twice a year, for Ultra and a club date. I absolutely love Miami! I love the food and the people - it’s just an amazing city. I'm really looking forward to getting back there.

How do your live performances compare to or differ from your studio works?
When I write music, I really follow what comes naturally - I don’t force my writing into any styles that I think people want to hear. I think, I hope, this is why people enjoy my music. I love being in the studio probably more than touring, and if I had my way, I’d be there right now. In my live shows, I let the crowd guide me - after all, I’m there for them.

Dutch DJs seem to be taking over the world - why do you think that is?
I think because we have so many successful DJs that the world wants to find the next Dutch star. It gives new Dutch DJs a better chance of being heard - so that’s positive since we are such a small country. I think it’s perception. If a promoter has two choices, one new DJ from Holland, one from someplace else, I would bet that they would check out the one from Holland first. There is so much talent coming from here right now that it’s quite cool to be a Dutch DJ these days.

What or whom inspired you to get into DJing/producing?
Most people who know me know that Marco V was a big inspiration and even a mentor for me coming up. He is just an amazing, talented producer and DJ, and I think he inspired a lot of us. Tiesto and Armin [van Buuren] were also early supporters of my work, and that never hurts.