Published in the November 2007 issue of DJ Times Magazine
Volume 20 - Number 11
By Emily Tan

In a genre that has seen its share of formulaic fromage, Sander van Doorn stands out from the trance pack. By incorporating more sophisticated musical elements, clever samples and sharp effects, van Doorn has gained the attention of a maturing generation of trance fans. In fact, in some circles, he’s been referred to as the genre’s “savior.”

The Dutch DJ/producer demurs at the notion, but in a relatively brief amount of time he’s accomplished quite a bit. In addition to creating a slew of popular tracks like “Dark Roast” and his Police bootleg “Message in a Bottle (S.O.S.),” he’s had regular appearances on BBC1 (even subbing for host Eddie Halliwell) and Sirius Satellite’s Area 33. “Identity,” his Internet radio show on DI.fm, continues to run the last Wednesday of each month. He’s also nailed down club residencies at Turnmills and Godskitchen in the U.K. and at Pacha New York and Space Miami in the U.S. As he recorded his upcoming debut artist album, DJ Times connected with Sander van Doorn.

DJ Times: Do you have a formal musical education?
Van Doorn: Not really, but I’ve had an interest in music since I was four. I have an older brother who bought lots of disco tracks and Depeche Mode. From there, my interest grew.

DJ Times: Do you think of yourself more as a DJ or as a producer?
Van Doorn: If you asked me two years ago, I’d say a producer. Now, I’m getting used to the fact that I’m a DJ also. I see it as a terrific combination to do both. You can produce tracks in the studio and play them out as a DJ, see the crowd respond, and take it into the studio again. I am extremely critical of my own productions. I’ll wait one weekend without listening and, on the Monday afterwards, I listen with a fresh mind. If you play something over and over, it starts sounding good, anyway. You must take time off, and then listen to it.

DJ Times: What’s your DJ booth setup?
Van Doorn: It’s really basic. I have a Pioneer DJM-800 mixer with two or three CDJ-1000s. I use the effects of the 800 mixer a lot. I started using the EFX-1000 a little bit.

DJ Times: Ever DJ with vinyl?
Van Doorn: Yes, I played with vinyl a few years ago, but because of traveling more and more and the hassles at the airport, I made the decision to go to CD. I still buy vinyl each week and I record them onto CD, because I want to own vinyl. I like to record from vinyl. I like the crackling sound.

DJ Times: How do you create a track that stands apart from others?
Van Doorn: I don’t really have a formula. I use a style with a blank screen and start with a kick and add elements to it—just see what happens. Sometimes, I like to produce slower, more house-y. Other times, I produce more techy or trance-y tracks. It depends on what mood I’m in. I spend most of the time on the drive of a track—the kick and bass. Seventy-percent of the time, what I put into a track is based purely on getting the drive of the track right. After that, producing goes really fast. Sometimes, though, I spend [10 days] on just two seconds of music.

DJ Times: What are the crucial components in your studio?
Van Doorn: Access Virus C, Apple Logic Pro 7, Apple Mac Quad 2.5, Clavia Nord 2 and Mackie HR824 speakers.

DJ Times: Which DJs do you admire?
Van Doorn: Marco V for his producing, as well as for his DJing. I love his sound—it’s really upfront. Eddie Halli well for doing his tricks—it’s amazing to see him play. I really like James Zabiela, and Jeff Mills is a big inspiration as well.

DJ Times: Why does Holland have so many trance DJ/producers?
Van Doorn: It has to do with radio that really started supporting the dance-music phenomenon at an early stage. Producers started developing that sound. Also, ID&T is an organization that throws parties throughout Holland and, in the last two years, they’ve done international parties.

DJ Times: You’ve been hailed as the savior of trance.
Van Doorn: Wow, I hear that from certain people and it’s one of the best compliments you can get. I’ve always been concerned with my music and always wanted to come up with a new sound that works for me, but I don’t see myself as a savior of anything.