One of the most influential EDM DJ and producer, Sander Van Doorn discusses his record label, his alter ego root ‘Purple Haze’, his collaboration with Firebeatz and many more.
After having performed at thousands of shows from every corner and released numerous solo records and collaborations. Sander Van Doorn has become part of one of the most innovative and progressive artist today.
In 2017 Doorn released his alias Purple Haze unveiled itself at Ultra Music Festival. The project was dedicated to a “sharper, darker, rougher” sound.
Later on that year he released the debut Purple Haze album SPECTRVM: a riot of dark trance and tough techno with some standout vocals to boot. Below, AsiaLive365 is here with Doorn to discuss his musical journey, the inspiration behind Purple Haze and many more. See below for the interview.
ASL365: How did you get started in the industry?
SVD: I started producing when I received a groove box as a gift from my brother when we were young, and because of that my interest in producing kept growing and eventually it just became my life! Initially, I didn’t really think about DJing, so when I received my first booking request it was completely new to me because I used to be in the studio all the time instead of playing for a crowd. It was a pretty mind-blowing transition, but I loved it!
ASL365: 3 words to describe your music?
SVD: Depends on whether you are talking about Purple Haze or Sander van Doorn. Purple Haze, it’s more Tech Trance / Progressive. As Sander van Doorn it’s more House/Commercial. Both of them are powerful for sure!
ASL365: Has your music changed over time?
SVD: Yes a lot. I started with Trance/ Tech Trance as Sander van Doorn, and over the years I adjusted to the market so it became more commercial. I really wanted to go back to my roots, so that’s why I decided to bring my alter ego ‘Purple Haze’ back to life so I could release tracks in this genre again. I love being able to produce exactly what I want to and having that freedom and ability to explore a wide range of genres! It’s been a lot of fun!
ASL365: What’s the secret for your record label Doorn to have success in the long term?
SVD: I believe in talent and it doesn’t matter if it’s a big name or not. We’re releasing music from a lot of young producers and I think this is the key to building up a successful label. Believing in your genre and delivering high-quality music… that’s the most important thing.
ASL365: How do you manage your time between producing and constant touring?
SVD: I produce a lot while I am on tour. When I get home, I sometimes head directly into the studio to finish everything off that I created on tour. I find a lot of inspiration in touring, so for me it works perfectly!
ASL365: You have an alias as Purple Haze, what inspired you to create it?
SVD: Around 12 years ago, I produced some darker tracks that might have been too dark to release under the name Sander van Doorn. That’s why I created the name Purple Haze back then. I didn’t actually do anything with it until 2017, where I made a lot of music again that didn’t fit in the Sander van Doorn Genre, so we decided to start releasing Purple Haze music again. From that moment on we also decided to do shows as well as Purple Haze!
ASl365: Your track with Firebeatz is amazing. Can you tell us a bit about the record and how it came about? What was it like working with Firebeatz?
SVD: Thanks! That’s great to hear! We are really good friends and we have made several tracks together over the years. We have a very good chemistry and it’s always a pleasure to work with them!
ASL365: Do you prefer to produce remixes or originals?
SVD: Both are amazing! I love doing remixes of classic tracks, for example my remix of Moby’s ‘Natural blues’. It feels really epic being able to put your own spin on such incredible music. Having said that, producing originals is where you are able to put your full identity into your work. Starting from scratch and not knowing how it will sound when it’s finished is always an exciting process.
ASL365: How do you deal with the pressure when choosing what to release next?
SVD: I don’t really feel pressure in this process because I’m constantly producing music. At this point I already have 10 tracks finished for 2020! I just do what I feel in the studio and it could be a Sander van Doorn track or a Purple Haze release.
ASL365: Do you have any upcoming projects and/or collaborations you can tease?
SVD: I am working on a lot of new cool stuff, but I can’t say much about that yet ;). There’s something coming in January that might be quite unexpected, and out of my comfort zone. If you followed me throughout my summer, you might have seen me playing at the Q-dance stage at Mysteryland… so it’s something related to that :).
