It’s tough to say more about DJ Dan than what is most likely known by just about any dance music fan that has ever taken interest in the genre. Just take a look at what some other legends have said:

“Dan is a pivotal ingredient to live DJing and production, a real teacher to all."-DJ Sneak

"The thing I love about Dan is that he's always had a funky spirit and he always pushes the elements of music."-Carl Cox

To those who still may not know all that much on Dan, we’ll help you out from under that rock. As you can tell from just a bit of the praise from musical icons DJ Dan has received, our West Coast bred friend has been around the block a few times (and turning heads all the while). Music has been forever entrenched in Dan’s life, having garnered a superior record collection at the age of 8 that would give Amoeba Records a run for its money. Starting his professional musical career with some smaller clubs in Seattle and then Los Angeles, DJ Dan had a rise to recognition in the dance music community that could be considered meteoric. Forming the Funky Techno Tribe in 1993, DJ Dan fused together breakbeat, house, dub, and techno to create a sound that later was fittingly crowned, “West Coast House”. And with renowned tracks like “Needle Damage”, and remixes for everyone from Depeche Mode to Duck Sauce, Dan’s production prowess is undeniable. The journey that Dan’s talents have taken him on could go on for pages and pages. He has played alongside the likes of fellow legends from Carl Cox to John Digweed with a mission of making club goers unable to fight the urge to dance the night away.

And it’s not just party goers and fellow DJ’s who bow down to Dan, the press have drooled over his music. DJ Mag named DJ Dan the #1 House DJ in 2006 while Urb Magazine named him “America’s Favorite DJ” and “America’s Hardest Working DJ” while he was also DJ Time’s ‘America’s Best DJ’ 2014 Top Ten Finalist. The media has never been more accurate. But one of the proudest moments could be said when THUMP warned partygoers to ‘never fuck with DJ Dan’ much like one unfateful attdendant did this year in Baltimore to which Dan had the most powerful of responses.

Dan’s widely renowned Los Angeles based label Instereo Recordings,has further etched his name into dance music’s core. With TJR, Phunk Investigation, Wolfgang Gartner, DJ PP, DJ Sneak, Hatiras, and DJ Dan being amongst the many artists featured on the Instereo Recordings, the label is hard to ignore in the industry. Dan also has releases on Toolroom, Pacha Recordings, Ultra, Guesthouse, Work, XL Recordings, Magnetic, Rising, and many others. 

In 2014 Dan shows no signs of slowing down. His EDC set was rated as one of the best sets of the weekend by DJOYBEAT.com as well as Magnetic Mag. Similar buzz had Insomniac President/ CEO Pasquale Rotella chiming in:

"We go back since the early 90′s and he DJ’d some of my first warehouse parties. He’s an LA underground staple and music legend.”

And if that wasn’t enough, in the recent major dance music poll ‘America’s Best DJ’, DJ Dan clocked in at #9 in a extremely competitive field; beating out some of the largest names in electronic music.

As this dance music world continues to evolve, it is safe to say that DJ Dan will continue to be one of its strongest voices and most powerful influencers.

Sander Kleinenberg 2.0



Whether it’s producing, remixing or dj’ing, Sander Kleinenberg has been building credibility on all fronts for over twenty-five years. He has established himself as an advocate of progress and most of all, a pivotal player on the frontier of electronic music. Starting out dj-ing at merely fifteen years old, a young Sander Kleinenberg was inspired by club music and hip-hop culture in the late eighties. This cultural shift inspired his own musical path, which in turn led to him traveling the world and spreading his sound along the way. Many awards, accolades and having performed all corners of the world later you could say it was destiny. 

Often mentioned when talking about the first wave of superstar dj’s from the progressive house wave around the turn of the century, Sander brought a mixture genres and styles to the table like never heard before. Quirky disco, psychedelia, Detroit techno, straight up soul and industrialism contributed greatly to the ever-evolving musical landscape in the ‘90s and 00’s. Sander’s eclectic persona and capability to always be two steps ahead of the rest have resulted in him being an award-winning dj and producer. As time passes by and his career unfolds, the pattern within it becomes more and more visible, Sander is a man on the move, always searching for the “perfect mix” in his own words. Sander’s relentless passion for perfection has kept him away from classification, putting hours upon hours into the enrichment of dj- and producer identity. Constantly twisting and shaping sounds. It’s this search for relevance in electronic musics development that keeps him re-inventing himself in every decade that has gone by since those early days. 

Today Sander looks back at his journey and thought it was time to make up the balance of all the corners of progress his career has taken him. You could call it a full circle type moment settling for nothing else but quality. If you are looking for someone who has searched high and low and has taken that into his current musical identity then Sander is your man. Like a fine wine matured into something wonderful.. Weaving generations, styles and a healthy eye on the future together in a relevant cocktail of musical maturity. Check his Deepest Mixtapes for a deep look into all that excites him and you will understand what he means.

In 2024 after a time of rejuvenation you can find Sander at a select number of dates around the world, revisiting his love for the clubs and countries that accompanied his journey along the way. He has a string of releases on the way marking his comeback to the dance floor both behind the decks and in the charts. It is time to once again rekindle his ability to bring levity and fun back to the dance floors.

An Englishman in California soaking up the sun, I am a WSET Diploma graduate and Certified WSET Educator. I blog about wine, teach it at all levels, and drink plenty of it. Follow me on twitter @mattswineworld or check out my website: matthewsworldofwineanddrink.com

Connecting club culture to the wider world, on screen and irl through parties, film and video.

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