The man with two sides; here’s what Sander Van Doorn aka Purple Haze had to say about Sensation, India, his music, fans, and more!Β
If you’ve been into electronic music and EDM for a while, you’ll know that Sander Van Doorn is a name that you’ll find on many lists, and most usually on the top. The man has been playing music for over 20 years, having started his journey back in 1995 at the young age of only 16. 23 years later, Sander not only has achieved a dozen accolades but has also garnered a ton of loyal fan following.
Till date, he’s never been caged to a single genre, and loves dropping in surprises in his sounds every time he has an audience that will listen. Sensation RISE 2018, on October 27, at the Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad, saw Sander Van Doorn performing in India yet again (a first under the Sensation banner in India) and the performance that ensued blew the minds of the audience, easily sealing his set as the highlight performance of the night.
Here’s how our chat went with Sander, moments before he dropped a major set at Sensation:
Q1. Straight out of ADE, what’s the feeling like playing in India? How different is the electronic music scene in Amsterdam from here in India?Β
A-Β I just finished ADE, it was a crazy week before coming back to India. I have to say the biggest difference between India and the rest of the world, compared to ADE, especially a week like that, is that there’s a lot of energy because I’m in India. I’ve done a lot of shows over here, club shows, big shows, festivals, and this is the first time, Sensation, a big festival like that, and it’s the energy, it’s really really good. The people know the music and the people are here to have a great time, and you can definitely feel the energy, you know, I’m not social as well, fans are waiting for me tonight, it’s a really good feeling to be coming back.
Q2. You’ve performed in India a few times before, is there something you particularly enjoy about India?
A-Β It’s definitely the energy, it’s sort of like a chaos that births you know, and it’s a lot of energy. My biggest fans in the world are from Mexico and India actually, so you know it’s always a pleasure coming back here.
Q3. Last year, you launched your alter-ego, Purple Haze, which is more about the darker, underground sounds. For those who don’t know, what can you say about Purple Haze? What are the plans in the coming year?
A- It’s a different side of me, it’s a side I already produced under eleven years ago. The music is a more darker side, it’s a more melodic side, you know, when it comes to playing sets, it’s a more story building way of playing my sets, and for me, it’s you know, part of me as I am.
I love doing stuff for Sander Van Doorn, producing music in that genre but, Purple Haze is a more deeper way of producing music, and I definitely love the combination.
Learn more about Purple Haze here. Check out one of his hot tunes below:
Q4. Your sound has never been caged to a single genre and your music has always been full of surprises. Do you have something like that planned for tonight? What can your Indian fans expect?Β
A-Β You know, I really like being in a position as not being pin-pointed as a DJ, who’s producing this or that. I like to be in the middle and today as well I’m going to see what the crowd wants. I’m definitely going to play a combination of Sander Van Doorn, and I might even play some Purple Haze as well, I mean why not.Β
Q5. You’ve been associated with Sensation for a few years. How different is it from other festivals that you’ve performed at?
A-Β I don’t how to exactly pin-point it out. This probably has to be my 30th Sensation, I’ve done in my career. I’ve done a lot of shows and I can tell you that whenever I play a big stage, Sensation’s a different feeling. It’s the production around it, the unity of people, everybody dresses up in the same colour. It creates a different kind of feel, you know for me as an artist to play. That’s, for me, what makes Sensation so unique, you know, is that people come there for the same reason, and they’re all dressed up the same way, it’s pretty amazing!
Q6. Do you have plans during your short visit here? Do you plan on extending your stay?Β
A-Β I’d love to stay a little bit longer, but I’ve got a crazy week ahead, so I’m pretty much flying back out tomorrow, but I’m definitely planning to stay in the India, the next time I’m here, for at least a week. I love this country!Β
After delivering an absolutely breath-taking set at Sensation RISE 2018, at the Gachibowli Stadium, Sander Van Doorn continued the party for select guests at the Bud Hotel, where he was joined by WHOISJODY, for an after-party that went on till the wee hours.
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