The Doorn don kick starts 2016 with the immense Cuba Libre and gets set for a massive year. Dan Prince gets the lowdown with the Dutch superstar…
Sander, a massive welcome to DMCWORLD, where on planet earth are you today?
Hey Dan! Thank you very much! At this moment I’m at home in Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
What was the first piece of music you heard this morning after opening your eyes?
The first piece of music I heard this morning was “7 Years” by Lukas Graham. This song is very popular in the Netherlands, and I heard it on the radio when I woke up.
A belated Happy New Year to you, let’s get the big night out of the way first. Where were you playing on New Year’s Eve, and what was the midnight tune?
Better late than never, so a Happy New Year to you too! During New Year I was In Calgary, Canada and played at Echostage. I really liked the atmosphere at Echostage, and the crowd was amazing! The track I played at midnight was: “Thether” by Eric Prydz.
It was a sad day for the world of music last month with the passing of the legendary David Bowie. Were you a fan of the great man and his music?
It was indeed a very sad day for the world of music and I am sad about the fact that he passed away. In my opinion David Bowie will forever be an inspiration for musicians all over the world, and I am sure that he will be remembered as a legend.
Looking back, do you think 2015 was a good year for dance music?
In my opinion 2015 was a great year for dance music. There are a lot of changes going on in the dance industry, and especially the “deep” sound in a track has become more and more important. The audience for dance music is still growing, and I am looking forward to see what this year has to offer!
What was your favourite tune and gig of last year?
Looking back to 2015, my favourite gig was at EDC Las Vegas. The crowd was amazing, and they gave me a lot of energy to have a great party with them! EDC Las Vegas is such a massive event and the ambience is just so good, I really liked playing there. And my favourite tune of 2015 is “Oh amazing Bass” by myself.
What is coming out next from you studio wise?
In the upcoming week I will release my new track “Cuba Libre” and I am currently working on a lot more new things in the studio. I am very excited to show my fans what I am currently working on.
A new year and a DJ diary full of exciting dates stretching ahead of you. Where are some of the gigs you cannot wait for?
I am attending a lot of cool gigs in the year ahead of me, but I can’t share this information just yet! But I can tell you that there are a lot of cool gigs coming up and loads of more cool things from my side.
When was the last time you took a chance on a new territory or club/event and it paid off?
During my last gig in Manchester I played some new tracks to see how the audience would react…and it actually paid off pretty well! I am happy with the result and hope to share more music with my fans very soon.
An up and coming producer to watch out for this year?
A producer to really watch out for this year is Curbi. He is young and is doing some great things in the industry. Curbi has his own unique style, and I really think he can become a big international DJ.
When was the last time you got your speedos out and had a holiday?
Well it has actually been a while since I went on holiday. But I was in Panama a couple of weeks ago and was lucky enough to combine it with two days off. It was really nice to relax during a tour. I might go on a holiday later this year.
You have been playing at the Life in Color paint parties around the world, the last one in El Salvador looked insane. Have you ever succumbed to a squirt of paint in your face?
The last Life in Color party I was playing at was last weekend in Manchester, but the one in El Salvador was indeed a great party. I like the vibe at these parties, because people don’t really care how they look and they get all dirty with paint. And luckily I have never been hit by a paint splash during one of those parties!
And finally, what are you plans for Ibiza this summer?
The most exciting thing that I want to do for Ibiza is organize a Doorn Records label night. This is just an idea I have in mind, and if everything works out well I hope it will happen!
