An artist that needs no introduction- DJ, Producer, and party rocker Sander Kleinenberg returns with his celebrated 'This Is' compilation series with This Is Sander Kleinenberg 2, showcasing Sander's unique sound and reflecting on his club nights with the same name.
The overall feeling of disc 1 is miscalculated. Sander’s mixing, which usually shines, falls short with some mixes reaching upwards of 7 minutes in length. Perhaps falling victim to his own success, this approach to this comp gives off a scattered vibe.
Disc 1 starts with Sashca Funke’s "Summer Rain" intro. The track is a subliminal and spaced-out recording from Bpitch Control’s poster boy. The mix chugs with Solomun & Stimming’s "Feuervogel", a proper techno banger. Slowly the tempo shifts with Rockers Hi-Fi - "Push Push" (Rainer Weichhold Remix) into a full roar. Puzzling, but in a good way, Sander transitions from house master Kevin Yost’s techhouse remix of Phonique - "Teenage Love" into the trancey prog number by Glenn Morrison & Bruce Aisher "Graffiti." The built-up momentum dies abruptly with Robert Babicz's "Tblisi," a chilled-out electronica tune that sucks the energy completely out at the end of the first disc.
"This Is Our Night," the intro starts off disc 2 with Sander’s own hypnotic forceful house beat. Countrymen Rene Amesz gives us his signature, gritty, tech-funk sound with his new track, "Ridicule" At this junction Sander is on an all-out assault with the likes of DJ Ortzy's "Massive" (Dirty Flavor Remix), but changes direction with mostly electro and vocal-laced tracks like Bit Crushers "Time 2 Werk" (Sean McCaff 2009 Remix). Again, the mix loses all energy with the placement of Mason's "Kippschwinger" (Refurb), a slow tempo, deep, electronica track.
This compilation cements the fact that Sander can play all genres of dance music. He’s managed to mix all the current flavors of different dance genres with ease. While some mixes leave you to question his intentions, there is no doubt that Sander still remains influential.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
