Venue: Blü
Presented by: Liquified

It has been a steady climb for Sander Kleinenberg, from local DJ to rising international star, all the while moving the scene forward with his unique combination of styles and sounds. Kleinenberg's productions and residencies at clubs around the globe continue to propel his success. Eastern Holland's Flying Dutchman had finally made it back to Atlanta on April 17, 2002 for another appearance as his world tour was drawing to a close. The people in the club seemed to be excited about Sander's return. Liquid Groove had chosen Blü for the evening, which was the perfect place: great lights, amazing sound, and plenty of room to dance. Blü was a prime location to showcase Sander's talents. Unfortunately, the event being held on a Wednesday night really seemed to keep turnout to a minimum.

Ian opened the evening with an awesome set. There were only a couple of glitches, but they were uncontrollable and handled with total professionalism. Walking around the club, you could hear people inquiring when Sander was supposed to go on. Meanwhile, Ian was playing some high-energy tracks that were setting the tone for what was to follow. At about 1:00 a.m., it became apparent that the Flying Dutchman was late!

Finally at about 1:30 a.m., Sander arrived and worked his way to the tables. He started out with a few tracks; they were good, but a little soft. Everybody seemed to be waiting for Sander to get a little crazy with it and then it happened. Boom! Then came the funky house that had everybody dancing. Many of Sander's admirers were pressed up against the glass around the DJ booth, watching Sander go to work. They were like zombies mesmerized by his skills. All the while, they also seemed to be hoping to catch a name off one of the many white labels and CD's played that night.

Sander certainly has a unique mixing style that is all his own. Meanwhile, his control of a dance floor is unyielding. At one point in the evening, he was playing a wet record and pouring water on another to tweak with the sound. The water would just go cascading out of the deck as it spun. Sander's track selection was perfect. The flow of his set was amazing spending up and slowing down his tracks with calculated precision. Attendees seemed to enjoy Sander's set, as there was not a moment that the dance floor was not packed with people getting their groove on.

All in all, it was an amazing night. Anyone who made the effort to come out certainly got an amazing evening they won't soon forget. Ian played a tight extended opening set. When Sander finally got underway, his set was sharp, cleanly mixed, and had some awesome new original tracks and remixes thrown down for our listening pleasure. The EAW Avalon sound system was oh so sweet, carrying the sound to every corner of the venue with superb clarity: no matter where you were, you knew what was going on in the DJ booth. With a little luck, hopefully Sander Kleinenberg will make it our way again soon.

• Brett Abramson's interview with Sander

Essential Mix
Compiled and mixed by Sander Kleinenberg
Track Listing:

1. Traveller - Niburu
2. Seriously Twisted - Peace Division
3. This Category - Erick E + Matthew Dekay
4. Comando Heaven - Indart + Wally + Kucho
5. Burnin' Up - Funky Green Dogs
6. The Bell - Bluephaze
7. The One Who Got Caught - Filterheadz
8. Stonegroove - KAO
9. Gentle Rain - Blackwatch/Greed
10. Revolt. Roland Klinkenberg - Hedi
11. Istanbul - Fimpalst
12. Out Of The Dark - Redanka
13. Elektro Pop - Stefano Greppi
14. Timeflies - Noble + Thomas