Biography
Nick Hogendoorn
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Nick started showing more interest in music than average at around the age of 10. Around this time, a neighbor who was a DJ played some tunes for Nick, mainly hardcore as this was the hot sound in 1993. But Nick decided that he preferred a less harsh sound and started buying more and more CDs and albums ranging from Eurodance to trance.
A couple of years later, Nick got in touch with a friend who had some old audio equipment in the attic, and they started experimenting with it to make some mixes for the very first time. They both loved it and decided to buy some real tools for the trade. When their first turntables arrived, they started to build their collection of vinyl, which eventually led to experimentation with music production on the very old Trackers for DOS.
Time flew by and Nick’s taste changed again, as he became more interested in electro, disco, and deep house tracks. While working part-time to get some extra cash for vinyl, he met someone at work who shared the same interest in music production, and he taught Nick the basics of music production. This led to Nick getting his very first production signed to Toes In The Sand Recordings, which also signed him to do a remix of Brahma’s “Peaks of Destiny.”
After a while, Nick hooked up with talented progressive producer Eelke Kleijn to collaborate on productions. The partnership has been fruitful, with tracks signed at Navigate Recordings, Arabica, Spinifex Recordings, Tilth Music, and more. The future looks bright for this talented young producer.
Eelke Kleijn
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Eelke’s life has always been intrigued by modern technology. Being fascinated by everything related to science fiction and technological developments, his interests are anything but your usual cup of tea. He is currently getting a degree in biological psychology at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. At home, his TV is tuned into Discovery Channel frequently. A real “Trekkie” perhaps as well, as he is a big fan of Star Trek. It is no surprise that Eelke enjoys watching the sky, not just on a warm summer day, but preferably at night, when he can aim his telescope at the stars and planets. It is not as severe as it sounds though, as he loves spending his free time playing video games and watching South Park. His biggest passion however is, without a doubt, music.
The world of music today is closely related to technology, something Eelke discovered at a young age. Therefore it is not strange at all that he got involved in it. “I could have easily ended up with an ICT related job”, he adds. Over the years Eelke has built and repaired a fair share of computers and also designed a variety of websites, including his own. At age 14, he got his first job working as a website designer for a music store. It gave him the opportunity to explore the studio equipment they sold in much detail, bringing home every piece of hardware he could get his hands on during the weekends.
In 2003 Eelke released his first single “4.5 Billion Years”, interestingly named after our planet's currently estimated age, on Segment Records. This very limited 12 inch drew the attention of John Digweed and Seb Fontaine and is still held in high regard up to this day. It opened the door to labels such as Lost Language and Plastik Park. It was not until early 2006 however, that Eelke would indefinitely make an impact on the dance scene. Many months spent in the studio resulted in a series of releases, the most noticeable probably being “8 Bit Era / Import Bride” on Baroque Records which was very well received and got included on Nick Warren's “Global Underground 030: Paris” compilation. “8 Bit Era” also received solid airtime on Dutch National radio. Ever since, many labels have taken notice of the sympathetic Dutchman, resulting in remixes for the likes of Jeff Bennett, Madoka and Snake Sedrick. In early 2007 his remix for Kosmas Epsilon's “Paranoid” was picked up by Hernan Cattaneo for his Renaissance compilation “Sequential 2”.
It is difficult to describe Eelke's sound in a few words though. “I am easily bored with music, I don't like recycling sounds and ideas all the time”, he explains. His almost trancy cooperations with fellow Dutchman C-Jay indeed are very different from the dark and twisted grooves he has produced with Nick Hogendoorn and again different from the ambient and chilled-out songs he has written himself. “As with my DJ sets, I need variety in order to remain interested in what I'm doing. Producing different styles is almost like a way to express the different moods I'm in”. The recent signing of '”Walkabout” on Ork Recordings with Nick is a perfect example, receiving critical acclaim from artists as diverse as Fish Go Deep, Nic Fanciulli and Anthony Pappa. Outside the Box Music, Eelke's label launched in 2006 and part of the Groovecollection Music Management, reflects his taste in music like nothing else, with releases varying from techno-edged minimal to funky progressive house.
Spring 2007 saw Eelke taking the next leap towards fulfilling his dreams. Months of labour finally paid off when his debut artist album 'Naturally Artificial' was snapped up by Global Underground. It did not take the guys at GU long to see its potential. “Needless to say I am extremely happy about it!”, he adds. “Global Underground is one of the labels that have been around since the beginning, you don't get a chance like this every day”.
So what else is there for Eelke you ask? We almost forgot to mention he is an excellent DJ as well, having played gigs in many European countries as well as Lebanon and Jordan. His monthly 2-hour radio show “Outside the Box”, broadcasted on Frisky Radio and Proton Radio, gives him the opportunity to showcase his sound worldwide. “What I love about Outside the Box is that I can do whatever I want”, he says. “It is almost like trying to educate people with different sounds, I can play deeper than at an average club night”.
Meanwhile Eelke has continued his work in the studio, a variety of news tracks and remixes are due throughout 2007. Success doesn’t come overnight, something we all know and this has also been the case with Eelke. Rest assured, though, that this is probably not the last we will hear from Mr. Kleijn.
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