Sander Kleinenberg

Sander Kleinenberg, born on December 29, 1971, in Delft, Netherlands, started his DJ career at the age of 15 in 1987, playing a mix of rock and dance music at a local bar. His early musical influences included Mantronix, Shep Pettibone, and Depeche Mode. He began releasing music in 1993 under the artist name Free Frogs, with his debut single ‘Bombay’ on the Belgian label Wonka Beats. The following year, he released a single on Superstition, a German record label. In 1996, he released ‘YDW (You Do Me Wrong)’ under the moniker S ‘N’ S, licensed by Strictly Rhythm, marking his continuous engagement in the dance music scene.

Kleinenberg gained international recognition in 1999 with the first part of his thematic ‘4 Seasons’ trilogy, released on FFRR. His track “My Lexicon,” released in 2000, became a genre standard for progressive house, noted for its trancey percussive melody and atmospheric chord stabs. This track, along with “Sacred,” received significant exposure through Sasha’s ‘Global Underground 013: Ibiza’ album. In 2003, he founded Little Mountain Recordings and released the final part of his ‘4 Seasons’ series. That same year, he earned the Best Remix award at the Dancestar USA Awards for his remix of Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body.” He also launched his “Everybody” brand with the album ‘Renaissance: Everybody,’ which he described as a reaction to dance music taking itself too seriously. The following year, he released ‘This Is Everybody Too,’ continuing his exploration of glitchy, low-key techno.

In 2005, Kleinenberg initiated a monthly residency at Crobar in New York City to further promote the “Everybody” brand. His career saw a shift in track selection from progressive house to a funkier electro house style, though he consistently identifies his genre as “house music.” His tracks “The Fruit” (2004) and “This Is Miami” (2006) both achieved number one positions on the ARIA chart. His “Everybody” brand evolved into the “This Is…” brand, inspired by “This Is Miami.” This brand encompassed club residencies at venues such as Avalon in Los Angeles, Discoteque in Moscow, Paradiso and Melkweg in Amsterdam, Red Light in Paris, and Pacha in Ibiza. In 2010, he released his debut album ‘5K,’ featuring collaborations with artists like Jamie Cullum on the single “Remember When.” He also launched his new music label, THIS IS Recordings, in conjunction with the album’s release. Throughout his career, Kleinenberg has been noted for his use of digital video and self-created visuals in his concerts, often collaborating with VJ Mark Pistoire.