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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. |