What started out as a mysterious side project for Dutch electronic legend Sander van Doorn has now become an essential part of his creative personality. Purple Haze is the Mr. Hyde to his Dr. Jekyll, pushing a sharper, darker, rougher sound than what he’s been known for in recent years. Harking back to the older tech-trance sounds that made him famous in the first place, the project blends these classic vibes with elements of electro and indie dance to startling effect.
The genesis of the project stretches back to 2005, when Sander created the moniker to fit with some tougher, more euphoric tracks he had made — like Bliksem and Hymn 2.0. The project lay dormant for some nine years before organically reviving itself when he made a new track that just naturally fit the Purple Haze vibe. His manager encouraged him to create more tracks to fit with the sound, and before long a distinct vision for a relaunch of this project came into his mind — complete with a stunning audio-visual live show concept.
Neiloj was the first taste of the project, unleashed on an unsuspecting world with a whole lot of fire in its belly. The dramatic vibe and hard-edged sounds made it an instant favourite with fans, and soon they were clamouring for more. By the time Contrast and Choir 1.0 had been unleashed, anticipation for the the full debut album had reached fever pitch. The three singles also came with superb videos that brought the Purple Haze concept to life further, and together the trio form one cohesive story.
The album SPECTRVM was eventually released in October 2017 to rave reviews, and with some incredible live show experiences at the likes of Ultra Music Festival, EDC Vegas and ADE supporting the whole project, it has ensured that Purple Haze has been a name on everyone’s lips. Glowing praise from the likes of Billboard and Dancing Astronaut added to the fan love that has abounded for the project.
“I think Purple Haze needs to exist next to Sander Van Doorn” he explains. “I need both. They make each other bigger. Too often I’ve seen artists lose their focus when they try to combine too many different sounds but at the moment I get so much creative energy from working on this project that it’s actually adding to the creative flow for Sander van Doorn.”