We really don’t need an introduction for this man. He’s been around; if you’ve been too, you know who we are dealing with here. Last year, October 2022, house master Kerri Chandler launched a new LP Spaces and Places aiming to celebrate global club culture. His creations were made in twenty-four clubs around the world. A club is a symbolic place for the artist. This project encloses his recollections of memories from his past alongside present experiences, releasing another fire album filled with uplifting energy, glorious vocals, and enchanting rhythms.

Hello Kerri and thank you for taking the time for this interview! For starters we are thrilled to ask you some question on your latest LP Spaces and Places which came out this October – an ode to club culture and its uniqueness. Can you tell us a bit more about the creative process of this 24 track album in terms of sounds and production and what is new in comparison to other releases you’ve done in the past? 

This is a very intense and fun way of working for me, making house music right at the source in the clubs themselves. I went right into the middle of the dance floor for each venue and let the venues sound system dictate what would work best sonically and then make what the place feels like to me creatively. 

What sort of synths/drum computers etc. did you use particularly for the album? 

I have lot of specialized plug-ins, some I programmed myself and some that mimic a few of the Modules and keyboards I have in my studio. Also some of the plug-ins I have were made to do specific convolutions to mimic that particular environment in the club after using filter sweeps. In the end I also mixed the entire album in Dolby Atmos so everyone can really experience the album, going beyond just the stereo version of Spaces and Places. The Dolby Atmos version is Available to stream at Apple Music, Amazon and Tidal, so far. 

And what about the recordings?

They were all done at the venues themselves, I wanted to really let the rooms give me the raw sum of the venues. The only song mixed at my studio was Club Qu, however as I’m saying this I also went in to that virtual environment to mix it down, Because it’s the first time I ever mixed a song for a virtual online club. You can still see and hear it on YouTube. It was for a special project with Resident Advisor and they let me use it for the Spaces and Places Album. 

Some songs have specific club names such as Magazzini Generali (Milan), De Markantine (Amsterdam) and more. Would you say that every song kind of reminds you of a certain place and energy? 

Every club on this album, I have a relationship with them. And each club has played an important part in my career. It was my way of saying take notice of these clubs if you never get a chance to visit them yourself. Some of these clubs aren’t around anymore so this is also my way of paying homage to them.

What are some of your best memories in creating this project? 

Being spontaneous in the moment and getting interesting sounds that only that club has. For instance at Sub Club I recorded the train outside and the bingo caller outside. In Printworks I used a very old piano in that venue, that nobody even payed attention to this piano was in a green room in another part of the building, Besides it being written on by various artists that played at That club that piano was alone and forgotten, I wanted to fix that. I made it a big part of the track I made there.  At club Barbarellas at the end of the song I used the sounds of the Cicadas that Croatia is known for in that are its and outside venue and Dora Dora the singer for that track is From Croatia. De Markantine was one of my favorite clubs and a places where I could be very expressive and just play everything with such a open minded audience. Mona Lee the singer on that track really expressed and sang exactly how that club felt to us. If anyone is interested the videos of each place and song its available on Kerrichandler.com . Or if you have any of the samplers or the album just scan the QR Code on it, that will take you right to the website and a bio of each club with a few videos and photos. 

Your signature sound is always recognisable, feel good chords progressions, hyped up drum progressions, groovy bass-lines and glorious vocals emanate a feeling of joy and hope. In your words what are the values you’d like to share to your followers and aspiring artists? 

Do what you feel evokes emotion, but remember people want to dance and escape in the music, even if for a little while. 

You speak what you feel in to what your production is. 

The theme of our latest issue is Metamorphosis, what sparks in your mind when you read this word and why do think it’s important?

I always feel there is room for improvement, I’m always trying to learn something new. I also feel that it means just keep building on what you have and making it better, Having longevity and try to move to the next level ahead. I personally like to look at everything I have done yearly and try to improve on what I feel my strengths and weaknesses are. 

Congratulations on such a great release, we are definitely going to be hearing your tracks in our playlists. We hope to meet you in person while in the Netherlands and maybe have you for one of our Numéro parties!

Thank you for your kind words and I hope to return to the Netherlands soon again. And definitely for one of the Numéro parties! 

With Love, Respect and admiration.

Kerri

Photos by dentcys

Tracklist:

1. Sunchilde – Never Thought (Ft. Sunchilde) (Main Vocal Mix) [Printworks]
2. Mauro Capitale – Milan (Ft. Mauro Capitale) (Full Sax Mix) [Magazzini Generali]
3. You Get Lost In It (Ft. Lady Linn) (Full Vocal Main Mix) [The Warehouse Project]
4. Hurry Up (Ft. Dreamer G) (Kerri’s Again End Vocal Mix) [Ministry of Sound]
5. Tenacity (Ft. Bluey Robinson) (Main Vocal Mix) [Output NYC]
6. Kaiku (Ft. Yaniel & Patrick Mangan) (Disco Version) [Kaiku]
7. Kerri Chandler – Industria [Industria]
8. Dirty (DJ Deep’s Son and Dad Edit 6) [Rex]
9. I See (Full Mix) [Razzmatazz]
10. The Piano Thing [Live] [Eathos]
11. Sunrise [Watergate]
12. See the Light (Original Long Vocoder Vocal Mix) [Lux Frágil]
13. Sun of Sound (Ft. Troy Denari) (Vocal Mix) [Plan B]
14. Keep One (But Do It Again) [Sir Henrys]
15. ​Who Knows (Ft. Dora Dora) (Media Mix​ ​Vocal Mix​)​ [Barbarellas]
16. Let it (Kerri’s Original Full Vocal Mix) [Basic Club]
17. Change Your Mind (Ft. Troy Denari) (Full Vocal) [District 8]
18. Joyful Life (Ft. Mona Lee) (Full Vocal Mix) [De Marktkantine]
19. The Morning Heat (Ft. Nadir Simon) (Main Mix) [La Grange]
20. The Calling [Club Qu]
21. Feelin’ Red (Pull The 9 Out Mix) [DC10]
22. Subbie (The Jackpot Mix) [Sub Club]
23. The Box Frame [Halcyon]
24. Back to Earth (Ft. Aaron Braxton) (Find Your Peace) [The Knockdown Center]

Venues

https://kerrichandler.com/spacesandplaces

Music editor & director: Joiah Luminosa

Talent: Kerri Chandler