Right now though, the weather in the north of Denmark is getting sunny. “It’s around 20 degrees right now,” chimes the Dane. “Jackets are not needed! What I am doing right now though is making plenty of tunes and remixes. Some might say it’s an occupational hazard!” But he won’t be drawn on the question of an album. Actually admitting he hates talking about it, he is rather content with pushing out quality singles for now. He is also partial to the odd collaboration too, having just completed one with FerryTayle, with a few others in the pipeline that he can’t yet mention.
So it was, that with the backing of one of the trance world’s great labels Anjunabeats, Daniel is in the money – and the only way is up. “They’ve basically backed me and given me my first shot. I was able to DJ at the first Anjunaparty at the (old) original Gallery club in London. After I sent them my track Breathe, it all went from there.” And it doesn’t look like the train is about to haul up any time soon.
Likewise, in terms of what inspires him, Daniel surmises with this: “I’m influenced by all of the usual things – life, feelings, love gone wrong, love gone right. All of it can be a channel for tunes! I started being interested in music quite a while ago so it was really easy to end up doing what I’m doing now. It’s not really hard doing what you want to do, especially when you really enjoy it.”
Musically, he was initially somewhat insistent on a particular style and a specific brand of trance. But as his style and taste has evolved, he has become more open-minded about mixing things up. “Quite early on, I was saying I wouldn’t play sets unless they were in the range of 138-141 beats per minute. I didn’t see the market for anything else. For guys like JOC, it can work, and also Sean Tyas. These guys are known to be more ‘ballsy.’”
Daniel on the other hand, feels like he has been seen as “too pretty” in his sets and he’s trying to change that perception. “I really like mixing it up. Sometimes I can see what JOC is saying where he suggests there has not been enough quality uplifting tunes to mix because there actually is a shortage in my opinion, to be honest.”
Regardless, tracks like Breathe have put Kandi squarely on the global trance map. As a result, the chap has managed to score a spot – #87 in fact – in the prestigious DJ Mag Top 100. And now he looks to the future. “For me, the Breathe pressure is over,” he explains with relief. “I think folks are starting to finally realise that I am more than one style of artist – I think that perception is over. It’s not that I don’t like it. Besides the money being pretty poor for those tracks, the fact is that I’m growing my taste as well. I like uplifting trance, if it’s really well made. The reason why I don’t play a lot of that stuff out – both in clubs and on my Always Alive radio show – is that like I mentioned before, there is a shortage of proper uplifting music. Right now, I’m cooking on tunes between 130 and 138 bpm.” In jest he adds, “people can stop fearing me becoming all house music!”
Finally, he shares a few words on some impressive gigs he’s played in recent times: “Kemerovo in Russia was emotional as hell! I really didn’t expect it to be that packed with me solely on the lineup and supporting locals. I had a really good time there! Passion in UK was ace as well. Tokyo was also mental. Singapore at Avalon also brilliant! I’ll be the idiot for not remembering all of the parties lately. But I’d rather say I haven’t been to many bad gigs of late. So it’s all-good!”
And as mentioned, the young lad is getting back to Australia with some new tunes and mash-ups to whet the appetites of his local fans – and those that may not know it yet. The excitement is building – as is the anticipation for what he can deliver after a three-year global trance hiatus, that has seen him visit almost every corner of the globe.
BY RK
Daniel Kandi [DEN] plays Royal Melbourne Hotel on Friday April 6.
