How POPOF Grew Form Music into an Expansive and Forward-Thinking Label

Kerri Chandler: 5 Captivating Moments in One-Minute Tales You Can't Miss

Kerri Chandler's Sonic Love-Letter to His Favorite Clubs

Kerri Chandler, Club Zanzibar & the Jersey House Sound

A Throwback to When Kerri Chandler Reminded the Crowd House Ain't EDM

 is a name that every house music enthusiast should know. With a career spanning several decades, he has established himself as one of the originators and key figures in the genre. Born and raised in New Jersey, Chandler's musical journey began in a family deeply rooted in jazz. His father, a respected DJ, exposed him to the rich origins of soul, disco, and the renowned New York underground sound.

 took his first steps as a DJ, spinning records at the Rally Record Club in East Orange, New Jersey. It didn't take long for him to develop an interest in production, leading to a prolific body of work that has made him one of the most respected house producers in the world.

Chandler's style is a fusion of tradition and innovation, combining soulful roots with avant-garde elements. His tracks, like the 

EP on Shelter Records and the groundbreaking A Basement, Redlight & A Feeling album on Madhouse, showcase his ability to create captivating music without compromising his unique sound.

 is known for injecting soul into his music. His rhythms and meticulous attention to space create an exciting and fleshy energy, rather than mechanical repetition. His basslines, ranging from heavy and heady to playful and quirky, have become legendary in the genre.

Lost & Found EP, Vol. 2

Beyond his production skills, Chandler is a dynamic performer, known for his marathon sets that can last six hours or more. He has graced the stages of flagship festivals, delivering electrifying performances that leave audiences in awe. His back-to-back sets with French protégé Jeremy Underground as Underground Kaoz have received critical acclaim, further solidifying his status as a true house music purveyor.

 contributions extend beyond his own music. As an A&R and label owner, he has worked with contemporary talents like 

, and The Martinez Brothers through his Kaoz Theory label. His influential MadHouse Records celebrated its 25th anniversary in May 2017, marking a legacy of agenda-setting releases.

With countless accolades, including features on prestigious magazines like 

, Chandler's impact on the house music scene is undeniable. His music has a rich musicality that transcends the dance floor, reaching audiences far and wide.

 fascination with technology and dedication has allowed him to build his own studio and constantly seek innovative ways to revolutionize traditional DJ mixing. Armed with his handmade mini-mixer and two laptops, Chandler's live sets incorporate visual and musical elements, wowing audiences worldwide.

You're in My System (Dennis Quin Vocal Mix) [feat. Troy Denari] by Kerri Chandler

Not straying from his underground roots, 

 has remained loyal to the scene, producing contemporary classics like "Bar-a-Thym" and "Back To The Raw." His new record label imprints, Max Trax, Grei Matter, and Lost Tribes of Ibadan is promising for more timeless tracks to come.

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Kerri Chandler

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PIV Amnesia with Kerri Chandler & East End Dubs

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HE.SHE.THEY

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Hyde (OFC)

's many contributions to dance music is his irevokable role as one of the progenitors of the classic deep house sound. And even though his thirty year career is filled with culture-defining moments, he still sees himself as a student. He is excited about the next generation of house producers and remains a gear nerd, adopting new synths and techniques regularly. For the New Jersey-raised artist, house is still everything.

"[House] is my entire life. It's my thought process. I feel blessed I get to do what I love," he recently told 

 via video chat from a London hotel. But even though he has many classics in the cannon, he's not nostalgic for the past. "I'm always staying curious. I don't have a favorite time period," he states.

Kerri Chandler celebrates club and sound system culture with new album 'Spaces and Places'
Recorded, written and performed on location at 24 different clubs including Ministry of Sound, Sub Club, Watergate, Output NYC, and many more the album will also be available as a collectable vinyl.

A global celebration of club and sound system culture, 'Spaces and Places' has been meticulously created by the New Jersey producer/DJ over several years on location at twenty-four of the world's most distinguished nightclubs; each track built on the space's individual relationship with Kerri, often through decades of live shows or appearances and in the process capturing unique rhythmic and emotional nuances.

'Spaces and Places' is Kerri's first album in over 14 years, since the 2008 release of 'Computer Games'  

As one of dance music's most respected and authentic figures, Kerri Chandler is a true originator of his genre, with an impeccable discography and signature sound to match. Richly musical with an intricate approach to detail, Kerri continues to incorporate influences from his experiences and remains in a unique harmonious space; one that rewards his listeners with both classic sophistication and an insistent sense of innovation. Musically and technologically.

In addition, the entire album has also been mixed personally by Kerri Chandler in Dolby Atmos. The revolutionary spatial audio technology creates an immersive sound experience meaning you can hear all the songs as if you were in virtual venues and the clubs.

Over the last 30 years Kerri has unquestionably helped to shape the sound of house music. Not only from the DJ booth and studio, but also as an A&R via his Kaoz Theory label which has worked with contemporary talents like Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler and The Martinez Brothers. Now, Kerri Chandler is set to release a carefully rendered and truly unique body of work. Spaces and Places will undoubtably be seen as a timeless tribute that underscores the originality that has kept him as one of the most in-demand artists for so many years.

'The first time I stepped into a nightclub was with my father as a child. I saw the magic of what a club space could sound and feel like as my Dad set up the DJ equipment at The Rallye Racquet Club. Hearing the power of those huge Altec Lansing  'Voice of the Theater' Speakers and Horn-loaded JBL subwoofers fascinated me! In the late 80s, I was spoiled sonically by playing on several Richard Long Sound Systems around New York and New Jersey. 

This is why ever since I first ventured away from home, I have been infamous with my soundchecks at any space I have performed in. I make sure, with the help of the engineers in these 'Spaces and Places', many I have known most of my career, to get the best from each system. Each sound system is unique to each venue, even if it's the same type of gear, because of the physical space. And when you add the right audience to that specific nightclub, it comes to life!  The club owners and engineers were gracious enough to let me take over each club and turn each venue, into a recording studio. I wanted to express the love of what could be possible in capturing my productions in the venue, from the heart of each space, right on the dance floor an I translate it onto this album, which I created over the course of 4 years and 24 venues later'  - Kerri Chandler 

Celebrating the albums documenting of club culture, 'Spaces and Places' will also be available as a limited-run and special collectable vinyl Trifold including hand numbered & signed poster.

Kerri Chandler - Spaces and Places [Full Album Tracklist] by Kerri Chandler

He's also incredibly generous with his time—spending an hour-and-a-half diving deep into the stories behind some of his biggest tracks—and humble about his illustrious career. "I've never tried to be the best, just the best me," he asserts.

His most recent album, 2022's expansive 24-track 

, pays tribute to the magic his favorite venues cast on the club experience. He wrote tracks honoring 

, and many others, each informed by the club's unique spirit.

"I think each club has memories. And a lot of people go there to be free and set things loose and have a good time. It's their other home, in a way… I like the spontaneous feeling of each club, each one has something different because of the culture and the people that come there."

For Chandler, all of the venues he featured spark a certain nostalgia for the infamous clubs of yesteryear. Throughout his career he's been intimately familiar with these historic spaces, especially those in New Jersey and New York, including Paradise Garage right before it closed. He explains that the Ministry of Sound system is so good because it was modeled after the Garage, adding that he had his studio set up like MoS at one point. To honor the sound of these spaces, he recorded each track inside the club, finding different ways to capture thier essence and "get the tonality of the clubs."

) and very recently, Printworks, have shuttered since he made the tracks. "Things open and things close with each generation. But the sad thing for me is watching things turning into condominiums or some kind of useless business. It's like Printworks, which is one of my favorite places I've ever been, even just walking in there."

In Printworks' green room there was an "ugly yellow piano" that all the DJs signed. After scrawlling "Kerri was here" on the inside of the piano, Chandler recorded a sparkling riff on the infamous instrument, ensuring it would never be forgotten. He then went downstairs to finish "

" and tailor it especially for the beloved space—"even the way it echoes off the walls and the speakers to fit the club exactly."

Lost & Found Vol. 2 by Kerri Chandler

is a collection of previously unreleased demos from over the years. Some were unearthed by friends, and all were released as-is. "I just put them out as demos, so people can hear the process," he reveals. 

It opens with a somewhat surprising—incredibly banging—techno track, "Fluff Rehab." Recorded around 12 years ago, it's a result of 

 saying Chandler needed to do something "tougher," he explains. "I was always joking about it at the time when I did 'Back to the Raw' [in 2004]. I was like, 'That's enough of this fluffy, weak sh--, let's get back to the raw.'"

, released in 2022, "What Will We Do," features humorous vocals from his jazz singer grandfather, who he previously worked with on 1993's "She's Crazy." They made it 33 years ago, and was the record that inspired Chandler to start the project, after his friend Will sent it to him.

Kerri Chandler ft Grampa - What Will We Do by Kaoz Theory

If a track sits on his hard drive, it's unlikely he's going to go back and keep working on it. But recently, he's unearthed some of the uncut gems from long forgotten hard drives to share with fans. A few years ago, he released a bunch of demos in a free download link. ("Fluff Rehab" was one of the fan favorites.) He sees it as a way to say thank you to his fans and is planning on doing it again soon.

How does he know when he's done with a track? "When you start adding things to a track and it feels like it's taking away from it," he says.

"When it starts taking away from the groove of the track, that's when I know I've gone too far and I need to strip it back some more. Even with vocals, I learned that early on; too many vocals are too many vocals. We don't need all of that. When you make dance music, you have to make people 

. I'm not making songs for the radio, I'm making it for clubs, for people that really want to release… or to make you think. That's what I think deep house actually is, it makes you think. Not just in tonal sounds, this is music to make you feel something, you can relate to it, it makes you think and you can dance to it at the same time."

Behind every Kerri Chandler song is a feeling, a mood, a story. "I only go [in the studio] when I feel like I have something to say. If there's something on my mind, I'll wake up early in the morning and run into the studio," he reveals. "Every single song I've made has a reason. I have to sit and live with something, and then it becomes a song. I can't just go, 'I'm going to make a track today and it's going to be like this,' even if it's an instrumental. Something has to influence me or make me think about what I'm doing, otherwise it feels forced and I don't finish it."

2015's funky, freaky "Turn Off The Lights (Who's Afraid Of The Dark)" was inspired by his kids and features a loop of his son banging on the pipes. After they moved into a new house with a big basement, his son was scaring his daughter by banging on the pipes in the dark, spooky space as they played hide and seek. Right after Chandler's daughter—also named Kerri—was born, he had to board a plane for a gig which understandably broke his heart. He took the rest of the year off so he could be there for all her big firsts, and "2 My Daughter Kerri," celebrates a day they shared together when she was three.

http://www.mixmag.net/read/kerri-chandler-premieres/

Vocals that snarl and seduce, fierce percussion and glamorous synths are all on show before a classic Chandler bassline comes hurtling in. This is great and is a must-listen for fans of house music. Check it

Premiere: Kerri Chandler 'Turn Off The Lights' (Who's Afraid Of The Dark) by Mixmag

"I shared the day that we would normally have and how much I loved her in case anything ever happened. I wanted to make sure that she has a musical letter that I wrote to her. But this has always been my life. It's always been this way," he says.

The deep and personal meaning in his music goes all the way back to his very first track in 1991, "Get it Off." It was sparked by a harrowing personal tragedy: the love of his life, Tracey, was raped and murdered outside of Club Zanzibar on her birthday. They were only 18 and she loved house music, so the song was both a dedication to her and a way to get his intense feelings off his chest. He'd been producing hip-hop and DJing house, but this track put him on the map as veritable house producer and got him signed Atlantic.

He's also a master remixer, giving the same care when approaching an edit. One of his biggest tracks that stayed hot as hell over the years is "You're in My System," his club remix of synthy '80s funk duo The System. "When we first get to a club, everyone has their phones up, saying 'System' or 'Rain.' There're certain songs that there's no way I can go to a club and not play." But he doesn't mind.

"It's part of me. It's like watching it grow up. It's another generation. And I always add my spin on it in a new way. I'll end up playing something over it or expanding it a bit. My friends Troy [Denari] and Dennis Quinn did another iteration of it and put it out again [in 2019], and had a blast with it. And now people can actually see it being sung," he explains. "I still have a lot of fun with it and I'm very grateful that people still enjoy the song. I'm never mad at my old catalogue. I'm actually very proud of it."

One of the other classics he's still keen on is reel-to-reel, a tool he describes as "a lost art," as all DJs 

in the day used to know how to use it to test out songs and do edits. He likes the challenge of doing reel-to-reel DJ sets, which offers listeners the experience of hearing the expansiveness of music on tape. "I've always loved tape. I love the saturation and tone of tape. When I put something on tape, it sounds completely different than when its recorded on digital."

The New Jersey legend remains positive about house music today and is excited about 

 of younger producers and DJs in the scene. Dennis Quin, Lupe Fuentez, Baby Roland, Disclosure, Josh Butler, Bradley Zero, and Leighton Moody all make his list, although he stresses there's many, many more. He points to his Kaoz Theory party lineups where you can find more of the younger acts he's stoked on. When asked about mentorship, he explains it's very important to him to connect on a personal level with the artists he works with.

"I love the future of where the music can go. Anyone that's on my label, I make a point of knowing them personally. Any time I do a remix or something, same thing; there hasn't been one person I've met or have remix or anything on my label that we're not close friends. If they need anything from me, they know they can just call me. I keep in touch with everybody."

He agrees that his house family is a big one, and it's one his protective of. "I'm extremely supportive and I try to make sure that everybody looks out for each other. I think this is a music that should be shared and loved together as a community. I've never, ever tried to be better than anyone I just wanted to be the best me I could."

Among Kerri Chandler's many contributions to dance music is his irevokable role as one of the progenitors of the classic deep house sound. And even though his thirty year career is filled with culture-defining moments, he still sees himself as a student. He is excited about the next generation of house producers and remains a gear nerd, adopting new synths and techniques regularly. For the New Jersey-raised artist, house is still everything.



"[House] is my entire life. It's my thought process. I feel blessed I get to do what I love," he recently told Gray Area via video chat from a London hotel. But even though he has many classics in the cannon, he's not nostalgic for the past. "I'm always staying curious. I don't have a favorite time period," he states.

He's also incredibly generous with his time—spending an hour-and-a-half diving deep into the stories behind some of his biggest tracks—and humble about his illustrious career. "I've never tried to be the best, just the best me," he asserts.



His most recent album, 2022's expansive 24-track Spaces and Places, pays tribute to the magic his favorite venues cast on the club experience. He wrote tracks honoring Printworks, Ministry of Sound, Rex Club, Output, Watergate, DC-10, and many others, each informed by the club's unique spirit.



"I think each club has memories. And a lot of people go there to be free and set things loose and have a good time. It's their other home, in a way… I like the spontaneous feeling of each club, each one has something different because of the culture and the people that come there."



For Chandler, all of the venues he featured spark a certain nostalgia for the infamous clubs of yesteryear. Throughout his career he's been intimately familiar with these historic spaces, especially those in New Jersey and New York, including Paradise Garage right before it closed. He explains that the Ministry of Sound system is so good because it was modeled after the Garage, adding that he had his studio set up like MoS at one point. To honor the sound of these spaces, he recorded each track inside the club, finding different ways to capture thier essence and "get the tonality of the clubs."

Some, including Output (now Superior Ingredients) and very recently, Printworks, have shuttered since he made the tracks. "Things open and things close with each generation. But the sad thing for me is watching things turning into condominiums or some kind of useless business. It's like Printworks, which is one of my favorite places I've ever been, even just walking in there."



In Printworks' green room there was an "ugly yellow piano" that all the DJs signed. After scrawlling "Kerri was here" on the inside of the piano, Chandler recorded a sparkling riff on the infamous instrument, ensuring it would never be forgotten. He then went downstairs to finish "Never Thought [Printworks]" and tailor it especially for the beloved space—"even the way it echoes off the walls and the speakers to fit the club exactly."



His most recent release, the Lost & Found EP, Vol. 2, is a collection of previously unreleased demos from over the years. Some were unearthed by friends, and all were released as-is. "I just put them out as demos, so people can hear the process," he reveals. 



It opens with a somewhat surprising—incredibly banging—techno track, "Fluff Rehab." Recorded around 12 years ago, it's a result of The Martinez Brothers and Dennis Ferrer saying Chandler needed to do something "tougher," he explains. "I was always joking about it at the time when I did 'Back to the Raw' [in 2004]. I was like, 'That's enough of this fluffy, weak sh--, let's get back to the raw.'"



The opening track to Vol. 1, released in 2022, "What Will We Do," features humorous vocals from his jazz singer grandfather, who he previously worked with on 1993's "She's Crazy." They made it 33 years ago, and was the record that inspired Chandler to start the project, after his friend Will sent it to him.



If a track sits on his hard drive, it's unlikely he's going to go back and keep working on it. But recently, he's unearthed some of the uncut gems from long forgotten hard drives to share with fans. A few years ago, he released a bunch of demos in a free download link. ("Fluff Rehab" was one of the fan favorites.) He sees it as a way to say thank you to his fans and is planning on doing it again soon.



How does he know when he's done with a track? "When you start adding things to a track and it feels like it's taking away from it," he says.



"When it starts taking away from the groove of the track, that's when I know I've gone too far and I need to strip it back some more. Even with vocals, I learned that early on; too many vocals are too many vocals. We don't need all of that. When you make dance music, you have to make people dance. I'm not making songs for the radio, I'm making it for clubs, for people that really want to release… or to make you think. That's what I think deep house actually is, it makes you think. Not just in tonal sounds, this is music to make you feel something, you can relate to it, it makes you think and you can dance to it at the same time."

Behind every Kerri Chandler song is a feeling, a mood, a story. "I only go [in the studio] when I feel like I have something to say. If there's something on my mind, I'll wake up early in the morning and run into the studio," he reveals. "Every single song I've made has a reason. I have to sit and live with something, and then it becomes a song. I can't just go, 'I'm going to make a track today and it's going to be like this,' even if it's an instrumental. Something has to influence me or make me think about what I'm doing, otherwise it feels forced and I don't finish it."



2015's funky, freaky "Turn Off The Lights (Who's Afraid Of The Dark)" was inspired by his kids and features a loop of his son banging on the pipes. After they moved into a new house with a big basement, his son was scaring his daughter by banging on the pipes in the dark, spooky space as they played hide and seek. Right after Chandler's daughter—also named Kerri—was born, he had to board a plane for a gig which understandably broke his heart. He took the rest of the year off so he could be there for all her big firsts, and "2 My Daughter Kerri," celebrates a day they shared together when she was three.

"I shared the day that we would normally have and how much I loved her in case anything ever happened. I wanted to make sure that she has a musical letter that I wrote to her. But this has always been my life. It's always been this way," he says.



The deep and personal meaning in his music goes all the way back to his very first track in 1991, "Get it Off." It was sparked by a harrowing personal tragedy: the love of his life, Tracey, was raped and murdered outside of Club Zanzibar on her birthday. They were only 18 and she loved house music, so the song was both a dedication to her and a way to get his intense feelings off his chest. He'd been producing hip-hop and DJing house, but this track put him on the map as veritable house producer and got him signed Atlantic.

He's also a master remixer, giving the same care when approaching an edit. One of his biggest tracks that stayed hot as hell over the years is "You're in My System," his club remix of synthy '80s funk duo The System. "When we first get to a club, everyone has their phones up, saying 'System' or 'Rain.' There're certain songs that there's no way I can go to a club and not play." But he doesn't mind.

"It's part of me. It's like watching it grow up. It's another generation. And I always add my spin on it in a new way. I'll end up playing something over it or expanding it a bit. My friends Troy [Denari] and Dennis Quinn did another iteration of it and put it out again [in 2019], and had a blast with it. And now people can actually see it being sung," he explains. "I still have a lot of fun with it and I'm very grateful that people still enjoy the song. I'm never mad at my old catalogue. I'm actually very proud of it."



One of the other classics he's still keen on is reel-to-reel, a tool he describes as "a lost art," as all DJs back in the day used to know how to use it to test out songs and do edits. He likes the challenge of doing reel-to-reel DJ sets, which offers listeners the experience of hearing the expansiveness of music on tape. "I've always loved tape. I love the saturation and tone of tape. When I put something on tape, it sounds completely different than when its recorded on digital."

The New Jersey legend remains positive about house music today and is excited about a lot of younger producers and DJs in the scene. Dennis Quin, Lupe Fuentez, Baby Roland, Disclosure, Josh Butler, Bradley Zero, and Leighton Moody all make his list, although he stresses there's many, many more. He points to his Kaoz Theory party lineups where you can find more of the younger acts he's stoked on. When asked about mentorship, he explains it's very important to him to connect on a personal level with the artists he works with.



"I love the future of where the music can go. Anyone that's on my label, I make a point of knowing them personally. Any time I do a remix or something, same thing; there hasn't been one person I've met or have remix or anything on my label that we're not close friends. If they need anything from me, they know they can just call me. I keep in touch with everybody."



He agrees that his house family is a big one, and it's one his protective of. "I'm extremely supportive and I try to make sure that everybody looks out for each other. I think this is a music that should be shared and loved together as a community. I've never, ever tried to be better than anyone I just wanted to be the best me I could."

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