Spend a matter of minutes in the company of Kevin Saunderson and son, Dantiez, and it's clear that, to them, music is a family affair. It’s in their DNA.
As one third of The Belleville Three, a founding member of Inner City and originator of Techno itself, Kevin Saunderson could quite easily rest on his laurels (and, I'd imagine, some rather nice royalty fees too!), but there's little chance of that happening.
With Dantiez by his side, a talented DJ and producer in his own right, repping the next-gen of electronic music lovers, the father-son unit are a formidable force. Together, they pave the way for a sound that pays homage to underground roots yet is laser-focused on the future.
Whether through the revival of Kevin’s '90s moniker e-Dancer, dropping the first album from the project in over 25 years this month, or the rhythmically rich DJ sets they plan to bring to select Ibiza dancefloors this summer as Inner City.
When the rare opportunity to hang out at home with the Saundersons came around, we simply could not pass up that up. The chance to sit down with two generations of the same musical bloodline and compare notes - unmissable.
Kevin Saunderson & Dantiez on the record
The self-titled album marks a new era for the e-Dancer project; Heavenly was the last all-original album released under the alias in 1998. What inspired you to revisit the project together, and why now?
KS: "I think it was time. I mean Dantiez kind of inspired it, I must say. He made a track, and it sounded like e-Dancer. I was like wow, that sounds just like me in the past!
I had already released a rework of the album that we put out on KMS Records, not remixes, just a couple of different edits. We also had the Adam Beyer remix of World Of Deep (2021), so now I was like, okay, it makes sense to go into a new era of e-Dancer.
We had already worked together on other stuff and, obviously, Dantiez is genetically a part of me, but there's a musical connection too. You can hear it; you can feel it."
Less than 48 hours ago, we heard album track Emotions dropped by Meg Ward at Pikes. What’s the story behind this track in particular?
DS: "Emotions was the first track that started the inspiration for the album.
I had just gotten out of a relationship, and stuck my head down into producing. While I was going through all these emotions, I wrote this deep bassline and some melodies that came together nicely. I thought it sounded cool.
From there, he took the track, added his parts and finished it. We got it in a mix and mastered, and that was the beginning of this whole album project."
Is that your usual format when it comes to working together creatively in the studio? One starts, and then the other jumps in?
KS: "Yeah, that's it. He's usually the starter in most cases. I might throw him a bone and say, 'see what you can do with this,' but in general, he starts it.
It's a great system. He can send me something when I’m overseas, I give him some comments, he makes the changes, and then I can come back, and it's like 90 per cent there and we finish it off. By the time it's done, he’s off working on another two or three songs already.
Especially because my schedule is so busy. When I come home, I'm doing other stuff. He’s got all the time in the world. So you put the work in, I've put it in already! I’ll tell you what works and what doesn't."
Do you ever clash creatively? If so, who has the final say?
DS: "Nah, we don't really clash. I think we work pretty well together. He might not like every track I write, because I like to work with different styles and sounds, but when one does connect, that's when we know it's gonna’ be a powerful collab."
Kevin, e-Dancer was highly regarded for its contribution to the Detroit Techno movement. The city will have evolved a lot since the '90s, so how does Detroit today, influence you and your music?
KS: "Most of the guys I started with are still actively touring and making music. We still connect. Even though it's not like the past, we still have a history there.
Then, you see the next generation come up under us. Dantiez is involved with my label KMS Records, which he basically runs. We're regenerating local talent, which is needed, and it's harder for me to always be as engaged on the ground.
People like Chez Damier, MK, Ron Trent, Carl Craig, Stacey Pullen, they all came through my pathway back then. That was my history. So, through the label, we're kind of recycling and bringing up new talent.
We all come together as the past, present and the future and that inspires me. After 41 years or whatever, I look back at where we at now, and I'm still kind of mesmerised that this dream, this goal of making the world dance as one, as futurists, is still going. That's a proud thing."
Dantiez, in 2020 you also played a key role in producing Inner City’s first album in over thirty years We All Move Together. Do you ever feel any pressure or comparison to your Dad’s career?
DS: "Yeah, at first maybe there was a little pressure, but I learned to deal with it over time.
People might have expectations because I'm the son of a legend. Maybe they think that I need to write the next Good Life or Big Fun, but I'm just being me and doing what I feel. If I happen to sound like him, it makes sense, because we are connected, we are family."
I've got to mention, Good Life also got a play last night in Pacha from Franky Rizardo.
DS: "I was gonna go there too!"
You recently shared the stage at the International Music Summit here on Ibiza, delivering a talk on the theme of Intergenerational Exchange. In your time working together as father and son, what are the biggest lessons you’ve learned from each other?
KS: "I've learned a lot from the way that the younger generation creates music. How they manoeuvre with different plugins and adopt new technologies so fast. I move like a turtle, I move very slow, but I mean, I know what I'm doing.
A lot of times, if we're working together or if I have an issue, I'll bring Dantiez down to the studio and have him show me."
DS: "He always told me to stay humble, keep your head on straight and keep good people around you. I try to carry that with me always. Also, how important it is to take care of your mental health on the road. I've seen too many people burn out in this industry already."
How will you bring the new era sound of e-Dancer to the live stage?
KS: "We basically take the studio on the road. We scale it down, but some shows are bigger, so we carry a few different synths, a couple of different keyboards, controllers and we manipulate the album and the previous album creations by e-Dancer into the set."
You have some select dates on Ibiza this summer performing as Inner City, including Hï Ibiza and Eden. Will you bring e-Dancer over?
KS: "We’ve got some e-Dancer gigs, Loveland and MUTEK Festival, and there are some talks about the live set coming to the island too. Hopefully we'll be here in the future."
Would you consider hosting your own Ibiza residency together? Which club could you see yourselves at home in?
KS: "I would definitely take up a residency. That's the one thing I haven't done to this day. I’ve talked to my agent about it. It's something that we would love to do.
Coming from a Detroit perspective, I feel like the island doesn't really get exposed to our sound. I would love to be here in a space where we could elevate the scene.
I'm not sure what club. I like a lot of the clubs here. There's not a club I don’t like. But, I would want something more intimate, not something crazy big. Just somewhere with a great sound system where you can connect to the crowd, you know."
Maybe we do need to bring back something a bit more impassioned, raw, and industrial to Ibiza. If anyone can do it…
KS: "So down!
If I think about when I first came to the island around 1991, there were a few main clubs. It was Amnesia, Pacha and Space. Space represented the underground in the best way. I haven't seen anything that can match that vibe to this day.
I mean, I've seen bigger crowds because everything has grown and it's been more exposed over the years, but that's what I think the island needs: the rawness."
Dantiez, your Dad mentioned that he first came to Ibiza in 1991. Can you recall your first Ibiza clubbing experience? I'd love to hear how they compare.
DS: "It would have been about ten years ago now. I want to say he took me to Pacha as my first Ibiza club. I don't remember who was playing. I probably wouldn't have known at the time anyway, but my mind was blown.
A whole island where the parties never stop? I'd never seen anything like it."
Will you have any downtime to do some exploring on Ibiza on your upcoming visits? Are there any places outside of the clubs you like to visit on the island?
KS: "Definitely! I love being off-the-board and just eating good seafood. Fish Shack is always a favourite spot for us; we've always go multiple times. I've also been out on the jet-ski.
I go up to the Hacienda Na Xamena Hotel on the cliff, just relaxing. I work with a trainer on the island to do a little boxing too."
DS: "Yeah, we hang out a lot together on the island and with friends. I go out, but I make sure to take my downtime and stay in sometimes too, usually watching anime as I'm a big fan. Really, I just try to take it all in."
Now, that was a bucket-list conversation!
Kevin and Dantiez are back on the island Sunday 24 June, performing a hybrid Inner City set for the audacious House party Glitterbox in Hï Ibiza's expansive Theatre.
Follow the link here for all Inner City's Ibiza dates this summer.
Until then, immerse yourself in the sonics of 10-track LP, e-Dancer, out today, Friday 13 June, via Our House and available to purchase here.
