BnB Review: Sander Van Doorn - Eleve11

Written by the B&B Crew

Sander van Doorn is set to drop his long-awaited second album Eleve11. The hype has been enormous, but does the hugely popular Dutchman deliver? Find out after the break…

When your name graces the top ranks of the global charts, the pressure to deliver an album that justifies the hype must be killing. Eleve11 has been in the works for two years, a period of time during which Sander established himself as one of the most popular DJs in the field of trance and electro house globally. Eleve11 has become another reflection of the SvD sound, yet in an updated and more sophisticated form in which ultrasonic big room elements merge with poppy hooks and uplifting melodies.

The album opens with two of Sander’s biggest hits to date, the massive big room tune Love Is Darkness and the epic, whistle-driven slammer that is Koko. Believe ft. Tom Helsen takes things to Deadmau5-ian heights and although it’s a lovely tune for beach parties and outdoor festivals, the tune could have used a more original basis. After the so-so Nano and Rolling The Dice - the latter being a collabo with Sidney Samson and Nadia ‘Rapture’ Ali - the album’s content returns to more exciting dimensions again with tracks such as the dark and stomping Godskitchen Urban Wave Mix of Beyond Sound and the monster track Who’s Wearing The Cap (ft. Laidback Luke), the best track on this album. By now, we’ve arrived at the end of a very diverse and dynamic artist album on which Sander van Doorn presents his SvD 2.0 sound to the masses.

Our verdict:
Eleve11 has become more or less what we expected it to be: unpretentious, slightly poppy but wall booming music that will cater to a large international audience (supported by the fact that the album will be released on Ultra). However, Sander’s sound has clearly developed over the past few years, and the album does hold a few very exciting twists here and there. Not every track is a winner but overall speaking, Eleve11 is the work of a man who knows how to make the big rooms go wild without opting for the easy way.

Rating: 7.0/10
Label: Ultra Records
Release date: September 19^th, 2011

Tracklist:
01. Interlude / Love Is Darkness feat. Carol Lee
02. Koko
03. Believe feat. Tom Helsen (Album Version)
04. Nano
05. Rolling The Dice with Sidney Samson feat. Nadia Ali (Album Version)
06. Beyond Sound (Godskitchen Urban Wave Mix)
07. Timezone feat. Frederick
08. Drink To Get Drunk
09. Who's Wearing the Cap with Laidback Luke (Album Version)
10. Slap My Pitch Up
11. Eagles. Sander van Doorn & Adrian Lux

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