Den Haan are a live synthesized dance act - the conceptual disco duo of Matthew Aldworth and Andy Gardiner. Their music has brought them critical acclaim after releases on labels such as; Dissident, Optimo Music & Supersoul and firm DJ support from the likes of Cosmic Vitelli, Headman, Ivan Smagghe, Optimo and Mylo. Their debut album “Gods from Outer Space” was released on ‘The Courier Of Death’ Label on 28/02/11. They have played around Europe including London, Berlin, St Petersburg and Belgium, with performances coming up in Barcelona, Paris and The Exit Festival.

Den Haan are built for the children of the night. Their rhythms are dark, electronic, tribal; the rock-god vocals more akin to Anvil or Van Halen, popper-soaked macho guys barking out tales of stalking the night, cruising for kicks, all backed by a chorus of booming sado-cybernetic vocoders. Their releases embrace the spirit of seedy 70’s basement dives, a deco-greco roman blur of glistening bodies and dazzling lights - Criso on the wrists, stains in dark corners and sweat condensed on every surface.

They study their favourite productions and producers in forensic detail: Celso Valli, Franco Rago & Gigi Farina, the experimental excursions of Vangelis, the homo-disco cybernetics of Patrick Cowley and the atonal alienation programmed into the soundtracks of Claudio Simonetti and John Carpenter. Sourcing original synths and samplers they sweat it out in the studio, striving to re-create as close to a version of the original approach to sound creation as possible. This commitment to process brings not only an authenticity to the productions, but also to their explosive live performances. As Optimo’s JD Twitch commented after seeing them live “Fuck, they sound way better than an actual club!”

The music may seem to have a humorous quality, an in-built “cheese” factor but that is not solely its intention. Den Haan are deadly serious in celebrating their musical influences. It’s camp undoubtedly, but HIGH camp. This isn’t a just a game, it’s a ridiculous reality.