Noel Sanger

Noel Sanger built a discography of nearly 150 released productions appearing on more than 30 record labels in over a dozen countries. Although he remained relatively undiscovered by the image-obsessed media hype machine, his substantial contributions to club culture and the US rave scene were acknowledged repeatedly by the industry’s elite, helping to earn him a reputation which placed him among the world’s finest DJ’s, producers and remixers. His five nationally (US) released DJ mixes all met with enthusiastic critical acclaim, and one of them, Summerbreeze 2, was widely regarded as one of the best mix comps of 2002 and 2003. He remixed tracks from artists such as Delerium, DJ Hyper, BT, and Jan Johnston, and his works appeared on top labels like Perfecto, Nettwerk, Acetate Ltd., Musicnow, Release, Limbo, Additive and Sunkissed. From Santo Domingo to Vancouver, Guadalajara to Ottawa, he criss-crossed the continent time and again, bringing his style of forward-thinking dance music to some of the world’s best clubs. From 2001 he toured with Holland’s DJ Tiësto several times, including the Sony PlayStation 2 Dual Play Tour through 14 American cities, and his first intercontinental touring began in the summer of 2003 in Japan before spreading to South America that fall.

His modest musical beginnings laid the groundwork for the steady consistency which characterized his career. At age eight he wrote his first songs; at age 13 he picked up his first guitar; in high school he studied music theory, along with jazz and classical music. He played in various bands throughout these years until, in 1990, he was converted to the electronic religion of house and techno while working as a radio presenter at a Naples, FL dance music radio station. From there he began DJ'ing and producing, building a small but devoted following for underground music in the tourist town which he called home. By late 1994 he felt it was time to move on, and set up shop in nearby Miami. Immediately he began doing guest spots in South Florida's best venues, and in less than two years had played at such notable spaces as The Edge, Groove Jet, Warsaw, Bash, Amnesia, as well as innumerable one-offs and raves. By day he worked for the well known house label E-sa records, playing a crucial role in launching their successful OX imprint. When, in mid-1996, studio demands became too heavy to continue with the label, he devoted himself to producing, DJ'ing, and songwriting full time.

In 1997 he teamed up with vocalist Nicole Henry, who had been featured on a number of his internationally licensed productions, to create a live PA which many felt helped raise the bar for live electronic music in the American rave scene. The electrifying performances, which featured Noel’s emotive guitar, live keyboards and percussion paired with Nicole’s soulful vocals, took them throughout the US for over two years and nearly one hundred shows. It culminated in a headline spot on the 20 city 1999 ESDJCO North American tour. Shortly thereafter, the Sanger live PA was shelved in order to focus more attention on his DJ’ing, which in turn led to a series of three mix comps in less than one year, which, taken together, sold nearly 100,000 copies. It was during this time that he was approached by Nettwerk Management (Sarah McLachlan, Coldplay, Avril Lavigne, Sum 41, etc.) to be only the second DJ signed to their DJ management roster, after Tiësto.

At the height of that run his music drew attention from across the scene, with some, like Bedrock’s Jonathan Lisle, calling him “one of the top three in the world right now”. Even as his touring, production and remix commitments intensified, he kept a schedule like no other. He was a dedicated father of two small boys, and an instructor at the acclaimed Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts in Orlando, FL. He also worked on a live band and electronic rock oriented project fronted by himself and his frequent collaborator and wife, Dauby. After three years with Nettwerk Management, Noel departed amicably for the newly established Gravity Artist Management in Los Angeles. “A smaller company can provide a higher degree of personal focus, of hands-on management” he said of the move. “I feel honored to have been with a company like Nettwerk, and I look forward to maintaining the personal and professional relationships these three years have fostered.”

For Hunya Munya Records, Sanger delivered the “Peace On Earth Mix” of D Bajema’s Twilight, which anchored the flip of HMR001 in 2003 and opened the label’s vinyl catalog.