It’s almost obscene how fast musical trends - especially within that ever expanding clubland bubble - come and go these days, isn’t it? It’s so easy to jump on the next bandwagon, to produce some formulaic tracks and find yourself playing the prime time slot in front of a raving crowd that either doesn’t know any better or is simply not too interested in any kind of deviation from nowadays standards.

And then there’s guys like Kerri Chandler: being an ambassador of the 4/4 beat since the very beginning of his career in the early 90s, he always stayed true to his original vision as his impressive discography easily proves. He’s the one who injected some much welcome soul and warmth (and a heavy kick drum) into house music, which basically became the blueprint for deep house years later. Lately, he teamed up with the creative minds behind Berlin’s celebrated club Watergate for the latest entry in their successful compilation series, for which he combined something old, something new and some exclusives for a mix that’s destined to cause enthusiastic reaction from the dancefloor and beyond.

Kerri, you’re an integral part of the house music community since 20 years already, and you obviously saw a million trends come and go by now. These days, house is more popular than ever... would you say that because of this it seems to be way more generic than ever as well? I would say that everything comes full circle. Every generation brings something new - their own personality - into what they do. There are a lot of people who come into it for the right reasons and with the best of intentions. I can also say that a lot of people come into it for the wrong reasons.

When you started your career, New York certainly was one of the hot spots for club music... even though maybe even back then it was a bit over-romanticized through its Levan/Siano/Knuckles legacy to a certain degree already. How would you position its musical impact today... is there still a sense of community around these days? We have all known each other for years. We respect each other and help each other the way we always have. 

Maybe I’m wrong about this, but it seems as if you’ve slightly shifted your focus from the US to Europe lately... what’s the reason for that? I play both... there’s just not as many clubs as there are in Europe for our style of music. But when I am in The States - it’s amazing! It's incredible! It's like playing for my friends in my living room.

I was wondering what actually triggered your love for house music... is there anything like a particular key moment you remember? I come from a musical family - jazz singers, musicians. My father was a DJ. I grew up listening to all types of music. I took piano lessons, played upright bass with the Count Basie Band when I was 11. I just have a love for good music.

Since you’re raised in a very musical family... did you ever have a long back to back session with your dad behind the turntables? I was playing in the club with my dad when I was 13 - too young to actually be in the club. I was so short they had me stand on a crate to reach the turntables. We do marathon sessions all the time - my dad, my uncle, cousins - we're all a family of DJs. 

How did you get involved with the Watergate crew for their compilation series? After being in the game for such a long time already, how challenging is it for you to do a mix people will remember? The Watergate guys are like family - they respect what I do. I have a certain freedom with them and they let me go with it. I've been with them for a while now, and we all thought the timing was right for the Watergate compilation album. As for doing a mix that people will remember... well, I just do what I love and I hope that people will remember it that way. The songs that I picked are both new and old. These songs feel timeless to me. I never pick from someone's trend.

What’s next for Mr. Chandler... what are the cards holding for you for the rest of the year? I have a few projects that I'm working on... albums, remixes, touring, lots of surprises. I'm also bringing a lot more live elements into what I'm doing. 

Watergate 15 mixed by Kerri Chandler is out now on Watergate Records.