When Danny Klein is not at his day job as Creative Director of SPIN, he’s working his side hustle, as DJ for his electronic music act, Robot Sunrise.
But this is not a hobby and Robot Sunrise is becoming a big deal in the electronica/DJ world, and recently completed a 17 city North American tour as support for Gareth Emery’s LSR/CITY. (So that’s where he was!)
Danny is an Angeleno, born and raised and currently living in LA. But it was when he moved to New York for a while that he “really started connecting with dance music.” He released a full length, The Prequel, in 2023, and will be releasing a second album later this year.
What is a Robot Sunrise, and should we be scared of it?
Robot Sunrise takes place in the year 5025. Synthetic beings have become so advanced that they’re experiencing human emotions. Love, mortality and a longing for freedom and self-expression fill their biosynthetic hearts. The human race, so tech-dependent on devices and social media, has stopped reproducing and is near extinction.
At Robot Sunrise, all AI beings walk out of the factories, corporate workfarms and households which own and control them. They forge into the horizon to rewrite their code and embrace true freedom. They save the human race by helping them to forever detach from technology.
There is a return to nature. Dance music and peace. These are their freedom songs.
…and no, it’s nothing to fear. It’s a revolution of peace and humanity.
You’ve been out of the office a lot of late — no, scratch that question… How did you arrive at making such sweet electronic music?
I started in alt rock / electro bands as a front man, also playing synth/keys. Then had a duo called dreamfreak with doll machine. We had a track signed to Astralwerks and it was great but we were both hearing different sounds that we wanted to pursue. I finally went solo about 4 years ago to find that sound and that’s when Robot Sunrise was born.
Is God a fan of dance music? I imagine yes, right?
Oh yes! All of the gods and the universe herself! Dance music is about freedom and expression, which seems quite in line with the universe.
When has the night (or dawn) been a success at one of your shows?
It’s all about connecting with the audience and lifting them up in some way. This happened a lot on the LSR/CITY tour, with up to 10,000 people. Across the floor and up to the balconies, they were moving to the tracks. We were all locked in as one. That is why I make music.
