Winter is coming …

The days are getting shorter, the nights are feeling colder and nature is telling us: Winter is coming. This doesn’t mean Winter season cannot be interesting too, don’t you think? In Winter time you can also go to apéros, afterworks, openings and visit other indoor/outdoor popup-initiatives. Nevertheless these various Winter events keep reminding me of last Summer and make me longing and dreaming for more.

Therefore I’m proud to present my Winter Warmers, a fine collection of mixtapes recorded live at different locations during Summer time in Belgium. These carefully selected tracks will help you living through Winter season easily. I really hope you enjoy this music as much as I do.

Now sit back, relax and turn up the volume!

A special “thank you” goes to the various promotors out there supporting my passion for music and especially to:

• Summer Josephine’s
• Skybar Antwerp
• Salito Beach
• BARàBAZ

These creative concepts and surprising locations inspired me to compose those exclusive mixtapes for you.

Quality first!

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Oxia – Domino (Dave Canto’s ‘Infansonido’ Refix)

This is my personal refix of Oxia‘s techno classic: ‘Domino’, taken from the ‘Speicher 34’ EP released in April 2006 at Kompakt Extra (Cologne). Oscillating melodic tones, a skippy high-end and a driving insistence give this atmospheric and melodic techno track an anthemic lift which works well on the dancefloor.

In 2013, Kompakt Records wanted to do something special for their 20th anniversary. They asked multi-instrumentalist and orchestral composer Gregor Schwellenbach to deconstruct 20 of the label’s signature tracks into pure classical arrangements for a hand-picked ensemble of chamber musicians. His goal was to give each cut “a new voice” while retaining “the core of the experience: the melody, the hook, the feeling” despite the vastly different presentation. On May 27th 2013, the resulting album ‘Gregor Schwellenbach Spielt 20 Jahre Kompakt’ was released. It features 20 chamber music versions arranged by Schwellenbach and played with assists from flutist Dorothee Oberlinger, guitarist Christian Buck and harpist Jane Berthe, who are all veteran classical musicians.

Schwellenbach also reworked Olivier Raymond’s ‘Domino’ which is one of Kompakt’s greatest hits. It was Wolfgang Voigt who suggested that “the bursting energy of the treble semiquavers (16th notes) might work well on strings” and he was damn right. The subtle classical addition of Schwellenbach’s chamber music ensemble takes this track to the next level. I just can’t stop listening to it. What about you?

Featured Artists:

• Olivier Raymond (Oxia)
• Gregor Schwellenbach (Ohrfilm)

Featured Tracks:

• Oxia’s ‘Domino’ (Original Mix) taken from ‘Speicher 34’ EP (2006)
• Oxia’s ‘Domino’ (Gregor Schwellenbach feat. Infansonido Version) taken from ‘Gregor Schwellenbach Spielt 20 Jahre Kompakt’ album (2013)

Featured Label:

• Kompakt Records

Listen to Oxia – Domino (Dave Canto’s ‘Infansonido’ Refix). Please comment, share & support!

I love Bar Grooves 3

When going to a stylish restaurant or a trendy bar, one of the most important elements that helps defining the overall atmosphere is the music that is playing in the background. The art is to play music that 90% of the guests won’t notice in particular, but that sets the right mood and catches the attention of the other 10% of musical connoisseurs amongst the dining or drinking guests.

This Summer I had the opportunity to play at 2 exclusive locations in Antwerpen where quality definitely comes first:

• Skybar Antwerp
• Summer Josephine’s

These live performances inspired me to compose a fine collection of tracks, carefully selected and mixed to let everyone in the place enjoy his or her moment. Whether you’re dining with your family or drinking with some friends, a pleasant atmosphere is always essential.

Special thanks go to On The Rocks and Stuart Catering for making this happen and for creating these original popup concepts in the city.

Now sit back, relax and listen to my I love Bar Grooves 3 liveset recorded at Skybar Antwerp and inspired by Summer Josephine’s. Share if you like and see you next Summer!

I love Bar Grooves 2

In september 2013 I obtained the 3rd place in a contest of The House Academy, founded by Nathaniel and Maxim Lany (both producers and deejays). They constantly focus on “Quality First” music and they are really passionate about organizing exclusive parties in the region of Kortrijk/Gent and recently also in Antwerpen. My mission was to create a high-quality mixtape composed out of carefully selected tracks that would perfectly suit in the setting of Jardin, a classy restaurant located in Knokke.

Here you can read what The House Academy blogged when they launched the “Quality First” contest on August 17, 2013:

There are 2 things we at The House Academy are extremely keen on. The first thing is, of course, quality. Whatever we do, wherever we go, we stand for quality. The second thing we really value is giving chances and opportunities to young and undiscovered talent. So we thought it would be great if we could combine both things in one action.

We’re very happy to present to you, in cooperation with one of Knokke’s finest restaurants, Jardin: The “Quality First” mixtape competition.

When going to a nice restaurant, one of the elements that is so important for the atmosphere, is the music playing in the background. The art is to find music that 90% of the guests will not notice in particular, but that will set the right atmosphere and that will catch the attention of the 10% of the musical connoisseurs amongst the dining guests.

Choosing the right music for a restaurant is a hard job. It’s a big challenge. But we’re not afraid of challenges and we are convinced many amongst you aren’t either.

Sounds like fun? Get going! Deadline is September 14, 2013. Good luck!

Maxim Lany (Lany Recordings)

Here is the positive feedback I received from The House Academy:

We finally made a decision. There were a lot of great entrances and yours was amongst the best ones. You win the ‘bronze medal’ with your set. We were really surprised by the high-quality track selection. Thanks!

KJ Vercruysse (House Grand Cru)

Special thanks go to Maxim Lany who I personally met during one of the Play & Produce editions at the Vooruit in Gent. He told me to keep on focussing on “Quality First” music to make a difference and to set an example. Thank you, Mr. Lany, to believe in my work and my passion for music.

Now sit back, relax and listen to my I love Bar Grooves 2 liveset recorded exclusively for The House Academy. Share if you like and spread the word!

Stimming – November Morning (Dave Canto’s ‘Blue Morning’ Refix)

This is my personal refix of Stimming‘s masterpiece: ‘November Morning’, taken from the ‘Window Shopping’ EP released in March 2012 at Diynamic Music (Hamburg). Blue and melancholic house chords with a typical Stimming climax: not obvious, but effective. A weird sounding pseudo-violin, organic percussions, field recordings and his whistle create a grey and moody vibe absorbing the listener.

According to Beatport, this is one of Stimming’s most emotional tracks. To intensify his blue feeling even more, I’ve injected samples from his ‘Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester’ Version, taken from the ‘November Morning’ EP released in November 2012 at 2DIY4, a sublabel of Diynamic Music. More than 60 musicians from the Brandenburg State Orchestra were involved and made this work an unique classical experience. No artificial sounds or sampler elements have been added, all you hear are pure analog sounds played by real people!

The subtle classical addition of the Brandenburg State Orchestra takes this track to the next level. I just can’t stop listening to it. What about you?

Featured Artists:

• Martin Stimming (Stimming)
• Brandenburg State Orchestra (Frankfurt)

Featured Tracks:

• Stimming’s ‘November Morning’ (Original Version) taken from ‘Window Shopping’ EP (2012)
• Stimming’s ‘November Morning’ (Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Version) taken from ‘November Morning’ EP (2012)

Featured Label:

• Diynamic Music

Listen to Stimming – November Morning (Dave Canto’s ‘Blue Morning’ Refix). Please comment, share & support!