Image credit: Lisa Van Dam (@bylisavdam)
There is nothing shy about Dante Klein or the liberal dash of heat that he adds to his flavoursome blend of house music. What’s on the menu today, you ask? Dante has recently released a flaming hot single titled ‘La Music’ under his newly established independent record label Garden Party Records. The record is only the starter, but just you wait for the main course. Dante is about to serve up a year of good music! We thought we’d give you something to read while you wait for the track to cool down. Check out our interview with Dante Klein below:
Stream / Download: ‘La Musica’
Your latest single, ‘La Musica’, has a definite Latin influence. Who or what inspired the sounds that you chose?
The inspiration came straight from the clubs in Amsterdam. For me, it’s always important to make sure that I can get the girls on the dance floor. Latin-influenced tracks are hot at the moment. Add a little Tech House groove and you can be sure the girls will go wild. The guys will always follow. With that in mind, I started to work on La Musica. I felt so inspired working on that sound that I got a few others lined up as well.
If you were going to film a music video for the record, what would it look like?
Picture the nightlife in Miami during the Miami Music Week, girls in the car rushing to get to dinner with friends. Eating, drinking, and partying until it’s time to head out to the club. Once they arrive they dance all night and do too many shots. Once the track is almost done you see them waking up the next morning with a hangover, their night full of musica, and fun is a wrap.
What’s your “secret sauce?” What makes your sound stand out?
Following my gut feeling! Just always on the hunt for that sparkle in my tracks. Something special that is catchy and interesting to listen to. The same applies to my DJ sets. I’m always looking for the right tracks and combinations to get people on the dancefloor and blow their minds. I definitely don’t want to be an average DJ that spins a few tracks and leaves for the next gig. I’m always aiming to give the crowd the best time of their lives.
Define a successful day in your eyes.
A successful day in my eyes is one where I have to play at a big festival or club. It all starts with a good workout in the morning. After that, I’m doing some calls or online meetings and then having lunch with friends and/or the promoter of the club/festival. Later on, I’m having my siësta in the swimming pool on a pool float and after this well-needed rest I’m going back to my room to prepare my set for a few hours and exporting everything on my USB sticks. Meanwhile, I’m getting myself ready in the bathroom.
Once it’s showtime, I’m already hyped up because of all the adrenaline from being on stage.
After the show, I want to see a big smile on everybody’s faces. The crowd happy, my team happy, the promotor happy, I’m happy…
I guess I can call this a successful day
What made you decide to pursue a musical career?
While sitting in the car with my dad this song from Tiesto – ‘Elements Of Life’ was playing on the radio. We didn’t know what hit us and we went crazy for 8 minutes straight. From that moment on I knew I wanted to do something with music.
What would you be doing as a career if you never pursued music?
I have a degree in accounting but never liked it anyway. If I wasn’t a DJ, I’d probably do something in sales. I’m not so sure in what business though, but surely something in sales
Pros and cons of the industry from your perspective?
Pros are that you’re able to give and make people happy, visit a lot of places where you’ve never been before, and in return for what you do you get so much positive energy back. Doing what you love to do and making a living out of that is simply a blessing. Cons are that you always have a lack of sleep and that you have to ‘work’ during important moments during the year like Christmas, New Year’s Eve, birthdays, etc.
What were some of the most influential albums on your creative outlook and output:
Tiesto’s album Elements Of Life from 2009. That’s where it all started for me. The song ‘Elements Of Life’ itself really inspired me back in the day. I heard that song on the radio and knew I wanted to do something with music. My father bought me the smallest DJ set you could possibly think of and 12 years later we are here. I’m from a generation that is actually more into singles than albums, to be honest.
What key pieces of gear/software do you use to define your sound?
DAW: Ableton Live
Favourite synths: Serum, Arturia collection, Omnisphere, Nexus
Effect plugins: Ableton effects, Fabfilter, Melda, Softube, UAD
How do you prepare yourself mentally for performing or/and studio sessions?
For important shows, I always hype myself up minutes before showtime. Think about doing some push-ups, being really active, and even screaming a few times with some positive words. It really makes me wanna go, get the right energy on stage, and make sure I can deliver. This is really a tip for everyone that is a little nervous or scared to do something. Just get out of your comfort zone and hype yourself up. I like it to go crazy a few minutes before showtime. Everybody around me thinks I’m going nuts, but if I’m able to do that I can handle everything.
How has music production changed your outlook on life?
I am not sure if it really changed my outlook on (my) life but it made it more clear for sure.. Always look on the bright side of life!
Tell us about your upcoming releases or projects
‘La Musica’ is my first single on my brand new record label ‘Garden Party Records’. I’m working hard in the studio to make sure that I can release new music almost monthly from now on. What you can expect is club-oriented music, it’s all House/ Tech House with lots of grooves and catchy hooks. I can’t wait for the world to hear what I’ve been working on for the last couple of months.
Follow Dante Klein:
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify – TikTok
