Durante

"It's easy enough to say that I don't really think I'd be in the same position as I am today without the SUBPAC."

To crack Kevin Durante’s code, authenticity is the key. A 23-year-old Italian-born, Florida-bred, LA-based artist forever in pursuit of realness: Everything he writes, designs, learns, cooks, explores is another footnote in his endless quest for genuineness in every aspect of his life.

His timeless, soul-spirited house music is proof. Groove constructions where every element is deeply considered, nothing is left to spare and everything has its place. Just like his father’s traditional Italian cooking, which he cites as one of his biggest influences: the fullest flavours don’t come from over-cooked complexities, they come from timing and attention to the most miniscule details.

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His own details speak volumes, too: playing the piano since aged six and a passionate student of all forms of electronica since his teens (he co-signs everyone from New Order to Frankie Knuckles to Tiefschwarz to Kerri Chandler as influences), Durante studied production and house music dynamics for years before delivering his debut release. Making the 2,500 mile leap from Fort Myers to LA in 2014, he worked within the industry as a product manager/creative engineer at Skrillex’s OWSLA imprint (including the design of Jack U’s Grammy-winning eponymous album) and watched the industry from the inside before making his own debut move…

That move happened in September 2014 on NEST HQ. Durante’s life changed in an instant. Embraced by key tastemaker curator brand TheSoundYouNeed and recognised as an exciting prospect in house music’s next generation, ‘Slow Burn’ amassed millions of views in a matter of months, as did its predecessor ‘Full Moon’ five months later. Both tracks swiftly secured Durante as one of TheSoundYouNeed’s most popular artists. He’s since honed his polished sexy-but-solid selector signature at some of their most illustrious sell-out shows from Paris to LA and this summer he’ll be headlining the brand’s first ever stand-alone festival in Malta and joining the brand on an exciting new adventure: TheSoundYouNeed will also releasing his ‘Goddess’ EP in June 2016. A first for both Durante (his discography is only two originals and four remixes deep to date) and TheSoundYouNeed themselves: it’s the debut single release on their own label.

Both ‘Goddess’ and ‘Cold’ showcase where Durante is at right now, creatively, spiritually and technically. Both organic compositions created through social interactions and connections with friends and peers such as Tuff Ghosts and former Hundred Waters member Paul Giese, both tracks were founded through chance encounters, impromptu moments recorded spontaneously, cinematic stories inside Durante’s head and a strong homage to femininity brought together by his velvet-touched production technique. Persistent, dynamic, rolling and gilded in soul, they’re the type of tracks that could work anywhere from late night Panoramabar to sunset at Sea Dance and compound the young artist’s skills-so-far into a future promise.

Capturing the moment where hype is translated into reality, ‘Goddess’ has been a long time coming but is yet another sign of Durante’s refusal to wildly leap without consideration to detail. A brand new chapter in Durante’s never-ending desire for realness and authenticity, the quest continues…

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