Nuno dos Santos (NL)

For some artists you will know exactly what sounds to expect when they play, but when you hear Nuno dos Santos begin one of his marathon sets you’ll never know if it’s going to be a hypnotic techno journey broken up with African percussion intermezzo’s or a vibey electro set containing lofi soundscapes fuelled by italo arps. You will only notice the transition due to the fact that an involving story is starting to take place and it will fit whatever glove the night is wearing. Nuno dos Santos is a Dutch/Portuguese dj, music producer behind underground hits like ‘Proza’ and head honcho of his rising record label Something Happening Somewhere. Born in 1976 in Lisboa but growing up in The Netherlands, Nuno was influenced mainly by electronic music from an early age on and was selected to participate in the acclaimed Red Bull Music Academy in Dublin in 2000. Having outlined his own interpretation of electronic music, exemplified by his Trigonometry of Love EP, remixes for Christian Löffler and Hunter/Game (Kompakt) and his acclaimed album ‘After Dark, My Sweet’ (Compost) together with TJ Kong, saw Nuno rise to prominence and in the last few years established more firmly by the success of SoHaSo. Both his Trigonometry of Love EP and the later that year released remix treatment received great support in 2017. Whether it’s running his own label, producing music or DJing, you can feel that Nuno is utterly in love with what he does. This love translates into an almost obsessive curiosity for fresh music. Since his first release more than ten years ago, Nuno dos Santos’ profile is constantly progressing, seeing him as an in demand selector and having residencies at legendary clubs like Trouw and its predecessor Club 11. Nuno’s ability to melt together seemingly contrasting genres and his unforeseeable selection, without giving in to trends, are how his unique sense of musical storytelling have developed and bloomed over the years. Being the curator of Something Happening Somewhere, the label has a strong independent musical voice, releasing music by likeminded artists as Love over Entropy, Kiani & his Legion, Kurt Baggaley, King Britt and Polynation and remixes by Fatima Yamaha, Mattheis and Dixon. With a strong hallmark on quality control, the label releases only a few carefully handpicked records each year. Wrapped in their unique artwork cover, which serve just as well as paintings on your living room wall, they all feature their own little world to get lost in. International label showcases around Europe and beyond (Beirut, New York, London) further enforce the vitality of the label and proof of Nuno’s abilities as an important key figure in modern dance music.