DAVE Part One is over. Finally time to continue our podcast series. So let’s welcome Gabriele Congedo onto the stage. The Italian, who has been going to clubs since his teenage years in the early 90s, now lives in Dresden, from where he sends his version of House music out into the world. Among other things, he is the co-founder and co-owner of the independent label Misty Cuts Records, whose goal is to promote emerging artists and start new musical collaborations. But also as a DJ and producer, he has condensed many years of club culture experience in various countries into his sets and tracks. How all of this came about, he reveals in the interview. It’s in English, but we think you’ll manage.

https://soundcloud.com/iamgabrielecongedo
https://www.instagram.com/iamgabrielecongedo/

Hey, can you briefly introduce yourself?

Hi, I’m Gabriele, I’m 44 years old and I come from Italy. I have been a DJ for more than 30 years, and I am also a producer, a musician and a label owner. I have produced more than 40 releases on international record labels and I have performed in different Countries in Europe during all these years, going through different concepts and styles of music. My main genres are Deep House, Garage, Minimal/Deep Tech and Tech House. I live and work in Dresden since 2017.

You’ve just released an EP? Can you tell us a bit about how it came about?

Everytime I produce, the creative flow is different. Sometimes it all starts with a good groove, sometimes with a bassline, sometimes with nice vocals or with some notes of a synth. In the case of my last EP „My Desire“ made with my colleague Mauro Novani, it all started with the saxophone and the vocals, and then we decided to develop two versions of the track, each one according to our personal style.

What did you have in mind for the mix here?

I wanted to create a Balearic flow, something that makes the listener feel like being on a beach at sunset, holding a cocktail in hand 🙂 I have played Deep House tracks with soft and warm sounds, pianos, rhodes, organs, saxophone and relaxing atmospheres. I have included some evergreen House tracks from years ago, some splendid productions from friends and colleagues, and also a couple of my productions 😉

How would you describe your style of DJing?

Pretty much old-school 🙂 I don’t use special tricks, but rather focus on the track selection and on creating good and smooth transitions between the tracks, of course while always trying to connect with the crowd.

How did you get into DJing?

I was 13 years old and I was at a birthday party. I saw this guy with two turntables and a mixer, playing vinyls, and I fell in love with the concept. Then I spoke to my parents, who bought my first DJ equipment, and I started chasing this big passion.

How do you get new music?

Mainly through Traxsource and Bandcamp, but also by following underground producers and record labels on social media; a big part of getting new music comes also from the promos that I receive from artists and labels with whom I collaborate.

Are you part of a crew and what do you put on? How important is working in a collective for you?

Unfortunately I haven’t found yet a crew here in Dresden, and I hope that I could find one in the future. I love being part of a group, the sense of commitment, bringing up new ideas, my energy, my enthusiasm and my creativity, and in general working as a team. At the moment my little personal crew is the team of my new Record Label (Misty Cuts Records), a team made by myself and Tuby Rubber, DJ and Producer from Italy. We hope to be present at the Label Market at DAVE 2024 to connect with the local scene:)

Where do you prefer to go out in Dresden and why?

Mainly Neustadt and Industriegelände, I like the positive energy and the atmosphere.

How do you rate the Dresden club scene in general?

I love the movement and the club scene in town. There is a lot of energy and I can see that people in the club scene make a lot of efforts to bring up new concepts and to build projects. It’s very nice.

Is Dresden a good place to develop musically or would you like more support?

In my personal experience, I had some trouble connecting with people in the music scenes and to be included in a crew or in some music related projects. Maybe because I was new in town, maybe because I didn’t know exactly where to search, I don’t know. Definitely more support would be more than welcome 🙂

Which of Dresden’s talents do you appreciate?

I was impressed by the career made by Purple Disco Machine, that was massive and well deserved. At a more local level, I really appreciate Spunky, who is also a friend. His taste and knowledge of Music and also his skills impressed me 🙂

What makes a good DJ for you?

A person who develops their own style of music by spending hours listening and researching, and who plays the music that he/she likes, and not what people want to listen to, or not the music genre that is more trendy at the moment. A DJ is a musical researcher first of all, a person who brings on the DJ booth something unique, and of course, not less important, a kind of „ceremony master“, who establishes a connection with the crowd, and selects the music by giving and receiving continuous feedback. So, what makes a good DJ is musical research and crowd reading (this is my opinion)

Last words?

Music is the answer. Music must unite people, not divide them. Always.

Tracklist

Basement Jaxx – Paradise (Original Mix)
Don Carlos – Alone (Sax Ambient)
Riviera Traxx – You Better Believe (Original Mix)
Flavio Vecchi & Petr Kharma – Magic Dunes (Original)
Andrea Sardo – Sicily Sunset (Original Mix)
Gabriele Congedo, Mauro Ghess – The Sunset Orchestra (Original Mix)
Raffaele Ciavolino – Magic Sunset (Original Mix)
Nuyorican Soul – The Nervous Track (Runaway Gets Nervous Mix)
Key Tronics Ensemble – Calypso Of House (Ivan Iacobucci Remix)
Maoree – Jolly (Original Mix)
Gabriele Congedo – Last Summer (Original Mix)

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