‘Tiësto is one of my biggest inspirations’

One of Europe’s biggest names in the EDM industry Quintino was recently in the Capital, getting the groove on at Pangaea. Discovered by Laidback Luke when he was18, Quintino wasted no time marking his territory. 

In 2011, he decided to join forces with Sandro Silva and continued his ascent into the Dutch Dance Music elite with the release of  Epic on Tiësto’s Musical Freedom label. We caught up with the guy for a quick chat. Read on...

Tell us about you. How did you start off?

I always had an inclination towards music, not just listening but composing my own stuff. 

My first step in to this industry was when I met Laidback Luke at a party, where I was supposed to DJ after him. He stayed during my entire set and just seeing him watch made me nervous. 

After my set he came to me and told me he really liked my music and had a great time. He told me to stay in 

contact, and that’s how it all started. That’s still one of my best days in my life.

What was the first big break for you?

A life-changing break came in 2009 when I released a remix of Cidinho and Doca’s Rap Das Armas, which became a worldwide summer anthem and notched over 10 million YouTube views. There was just no looking back now. 

How would you define your musical philosophy?  

I make music which I like and that resulted in a certain style in my live sets which you call the Quintino sound. 

Each music genre has its own charm, for me its electro/progressive house. But I don’t like to be labelled to a specific music genre, as I said before I play music which I like, so sometimes I play various kind of music genre during my live sets. 

I never have a preset for my shows. I know which tracks I've got and look at the audience, based on their response I decide which track I play and when. Every show is different; I’d like to believe that's what makes my work so unconventional. 

How easy (or difficult) is it to make a mark in the music scene? What do you think the main issues are?

There are so many talented people around the world and everybody wants their music to be heard and appreciated, so you have to be unique, that is definitely a prerequisite! 

However, the biggest challenge we, as music producers face is to move beyond the circle we have connected with, and make sure our music spreads globally.

The biggest change in the DJ scene from now and when I started as a DJ is the popularity of DJs and how people look at them. 

10 years ago a DJ would be at a party to support a rock band or pop stars. These days the DJ is the headliner and it’s all about his or her music.  

What/Who inspires you?

One of my biggest inspirations is Tiësto. 

When I saw him playing at the Olympic Games in 2004, I was so impressed. Last year one of my dreams actually came true and I did several gigs with Tiësto on his college tour in the United Stated. That was really amazing!

Are you familiar with Bollywood music? If yes - would you ever work on a remix in that genre? 

I don’t know much about 

Bollywood, but I look forward to hearing to some great tracks during my stay in India.