Many DJs strive for the limelight, aiming to be famous overnight, playing the game and making compromises, but that’s never been Cattaneo’s way, “I’ve been lucky to start very small long ago, and then build step by step over the years. Of course I wanted to be successful, but not a superstar. I’m not here for that, and I’m too shy too. Music is the best way to speak.”
He is a man of few words, and even those are in broken English, but what he does say is direct and to the point, and it’s not hard to pick up the man is humble, passionate and lives to DJ.
One of the pioneers of dance music in his native country, the South American’s love affair with house music began in the 80s with the sounds coming out of Chicago and Detroit. Then in the ’90s he was swept up in the excitement of the UK acid house scene, which itself was influenced by the Balearic sound coming out of Ibiza.
Cattaneo had become a regular fixture in Buenos Aires, with a residency at the legendary Clubland, where he honed his skills and developed his own unique style. His natural talent for weaving magical sets was noticed by some of the UK’s finest exponents of the new progressive house sound on their early tours of South America, among them were the likes of Sasha, Digweed, Nick Warren and notably Paul Oakenfold, who signed him to his Perfecto label and was instrumental in taking Cattaneo from Buenos Aires onto the world stage.
After many years based in the UK and then Barcelona, being resident DJ at Cream in Liverpool and Ibiza, he started touring all over the world, and never looked back. Now into the third decade of his career, he has moved back to Argentina, where he’s currently on holiday in Ushuaia, the very tip of South America. “I try to take a week off every month to spend with my family. They are all skiing today, but I can’t ‘cause I have a bad back at the moment.”
A DJ of his stature could rest on his laurels, but he still makes a point of incessantly touring the globe, which is how he built his name – bringing the music to the people – always impressing with his expertly crafted, emotional sets of deep, lush, melodic house, classic progressive and tribal techno. He plays from the heart, and continues to scour the far flung corners of the globe for unique new music that sets him apart from his contemporaries.
“I love going to all the continents, sharing music and giving people a good time. I like producing too, but DJing is my main passion. There are other ways of delivering music, like podcasts for example, but the live thing is by far the best for me. I’ve never followed trends. No one will respect you if you change styles every two years. Music personality is crucial. I listen to as much as I can. You can find cool melodies in many places.”
The Melbourne-based Balance label’s mix series has risen to become one of the world’s premier, and while Cattaneo has long been part of the esteemed Renaissance roster, releasing several editions of the elite Masters Series and his own Sequential series, he felt it was time to make a change. “I always hoped I would get to do one for Balance and then luckily I got the call. I really like the people behind it, and the DJs they choose.”
On his upcoming installment he’s crafted something special, CD1 being quite different to anything we’ve heard from Cattaneo, with a really interesting, diverse and downtempo vibe. “CD1 is pure melody and atmosphere, whereas CD2 is the club sound one. Maybe the music is not that different, but the mood is.”
He’s also included a swag of unreleased material off his Sudbeats label. “More than half the tracks are exclusives for the album that I’ve reworked with producers like Guy Mantzur and Soundexile. They are musicians and I’m the DJ, bringing the main ideas. We all have input and go back and forth until the tracks make everyone happy.”
Cattaneo has been a regular visitor to our shores for many years and feels there is plenty of talent here, “I’ve always been a fan of Jamie Stevens, the main man in Australia for me. We’ve released Rich Curtis’ stuff on Sudbeat, and Progress Inn are really good too. DJ-wise, newcomer Kavina Kumar also sent me some really cool, deep mixes. I really enjoyed the Australian crowds on my first visit about 10 years ago, and since then I’ve been coming back every year or so. People like what I play and the way I play too. I think that good Australian DJs and producers helped a lot to shape the scene. My tour last year was off the hook, so really looking forward to another dose.”
BY ALFRED GORMAN
