Photo: David Dann
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — Today, legendary music curator, founder of Mind of a Genius Records, and prodigal producer David Dann emerged from self-imposed isolation in the studio with his first new music in seven years. Following back to back Grammy-nominated projects under Zhu for ‘Faded’ and Gallant for the album ‘Ology’, the self-produced track is the latest zig in a road of zags that make up a 15-year career tradition of perking ears and rubbering necks. From label boss, to music curator, to music producer, and more, Dann effortlessly wears multiple hats. Over the last five years he has been featured in Resident Advisor, Complex, Hypebeast and more. Billboard has honored Dann as well, including a coveted 5 On The Rise feature in their prestigious 40 Under 40 list.
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Simultaneously a swan song for the COVID age and a triumphant return to those who have known Dann the longest in his career, the track represents a return to his roots indicative of his affinity for live performance back in bloom. Unbeknownst to many, to Dann, it’s one of his oldest and most loved pastimes. In fact, if not for all those early experiences behind the decks, he likely wouldn’t have the discerning ear that continued serving him well after high school when he went on to break music titans like Zhu, Gallant and THEY.
Dann’s studio rebirth was instigated at his birthday party in August of 2019 at Sound Nightclub, when a friend asked him to DJ. It was a seldom seen occurrence both for fans and friends, and it turned out to be the spark that put the fire back into his music-driven soul.
Of his return to the decks and the studio, Dann said:
“This was something that I forgot I even had in me. Performing live brought so much joy not only for myself, but for so many people around me. It was something that I had put to the side for so long, but recently had felt like something was missing in my personal expression. After that show at Sound, I rediscovered that love of performing, and that really reinvigorated me to give a serious solo project a shot.”
Photo: David Dann
On the horizon, more new music appears to be on the way. Dann is slated to release a series of similarly introspective, yet euphoric electronic music tracks suited for home listening and club nights alike.
“This one has a bittersweet tone to it,” Dann said of the song. “This song felt like it was the perfect track to relaunch my artist project. So the second we were done with the track, we were immediately excited to share it with the world. We have an incredibly visceral and cinematic music video to follow, which I think fans will find gripping like a classic action movie, but with vulnerable moments to match the song’s ethos.
“You & Me” feat. NICOLAS combines French vocalist NICOLAS’ innate stylings with Dann’s iron-forged creative acumen for a timeless, blissed out track that bridges the ecstasy of romantic longing with lavish celebration. Dann’s chilled tempo and casual nostalgia pours like a waterfall of emotion from behind the dreamy vocals. Both fresh and familiar, it’s the ideal way for David Dann’s fans to draw on the bottomless well of his creative ingenuity to push through the mire of their own pandemic instigated loneliness.
For NICOLAS, the track was also an important step both in his own journey growing up and in his evolution as an artist.
“This song is really personal,” he explained. “I wanted it to be as honest as possible and reflect my headspace at the time, moving on from a past relationship that I kept holding on to. It’s about how the way you see someone can change as your life goes on. A relationship might feel right at some point in your life and as you experience new things like moving out, living somewhere new, meeting new people – it just doesn’t work anymore. However I still couldn’t stop looking back at it, even though I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do.”
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Written by: Graham Berry
