- World
- Soul
- Music
DAO songs owe their unique sparkle to their opulent arrangements and finely-crafted instrumentals. Electronic beats and live instruments are used with equal care, and the resulting music is definitely up there with established acts like the Dissidenten, Trans-Global Underground or Nitin Sahwney.
Chinmayo and Nani record most instruments and vocals themselves, with an eclectic cast of guest musicians providing a constant stream of ideas and inspiration. On the credits: the well-known Indian singer L. Mema, the north-Indian flute player B. Rajkumar, German jazz musicians R. Lochmann and A. Bayer, and many more besides.
DAO now operates a second studio in India, where they record some of their songs and mantras live with Asian musicians. All material is then arranged, edited and mastered at their Europe studio.
Background:
Nani T. and Chinmayo are experienced musicians who started working together in the late 'eighties. With the advent of the new millennium, they chose the name that truly says it all: DAO. The ancient Chinese poet Lao Tze used this word in a spiritual and philosophical context to mean 'the path', but also the 'ten thousand things' that represent nothing less than the origin of the world. For Nani T. and Chinmayo, DAO is also an acronym for their musical motto:
| Digital | Total freedom in the use of electronic sounds and loops |
| Authentic | High-quality live instruments and vocals |
| Original | Meaningful lyrics, rich and fascinating melodies and structures |
As the driving force behind DAO, Nani T. and Chinmayo look after most of the songwriting and producing. But to achieve this level of musical diversity, where soaring beats and opulent arrangements abound, it takes more than just two people with a notebook and a stack of CD samples. That's why live instruments and vocals play such a large part in all DAO tracks, where they mingle amiably with underlying, pulsating grooves from the spheres of jazz, funk, pop and world music. The whole affair is draped in a subtle esoteric veil that grows naturally from the musical abilities and everyday spirituality of its creators. In a nutshell, what we have here are 'grooves with content'.