Rui Da Silva
Producer, DJ, record label boss, musical innovator.
Rui Da Silva is an electronic music producer. He runs
Kismet Records, his own, successful, independent music
label. He DJs all over the world.
Rui has been involved in music since he was a kid and
in the music business since he set up the Kaos label
in Portugal in the early 90s.
Rui recorded for the label, turning his love of
partying into club hits with Underground Sound Of
Lisbon.
In 1999 he moved to London in a search for new
challenges. He set up Kismet Records and started
recording under his own name.
In 2001 his music leapt from club to radio when his
song Touch Me became an international number one
single.
Today he continues to produce club tracks and
experimental electronic music always, as he puts it,
“trying to change the sound and evolve”.
Kismet is still going strong in the digital age with a
mission to “help new upcoming talent to break into the
electronic music scene”.
Rui’s formative years, growing up in Portugal, were
spent listening to music and one-deck DJing at
parties. Early influences included Tones On Tail,
Talking Heads, Kraftwerk and Brian Eno. “But when I
was 16 or 17 I realised that DJing wasn’t as cool as Producing so for the next few years i focused on making beats”
After that he started playing bass in a band.
“That was frustrating as I was the only one into
turning up for the rehearsals.”
Then, the revelatory experience, he started listening
to early house from the US and the UK.
“I decided to sell the bass and amp and buy a Roland
909 (drum machine) and a akai S950 (Sampler) and start creating music. I liked
the way it was all about the music and nothing about
image.”
From there it was only a small step to becoming a
producer, party animal, and label boss.
And the future? More production of course.
“If I don’t do music I feel agitated.”
And more new ideas.
“Trying to learn a little bit more. Making music is
like cooking, you must plan it, and you need to source
the right ingredients. But if you cook all the time
you can start experimenting. The best part of the
creative process comes from mistakes but to make a
track you must also be organised, it’s the pull
between these two poles that makes a great song.”
And plenty of quality releases on Kismet.
“After so many years in the business I’m in a position
to help people and develop new talent.”
Rui Da Silva, at once professor and student, mentor
and pupil, learning, evolving, drawing on his
experience while surfing the edge of new sounds.
5 Key Rui Da Silva tunes
1 Rui Da Silva - Touch Me
2 Underground Sound Of Lisbon - So Get Up
3 Rui Da Silva - Pacman
4 Rui Da Silva - Fire/Earth
5 Coco Da Silva - Saudade