Salvatore Ganacci

There is little denying that Swedish dance culture and an affliction for dance hall have seldom gone hand-in-hand to the untrained eye. Stockholm’s Salvatore Ganacci has proven a rare exception to this notion, garnering the support of Major Lazer and Skrillex alike amid his mission to bottle the remedy to a genre playing it too safe by the standards of this experimental big room contender. Entering 2014 with an esteemed hit under his belt and an arsenal of buzz-worthy material, the raw energy and premium production values of this live dance evangelist look sure to take center stage in the name of something reassuringly different from the European circuit.

Though earlier indicators suggested Salvatore’s future lay on the soccer pitch, a career ending injury would seemingly push the Bosnian-born artist towards the full-fledged musical career we see today. Be it early pop up night clubs, the commandeering of sound systems across Stockholm or his own earlier DJ sets, Salvatore seamlessly embodied the industry with a can-do attitude and unwavering enthusiasm for the craft.

With a distinctly urban background and a well-versed knowledge of heyday dance hall, reggae and Caribbean culture, Salvatore’s initial musical leanings made for a less-than regular mark on the Scandinavian circuit. Testing the waters with early triumphs for Cr2 Records and Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak imprint, that unusual void in the popular big room sound scope quickly became an unmissable breakthrough opportunity.

In 2014, all signs pointed to a full-circle of realization for the fast ascending talent. With live opportunities flocking in and the notable success of “Stagecoach” for Megaton Records, one of Salvatore’s most definitive studio moments lay just around the corner. Aligned with Major Lazer’s Jillionaire, “Fresh” embodies that coming of age energy now seldom present when Salvatore strikes a note. A calling card onto the BBC airwaves and the support of dance heavyweights and newfound fans alike, “Fresh” set a precedent for Salvatore’s productions that left tastemakers and clubbers alike on the edge of their seats on the approach to the summer season. Still found producing for the greats of Scandinavia’s urban circuit to the testament of P3-Guld nominations, an upping of pace is yet to knock the talented producer from his perch as one of the nation’s most accomplished talents.

Now focusing on the follow-up to this sought after anthem and building a brand around his seamless ability to deliver the upfront energy of his studio productions in a coherent live experience, 2014 is all about breaking down the comfort zones created by EDM on the modern market. With the collaborations and background production duties rolling in from a suitable caliber of industry heavyweights, Salvatore Ganacci remains living proof of dance music’s unprecedented leaps and bounds – just not by the same tired route.