Quintino

Quintino is the musical alias of Dutch EDM/progressive house producer and DJ Quinten van den Berg, whose ecstatic club anthems have become staples of dance music festivals as well as the Dutch pop charts. Ranging from big room house to trap, his tracks are always filled with euphoric melodies and hard beats, and his highly energetic DJ sets have enraptured audiences across the world. Active as a DJ since the early 2000s, he broke through near the end of the decade with his smash hit remix of Cidinho & Doca's "Rap das Armas." This was followed by further singles such as 2011's chart-topping "Epic," one of the first big room house tracks to make a major impact, as well as collaborations with EDM heavyweights such as Afrojack, Tiësto, Hardwell, and Steve Aoki. His Go Harder EP series, initiated in 2016, focused on his heavier, more trap-influenced side. Born in Den Helder, the Netherlands in 1985, Quintino began DJ'ing while a student in high school. Picking up gigs at local clubs, the 18-year-old DJ caught the attention of Laidback Luke, who soon mentored the aspiring artist. Quintino began producing tracks and remixes in 2007, as well as becoming involved with popular Dutch dance event Nope Is Dope, for which he began producing mix CDs. In 2008, Quintino produced a house remix of "Rap das Armas," Brazilian rap duo Cidinho & Doca's cover of an early-'90s funk carioca song originally performed by Júnior & Leonardo. Quintino's remix hit number one on the Dutch pop charts in early 2009, and the producer began releasing his own singles, with releases appearing on Spinnin' Records, Rodeo Media, and his own SupersoniQ label. Two collaborations with Dutch house artist Mitch Crown, "Heaven" (2009) and "You Can't Deny" (2010), both hit the Top 30 of the Dutch singles chart. Quintino collaborated with Afrojack on a few tracks in 2011, including "Selecta," which was also a hit. Quintino scored another number one hit on the Dutch charts with "Epic," a collaboration with Sandro Silva released on Tiësto's Musical Freedom label in late 2011. The follow-up single "We Gonna Rock" appeared on the same label in early 2012, while tracks appeared on Afrojack's Wall Recordings and other labels. Other charting singles included "Circuits" (with Moti, 2012), "Dynamite" (with Moti and Taylr Renee, 2013), and "Escape (Into the Sunset)" (with UNA, 2015). By 2015, Quintino's touring schedule was restless, exceeding 200 gigs a year across the globe, and DJ Mag included him in their Top 100 DJs list in both 2014 and 2015. The following year, he released the Go Harder and Go Harder, Pt. 2 EPs on Spinnin' Records, with Go Harder, Pt. 3: Do or Die appearing in 2017. Go Harder, Pt. 4: EDM's Revenge appeared in 2018, by which point Quintino had climbed into the Top 30 of DJ Mag's annual DJ poll. The Steve Aoki collaboration "Mayhem" appeared during the year, and Quintino additionally released tracks with Hardwell and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, as well as solo singles such as "How It's Done" and "Inferno." ~ Paul Simpson