SQ: Can you describe what it means to be a 'musicologist,' and how your expertise contributes to curating the music experience at Silversquare?
Dan: My role as a 'musicologist' is to guide my clients when it comes to music. This can involve defining a musical identity that reflects a brand's DNA, curating the perfect playlist for a hotel lobby or a restaurant, or choosing THE ultimate soundtrack for a commercial. My role is to translate my client's concept, vision, and values into music.
For Silversquare, I am responsible for the musical selection in the lobbies and for curating the playlists available on their Spotify account. Each playlist serves a specific purpose, from boosting productivity while working to setting the perfect atmosphere for an after-work gathering.
SQ: Every great cocktail recipe has a secret ingredient. In curating the music for Silversquare, what's your secret ingredient that adds that special touch to the overall ambiance?
Dan: I don't believe in secret ingredients. What makes a great dish is the understanding a chef has when reading the ingredients list. The big difference lies in his way of combining these products to deliver the most tasteful and personal interpretation of the recipe. This is exactly the path I follow when creating a musical identity.
SQ: If Silversquare itself were a song, which one do you think it would be, and why?
Dan: "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk. The lyrics, 'Work it harder, make it better, Do it faster, makes us stronger, More than ever, hour after hour, Work is never over,' clearly reflect the entrepreneurial state of mind, and it's a banger!
SQ: Since you're at Silversquare Bailli, if this specific location had its own theme song, which track do you believe would capture the spirit of SQ Bailli
Dan: The first thing I felt when initially stepping into SQ Bailli was a flow of good vibes. The scenery is colorful, bright, and quite psychedelic. I work on the 4th floor, surrounded by a bunch of people who are cool, kind, and caring. For all these reasons, my choice is "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys, one of my classic all-time favorites!
SQ: We all have that guilty pleasure music we enjoy. What's your "shame" music – the guilty pleasure that you secretly (or not-so-secretly) love to listen to?
Dan: It's a very difficult question for me because I have so many! In a way, I'm supposed to be that snobbish guy who only listens to hidden gems. But my love for music knows no boundaries. Music is meant to touch your soul, so if it works, it works! You've asked for a guilty pleasure track, right? So my answer will be "GUILTY" by Barbara Streisand. My mother used to listen to this song in her car when I was a kid. She had the album on cassette playing over and over. I rediscovered the track a few years ago and fell deeply in love with it. It's groovy, sexy, and so well produced, pure honey to my ears.
SQ: What's the latest in your business? Any well wishes for Mustard and Bongo for 2024?
Dan: Mustard & Bongo has completed a great year in 2023. We've worked on many beautiful projects in Belgium and abroad, met so many inspiring people, discovered and collaborated with so many great artists. I'm deeply grateful for that. Music has such a positive impact on my life, on my well-being. It's a super powerful tool that regulates energies and triggers emotions, a true body and soul healer. Every day in my journey, I'm more and more convinced of its great therapeutic virtues. In 2024, in addition to its current activities, Mustard & Bongo will develop and propose different music healing programs and experiences both digitally and physically. Stay tuned!
SQ: If we want to know a bit more about you, how can you tell us more in music?
Dan: Hi, my name is - playlist by Mustard & Bongo Radio | Spotify