More goes the music you hear while dining at your favorite joint than you might expect. The professionals who curate music for restaurants and other communal spaces treat curating their playlists more like a DJ set than a random selection of tracks.
Maxim Lany is one such professional curator. When he’s not playing at some of the biggest venues and festivals in the world, including Tomorrowland and Dreamfields, he’s curating music for some of the best restaurants in the world. To celebrate the release of his latest single, ‘Gravity,’ on Armada Elements, we invited him to share his insights and professional perspectives on creating the perfect playlist and music selection for restaurants.
Maxim Lany ‘Gravity’ is out on Armada Electronic Elements: Buy / Stream Here
What’s the most critical thing to focus on when pairing music with the aesthetic of a restaurant?
Well, in my opinion, a restaurant, just like a DJ set, takes you on a trip.
You enter a sacred place where the chef is dedicated to bringing you the best version of themselves and their team. Therefore, the music should be at least as good or try to match the level of the food. I believe that doing so can truly bring the necessary quality to a restaurant.
The most important thing is to know what the restaurant is all about and to get to know the philosophy. Then talk to the owner(s) and chef to create a dialogue.
How often should a restaurant find new music to play in the space?
That is then totally different than the usual music selection for, let’s say, a gig. In a restaurant, a certain playlist or DJ set can survive much longer. The simple reason that music comes in second place, after food, so people can discover it in multiple stages and enjoy the same music several times at different occasions. Also, consider that people don’t come every week to the same place, sometimes just once.
In your own words, why is music vital to the ambiance of a restaurant?
One could choose to do it without music, but it almost had to be completely silent, like a ritual. In any other case, the music will take care of a particular icebreaker. It will set the mood, put people at ease, and build a bridge between the kitchen and its customers. Music can be all that is in between if you do it right.
How can somebody start being a music curator for restaurants and businesses?
I don’t think one should necessarily be a DJ to do so. If you have an excellent musical taste or general experience with music and understand the culinary world, you can be that person.
It takes a particular experience in life, I would say, and if you like good things, you’re already one step ahead. Having the ability to be in the customer’s position is also super important.
What has your role as a curator taught you about producing your music?
A lot. I learned so much while making the music at The Jane Antwerp. In terms of DJing, I discovered a side of me I did not knew yet. In terms of producing, I learned to look and listen to music differently, not only the club or festival way, if you know what I mean.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
