Dan Kassel at World Cafe Live

Fusing modern technology with the classical realm of string music, Dan loops and layers cello melodies to create compositions that appeal to old-world tastes while keeping true to his appreciation of contemporary soul and rhythm. A one-man symphony with a flourish of Eastern inspiration, this project is meant to induce a meditative state while retaining a percussive groove that will appeal to people from all walks of life.

A wide variety of projects has helped shape Dan's eclectic sound. His work with Philadelphia electronic duo Beam&Deem has seen him rock some of Philly's most prominent venues, opening for electronica's biggest names such as Ott, Bluetech, and Conspirator. The fusion of synthetic tones and rhythms with the warm, organic sound of the cello came as a natural extension of his taste for world music and eastern flair. From performing Hindustani-fusion music at high end Indian restaurants to rocking theaters with symphonic rock bands to busking for hours on end in Suburban Station, Dan strives to push the cello in new and exciting directions....

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Fusing modern technology with the classical realm of string music, Dan loops and layers cello melodies to create compositions that appeal to old-world tastes while keeping true to his appreciation of contemporary soul and rhythm. A one-man symphony with a flourish of Eastern inspiration, this project is meant to induce a meditative state while retaining a percussive groove that will appeal to people from all walks of life.

A wide variety of projects has helped shape Dan's eclectic sound. His work with Philadelphia electronic duo Beam&Deem has seen him rock some of Philly's most prominent venues, opening for electronica's biggest names such as Ott, Bluetech, and Conspirator. The fusion of synthetic tones and rhythms with the warm, organic sound of the cello came as a natural extension of his taste for world music and eastern flair. From performing Hindustani-fusion music at high end Indian restaurants to rocking theaters with symphonic rock bands to busking for hours on end in Suburban Station, Dan strives to push the cello in new and exciting directions.

Dan's debut solo album, Bloom, is his effort to incorporate all of the elements of music that he finds most magical and enchanting. No other purpose other than capturing the essence of feeling lies in the making of this music. Moments of ecstatic joy intertwine effortlessly with mystery and drama. Prideful surges of triumphant strings ebb and flow over rich, plucked bass and metronomic percussion, and in the midst of these sonic structures that rise and fall, it can be hard to remember that it all came from one cello. It's Dan's privilege that he is able to perform this live using only a looping station and a cello.

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