Gui Boratto

Originating from São Paulo, where he first saw the light in 1974, Gui Boratto entered the recording world early on as a producer and multi-instrumentalist during the initial years of the 1990s. Mid-decade he became a member of the dance-pop group Sect and supplied instrumental and production work for an eclectic roster that included Steel Pulse, Gal Costa, Garth Brooks, and additional artists. Beginning in 2005 he issued a series of 12" EPs and singles on Circle Music, Plastic City, and assorted Kompakt-affiliated imprints, quickly amassing a substantial collection for DJ sets, while also handling an extensive list of remixes for Pet Shop Boys, Goldfrapp, Moby, Massive Attack, and others.

Long associated with the Cologne-based Kompakt imprint, Boratto has delivered some of its most approachable output, among them the widely circulated singles "Beautiful Life" and "No Turning Back." Trained as an architect, he applies meticulous sound-design principles to his productions, yet consistently infuses the results with emotional depth and a human touch. His 2007 debut album Chromophobia earned widespread acclaim and marked his breakthrough, after which he remained with Kompakt for later full-lengths such as the more somber III in 2011 and Pentagram in 2018, while continuing to place singles on various smaller labels. His style merges bright, melodic tech-house with elements drawn from progressive house and new wave.

The double-disc mix Addicted, Vol. 2 appeared on Platipus later in 2007. His follow-up proper album, Take My Breath Away, arrived in 2009 and contained the single "No Turning Back," while his contribution to the Renaissance: The Mix Collection series was issued in 2010. III proved markedly darker than earlier efforts; after the digital anthology The K2 Chapter compiled prior material from Kompakt’s K2 series, Abaporu surfaced in 2014 and restored a lighter, more dance-oriented atmosphere. Boratto subsequently launched his own D.O.C. label, which has put out music by Elekfantz and Shadow Movement alongside his joint projects with Mixhell on Animal Machine and with Leo Janeiro on MooDisco. In 2018 Kompakt released his fifth studio album Pentagram, an ambitious, cinematic work featuring guest appearances by progressive house pioneer BT and vocalist Nathan Berger.