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Music

Why Tale of Us is the Best Thing Going in Dance Music Today

In case you needed to be reminded what makes this duo so special.

It seems to be norm in the underground scene to 'discover' an act before they get hot, ride the wave with them as everyone else starts to catch on, then bitterly abandon ship once the bandwagon fills up. Has that happened with Italy's Tale of Us yet? I hope not. After catching Matteo Milleri and Carmine Conte's 4 AM set on Enter.Miami Terrace, I was quickly reminded why myself and the rest of those in the know, fell so hard for these guys. On top of that, I got to experience the Life and Death supporters through virgin ears. Nevertheless, in an attempt to quell any future underground backlash over their emerging status—since that seems to be the thing to do—I thought I would offer up just five quick reminders why Tale of Us is the best thing going on in dance music today.

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1. The evolution. Just three years ago, these guys were playing straight deep house. These days? Nobody would even know what to call it. They have invented their own sound and become their own genre. Just take a listen to their FLY BerMuDa Podcast from October 2011 and compare it to, appropriately, their set from Berlin's FLY BerMuDa Festival in November 2012. You'd think you were listening to two entirely different (and equally brilliant) groups.

2. The Canadian connection. Little known fact: Carm was born in Toronto. Sure, his family did what most of us dream about every day and they hightailed it back to Milan. But that doesn't mean the 416ers still can't claim him as their own.

3. The mystery. Tale of Us isn't against social media. They just don't live their lives through it. And in the oversharing era of DJs showing off their meals, starting beefs with one another and bitching about their travel schedule—it's a refreshing approach.

4. The curation. The entire Life and Death label and Tale of Us are the banner representatives of how to run a tight ship. Sold-out showcases spanning Art Basel in Miami, Movement in Detroit, Sonar in Barcelona and BPM in Playa Del Carmen are ones rooted in a consistent aesthetic that range from promotional artwork to venue to talent.

5. The music. Big surprise, but what else was it ever going to come down to? Since I'm a big believer of the whole 'show, don't tell' principle, I'll let Matteo and Carm take it from here.

Follow Christopher on Twitter: @theCMprogram