Coffeebar is delighted to announce a new collaboration with Mister Decaf, a coffeehouse beat maker who brings a sense of nostalgia, relaxation and warmth to listeners.
“He produces really cool, jazzy, chill tracks that are ideal for the soundscape of our cafes,” says Greg Buchheister, Coffeebar founder, who first discovered Mister Decaf on Instagram. “His music has a rich texture and a unique intimacy for this genre. It’s fresh and emotionally evocative.”
Mister Decaf, aka Patrick Leijte, began creating mixtapes for his friends when he was a teen, using a software called Magix Music Maker and experimenting with an array of styles, including deephouse, indie, dance, and pop tracks.
“Looking back, I think what I liked the most about it was sitting back and observing my friends,” the self-described introvert notes. “When they were enjoying the music, I felt that I’d done my job by enhancing their experience.”
When he decided to pursue music in earnest, he began to create original tracks under the name Patrick Lite. Those tracks have been streamed over 30 million times.
Then, he says, “I fell in love with chillout during my world travel. I visited numerous coffee bars and hostels playing this wonderful, relaxed music.” It resonated with his natural instinct for creating auditory environments that brought people together. When the pandemic closed cafes and travel ground to a halt, Patrick found himself craving those sounds and the companionable spaces they reminded him of. Mr. Decaf was born from a desire to offer that emotional experience anywhere, including a listener’s own home.
One of the most influential music destinations in the genre is Chill Beats Records. The label focuses on quality through regular releases of lo-fi, chillhop, jazzhop, and instrumental beats, and boasts an ever-growing community of listeners on an array of platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.
“Being a big fan of Chill Beats, I sent them demos. After a few attempts, I landed my first single. From there on, I met this truly amazing family of release managers, graphic designers and other artists.” The connection with fellow creatives around the world has been deeply gratifying. “We have email conversations about more than just the music. I think that’s amazing—it adds to the experience of working respectfully together, with an interest in one another,” he observes.
“I love creating tracks from scratch, building ideas, inviting other musicians I know to join the party, building it further, and then mixing and mastering everything together,” Patrick says of his process. He even incorporates sounds from nature. (In Blonde Vanilla Latte, the attentive listener will hear the intriguing motif of a robin’s call.)
He’s also excited about the idea of performing in coffeehouses.
“Maybe we’ll see him on this side of the pond sometime soon!” Greg says. “Until then, we’ll enjoy Mister Decaf’s beats from our ear buds, to Instagram, to our cafes.”
