Bes

Congratulations on the arrival of 2003. A new year means new ideas and new plans. What does DJ Bes have in store for St Petersburg junglists this year?

Happy belated and upcoming New Year to everyone as well! In the new year, Bes will naturally delight everyone with new tracks, new mixes and new parties *)) What else could it be ) I'll tell you a secret: this year should be a lucky one for me, since I was born in the Year of the Goat and am an Aries according to the horoscope *)) So I hope my creative potential won't run dry, but will instead increase several times over )

Many people listened to your December mix. How do you explain the large number of domestic tracks? Is it a desire to support Russian artists, or do you think these tracks can genuinely compete?

Both, of course. I believe that at present Russian drum and bass is not merely competitive, but has already surpassed Western drum and bass in some respects ))

What are your current priorities when selecting material for mixes?

The same as before—music for the “techno bandits” *) In other words, techno, trance and drum and bass have the highest priority in my sets *)

Are you planning to get a residency at one of the city's clubs, or is there no such place at the moment?

Over the course of my career, I have been a resident at almost every club where drum and bass was regularly played. At the moment, there is a small crisis in club culture—both the clubs and the junglists, myself included, have grown tired of them. We'll wait for some new place to open, or for something else to happen *))

You produce music and often perform as a DJ. Which do you lean toward more?

To be honest, after five years DJing has started to get a little tiresome for me *) That stage is already behind me. I'm currently focusing more actively on production, but I still play often too.

Tell us a little about the affairs of your label, Total Advance Music. What releases are you planning, and will the label be involved in organising parties?

The label has signed new artists—Static Nitro from Dnipropetrovsk, extremely talented guys who have already signed contracts to release tracks with the Fear Red and Protogen labels.

A new TAM compilation called Tamography will be released very soon. It will include not only Russian tracks, but also tracks by artists from other countries *) Which ones is still a secret for now.

There will be new parties. New megastars from around the world will be invited. Which ones is also still a secret *)

Which club in St Petersburg is currently the best, in your opinion, for holding drum and bass parties?

There was Tunnel. But everyone probably knows the vile and unpleasant story about its owners' dishonesty. For now, I don't see a new place of the same level in St Petersburg.

What are your plans regarding releasing records abroad?

Fear Red 02 (Bes – Ghost Recon, Bes + Imp – Space Settlement) will already be in shops this month.

Bes + Sunchase – Mortal will also be released on Fear Red 04. I am already in contact with other labels as well. Everything is going according to plan *)

What is your attitude toward the festival on 11 January? Will it be able to influence the popularity of drum and bass in the city?

The advertising campaign run by Radio Record was simply the highest level of pop promotion! Neither Vostochny Udar nor DJ Parade had advertising like this. There will be a lot of so-called rednecks. But I hope there will be more new faces drawn into the culture thanks to this advertising. Its popularity will definitely increase. By definition, such an advertising move cannot go unnoticed by the masses.

In the Moscow–St Petersburg debate over which is the capital of Russian drum and bass, the centre of gravity has recently shifted toward our city. What do you think this is connected with?

Actually, the advantage has always been on our side. Moscow has never had that many junglists. So the point of the question is lost *)

Recently, there was a presentation of the bassline.ru website that brought together all the leading DJs in St Petersburg. What explains the lack of advertising for such an interesting party, and what can you tell us about the project?

The project is interesting and very good. The main thing is that its organisers have enough strength to keep it going. At the moment, I can see that nobody is working on it, and Boomer's promises not to present Da Bass's politics as dominant on the website are not being fulfilled. We'll see what happens next. Personally, I am fully in favour. Although I like SpbDnB much more *)

Any wishes for the St Petersburg scene in general and for the site's visitors in particular?

Love, luck and prosperity in every area of life! 8)

Bes, 10 January 2003, St Petersburg