Issue 83 of ATM Magazine, one of the leading drum and bass magazines, features an interview with the Russian producer and DJ Enei in its “Leaders of the Nu Skool” section, another sign of the Russian scene’s professionalism and of Enei’s personal success.
Leaders of the Nu Skool 2009
Name:
Alexey
Hometown:
Saint Petersburg, Russia
What’s your story?
I was born in Saint Petersburg in 1988. Like all children, I went to school, and I am now a student at the University of Film and Television. I enrolled to study sound engineering, but in reality it does not help me much with music. I became interested in drum and bass in 2003. At the time, I knew nothing about releases, labels, or artists; we were interested only in the pure groove of this music and how it worked. I grew up and developed my taste through artists such as Bad Company and their album Inside the Machine, while Ed Rush & Optical showed me through their music what real drum and bass was. In 2007, I managed to release my debut record on Fokuz Recordings, with the track “Parallel” and “Profile” by the Cerebral Productions project on the flip. It was a real breakthrough for me—I was overjoyed! Several releases are now planned on labels such as Brand Nu, Blu Saphir, and Critical, as well as a record from our dubstep project Giant on Dub Police. I am very proud and happy that I can do what I do and receive some kind of response from it. Speaking of dubstep, it is genuinely fashionable and fresh right now. I like this music; it makes me move, without any other clever nonsense. I think many people will agree with me. That is why I try to make my drum and bass as deep, clean, and free from various kinds of rubbish as possible. Just drums, bass, and a strange, sometimes shocking atmosphere.
Inspirations:
In general, I will never turn down a good dark beer at any time of day.
As a rule, new ideas come from listening to a huge amount of new music—and often, music that is not exactly new. For example, recently I listened again to almost all the releases on Renegade Hardware, as well as a large portion of Decoder’s tracks, and it sparked in me a huge desire to write something similar, only in a new wrapper!
Weapon of choice:
It is my analogue synthesizer, the KORG MS-2000. Its sounds remind me of the past of electronic music.
Proudest moment to date:
First and foremost, I am proud of my surroundings—my parents, my friends, and sometimes myself. Sometimes it feels good to be proud of yourself after a good party or another record being released, and simply because of certain victories and achievements in life.
What’s the best way to get on in life?
The most important thing is always to be polite and sensitive to other people’s problems and joys. Then, I think, whatever you set out to do will work out. I genuinely hate amateurs, or armchair critics. I do not understand people who passionately argue their point or make skeptical jokes in one debate or another, even though they do not understand what they are talking about themselves.
What’s your poison?
I like smoking cigarettes. Many people say it is harmful and that it is simply a habit, but I genuinely enjoy it and it helps me relax at certain moments.
What’s your ideal night out?
Oh, well, if we are talking specifically, I immediately remember that evening in Moscow at the party with Rusko! It was genuinely pleasantly shocking. An excellent, stylish club, the people closest to me by my side, a superb bar with amazing fresh beer, and, in general, a great crowd without any unnecessary people, all around pure groove and bass. That, in my opinion, is what an ideal night should be.
What does the future hold?
I am not going to stop at what I have achieved; I want to reach genuinely serious heights in drum and bass. I will try to make my music even more futuristic and mature, and the sound funkier and fatter!
Source: ATM Magazine, issue 83 (2009). This English text was translated from the Russian version of the interview.
