Last year, you and Dissident raised the profile of Russian drum and bass on the international scene. Should we expect something similar this year?
It so happened that we became pioneers of the new wave of techno drum and bass; it took us an entire year to strengthen our status as serious musicians and overcome the prejudice toward Russian drum and bass musicians on the global scene.
I hope that this year we will consolidate our position even further by releasing several releases on the Fear Red label, which was created specifically for Russian musicians.
Our album is being prepared for release. It will consist of our most significant works, and I hope that the album will be available for purchase on the domestic market.
Apart from working with Dissident, what collaborations with other musicians are planned for the coming year?
There are a great many creative projects; as always, everything comes down to a lack of time. I am finally planning to make a worthy commercial drum and bass project, because I can no longer stand listening to the efforts of so many pop musicians trying to ride the wave of drum and bass’s growing popularity.
We have already begun joint work with many Russian and foreign musicians, so an even greater mixture of styles and ideas is expected soon.
Recently, there has been an increasingly noticeable rise in the popularity of Drum’n’Bass music with elements of latino, jazz, funk and R&B. Will this affect the sound of your compositions?
In 2001, some of our first works with Dissident were the tracks Spacerider and Elastque, which were written under the influence of the soulful music that had only just emerged at the time. After this music began gaining momentum, I switched to working on a techno sound in our creative work. This is now the calling card of Russian drum and bass. So it is difficult to say which style is more characteristic of me, since you can find elements of all styles and directions in my work. And fashion trends in drum and bass certainly influence my work least of all.
Which musicians in Saint Petersburg, Russia and on the global scene do you favour today?
I’m afraid I’ll be unoriginal, but at the moment there are only a few musicians in Russia who I find interesting. First and foremost, there is Dissident, as well as Sta & Paul B, who were the first to break onto the global scene. There are also the musicians from sunny Magadan—the Subwave group—and Static Nitro, artists from Ukraine who are signed to our label.
My preferences on the global scene are well known to fans of techno drum and bass: Stakka & Skynet, C4C, Kemal, Matrix, Teebee, BSE, Sinthetix, Pyro.
Can you single out any labels that have earned your respect by releasing interesting material?
First and foremost, the well-known label DSCI4, which was one of the first to release techno drum and bass, as well as a large number of lesser-known labels: Nerve, Black Sun Empire Recordings, Killohertz, Shadow Law.
What are your touring plans? Is there a possibility of performing abroad?
There are a great many plans; recently, invitations to visit various cities in the near and far abroad have begun to arrive.
Unfortunately, our performance in Estonia on 24 January did not take place because of visa problems.
You are known to Saint Petersburg listeners not only as a producer but also as a DJ, so your opinion will be interesting: who do you consider the best in Saint Petersburg in terms of technique and material selection?
That would be our friend and label manager DJ Bes, as well as DJ T.Half, DJ Gvozd and DJ Ezoom.
At the end of the year, our city was visited by such renowned guests as Bad Company, BSE, Pyro, Spice and Z-MC. Whose performance made the strongest impression, what surprised you, and what did you dislike?
Practically all the guests stood out for their excellent music; I particularly enjoyed Pyro’s performance.
Do you think events such as DJ Parade and the festival on 11 January can influence the growth of Drum’n’Bass music’s popularity in the city?
They already have. The popularization of drum and bass is no longer a dream; it is a reality which, alongside its positive aspects, has many negative ones.
The beginning of the year pleased drum and bass listeners with only the major event on 11 January, while January as a whole turned out to be rather sparse in terms of events. What is your assessment of this period of relative quiet in the city’s club culture?
This is the calm before the storm. A mass of parties and raves will follow soon, at which drum and bass will already play a much more significant role than before.
On 15 February, Pyatnitsa club celebrated its second anniversary. How did it happen that the musicians and DJs from Total Advance Music, who held the club’s brightest and most memorable parties, were left out?
People forgot their heroes:)
What is your attitude toward the situation surrounding the much-loved Tunnel club?
One of the most unpleasant moments and a serious blow to club culture.
Any wishes for the website and its visitors?
EZ
Ruffen, 4 February 2003, Saint Petersburg
