rhythm research > interviews > DJ I.F.U.
Q: pavel | rhythm.research@gmail.com
Q: How long are you in Electronic music culture? Gonna be 17 years in April 2008. Q: What kind of music were you playing then? Mostly acid-house, acid techno, progressive trance in the beginning…and things like FSOL, Orbital, The Orb… Q: Did any ‘romantic illusions' about Electronic music culture disappear since that time? What keeps you going? Well, music is still progressing and mutating, which makes it rather exciting all the time. Some styles are in little crisis at the moment (like drum'n'bass, breakbeat and even IDM), but styles like house, techno, dubstep sound very nice and interesting at the moment. Q: Mainstream\underground – does this division makes sense? In Minsk/Belarus and elsewhere. Well, there will always be more “underground” meaning of sound, and more “mainstream”… At least people know what does that mean, and always will be. Speaking about Belarus and Minsk in particular, I don't see any difference here: minimal techno is in mainstream, while it is “underground” sound, but there is no commercial house or a big lack of commercial trance for example, which should be “mainstream”. The most “mainstream” in Belarus is belarusian pop-music, which has been well developed for the several years, and probably R'n'B. People who play breakcore are the most “underground”, I would say. Q: Do you see any differences in attitude to electronic music in Belarus and in other countries in thr West & East? The problem is in information. People are more interested in music itself, than here in Belarus. They've got loads of information around, and lots of resources to learn, including good salaries. That's why people in Belarus go to party first off to have some good time with their friends, drink some alcohol, etc. In Europe people know exactly, which music, artists or dj's they want to party with. Also, the difference could be in choice… Europeans have a good choice of clubs and other cultural venues. Belarusians don't have much choice, they have to visit events local promoters offer to them. And mostly it's very one-sided. Q: In 90s such music here was something 'special' and ‘progressive' and people who listened to it were considered (by themselves mostly) ‘advanced'. Did such situation remain? It's not “very special or progressive“ here anymore, like it was 5-10-15 years ago. Well, of course, we can think, that a person who loves and understands “micro-house” and other cutting-edge music is more unique and musically educated, that a person, who prefers only Russian r'n'b from local MTV. But it doesn't mean, that this or that guy is more stupid or smth. Not any more I think, it's a matter of taste. In the early 90s it was quite a privilege for you to be in the “club circle”, first of all because most of the parties where in closed venues (like restaurants) with a strict facecontrol … mostly illegal parties. At the moment, you can't drop illegal party here, it's very risky… which means everyone can come to a club to party. People who participate in different club forums, etc. probably think they are some kind of special, but it's not that serious anymore. Probably just between 18-22 years young clubbers. Q: Why do people go to parties? To have a party, meet people, have some drugs probably or drink some alcohol… or pick up a date/girlfriend/boyfriend for a night. Lots of people live from one weekend to another. They want to party every weekend and always check what's going on in town. Some people look at their friends, other people tell others where to go. Some people don't care, they go to party alone. Well, you can easily get tired after such a having rest as well. So, once again, some people love music, some people like socializing and meeting people. Some people like it party hard and heavy. :) Me personally would go only to the party, where I am sure that I'll like the music. ( I don't count retro party this Christmas in Minsk :)) Q: What styles are popular in Minsk/Belarus currently? Are there any dominant styles? I can say you can find a bit of everything… but a little bit of everything. You have house, techno, minimal, breaks, d'n'b, r'n'b, retro… much less IDM and electronica at the moment as it was some 10 years ago. Q: Why is that – because of audience preferences or promos' style politics? Yes, people depend on promo-groups and organizers, and organizers are not that competent in what they are doing. That's why it's not very developed I would say, thinking that 10 million people live in Belarus and 2 million people in Minsk itself. For example, take drum'n'bass, which is rather mainstream style between kids around the globe and especially in Russia, Baltics. Every big drum'n'bass party, with some international artists can bring to the club about 300 paying clubbers, which is next to nothing in such a big city. In Europe is a bit another story: more people, more money, more clubs, sponsors, etc. etc. Q: Is it easy to influence audience tastes? Or to take some style and make it popular from scratch? It is possible of course, by dropping regular parties, loosing money all the time, by making promotion in the Internet, radio stations etc….but yeah, why not, it's possible :) Look at dubstep for example. Q: How does Belarusian EDMC connect with leisure industry and business? I don't see any good relationship between electronic culture and leisure industry. Radio-stations don't play music by local musicians. Clubs support mostly dj's, but not live acts, which is easier to make money from. So, it's not that easy here for electronic culture. Q: Can EDMC in Belarus\Minsk be profitable - for promoters, clubs, musicians? Yes, it is possible to make some money from it. And some big promoters, clubs and dj's earn something. But some don't, first of all because of their stupidity… Art managers and club workers and promoters prefer to steal or make money for their pockets, than earn and develop something interesting. That's why some clubs, being in the centre of the city for example, or with good design/sound system have to close or change their owners ( clubs like Izyum or Bronx, etc.) Q: What Minsk and other big Belarusian cities lack? What hinders Electronic dance and club culture to develop? Minsk needs more good clubs… new clubs, which could change the situation. Me personally, I would close some clubs in Minsk completely, and open completely new ones with a proper, more europeanised policy. Q: What about the music media, websites, TV, mags, design, radio and shops? Do they exist and do they help promote music culture here? Well, because Belarus doesn't have enough money for music newspapers and magazines, people use Internet, which is not bad. Local web-zines have a good design and they really try to do smth. Radio is bullshit completely, the same is TV (probably a bit better for mainstream pop-culture, but that's it). I don't know any friends of mine who buy music in local music shops, because • There is no any good music. • Better to find in the Internet. That's why local mass-media is not supporting club/music culture so much, I think. Q: Suppose you want to start your own club - in any spot of the city. What club would it be and what about the music and audience politics? Well, it's a good question, but I can talk for ages about it. It should be a club with a good quality of everything, but not too glamourous, more democratic, with a great soundsystem, lights, bars, chill out areas, preferably 2 floors and capacity around 1000 people. Minsk needs such a club. Speaking about music, it should be a bit of everything, but with actual styles and artists. I would open a big place, even with a gallery, coffee shop, restaurant, even small cinema. But it's more like a cultural centre, than a club…and very very big project. I am not sure about the investments here ;) Do you know any occassions when foreign musicians refused to play in Belarus? For what reasons, besides financial ones? Yes, there were several situations, when artists didn't arrive to Minsk. And it's not about financial problems. Mostly, because Belarus is not that popular club/festival destination so far, it's not London, Paris or Berlin and Moscow. That's why, if the artists understands that he is late for his flight a bit, or feeling not so good, he can easily forget about it and send the money back. Also I had a couple of situations, when some European artists were saying, that they are not “planning” and keen to go to Belarus this year or smth. And you never know for what reason…you can just guess here ;) Q: Why there are so few electronic musicians and acts in Belarus? What problems do they have? We had rather a lot of musicians back in the middle of 90s, but then they disappeared somewhere, because they couldn't play there music in public, or they couldn't promote their music to European labels…. Belarusian people are rather lazy I think… and musicians especially. They can produce some good tracks, but they don't know what to do with it in the end, that's why probably easier not to do it at all :) Q: What's your advice for them – to adapt to standards (styles, label policy) or try to create their own, authentic styles? Do they have a choice? They can do both… and they do both. Andrey Savitsky or I/dex play their own IDM sound abroad quite successfully. And guys like 4Kuba, Access Denied, Hanz&Gruber play commercial breaks and electro-house, trying to be released on some labels of these particular styles. I don't think that belarusian musicians are able to produce “our own Belarus sound”, like British, Germans or Swedish and South-American at the moment. Better to play music, which is actual… good for the local clubs and clubs around the world. Q: Are there any labels in Belarus? Is there any necessity for them to exist? Can their music be on demand? Or maybe it's better for musicians to promote their tracks by themselves (through net-labels, net-shops etc)? I don't know any belarusian labels at the moment. It's not that difficult to open one these days, especially with “digital revolution”, when you don't need to make vinyl to sell your music. I think it is easier for some musician to push his tracks somewhere, than open belarusian label. It's hard job, and there can be no time for music after all. Q: Will you, as a DJ, be satisfied creating a musical backdrop for some easy lounging - a sountrack for drinking, eating, talking? Or you'd rather 'make them dance'? Well, as a dj I've done both. Of course I love when club full of people, who are going crazy with your music. But sometimes you prefer to play deep and intelligent music, rather than banging and energetic, and people who just stand at the bar, chat or sit down, smoke bongs, eat nice food are good clients as well. Depends on the place. Q: One of Moscow club owners said in an interview for Playboy magazine: “DJ's function is to help the bar to make more money. When people dance a lot – they drink a lot“. What do you think? He is right and wrong. Yes, when people dance, they drink, but not only a dj, but the whole club system and atmosphere in the club should help to make profit. For example, there are lots of clubs in UK and Europe, where 95% people are on extasy or some other drugs, and that clubbers don't drink hard believe me. Q: What qualities or skills must DJ\musician and audience have to “satisfy each other”? Hm…:) DJ should be professional and crowd should be up for it and understand the music he is playing. Actually, it's rather bad, when you play for the wrong crowd. I had such an experience, it's very difficult to play for such a crowd. Q: What qualities, skills and knowledge are especially important for a club promoter in Belarus to make quality parties? He should be hard-working, he has to understand the situation in his city or town to avoid mistakes. And he needs to think more about the public he is working for rather than making money for himself. And also he has to be social and friendly… helps to respect the people you are working for. Q: Do you have any relations with techno? Yes, I love techno. I played acid techno back in 1994, some Belgian and Butch techno, stuff like “James Brown is Dead”, but on a more professional level in 1995, when Yarik and dj Ace started to play techno with the live act “Constructor” (by (later) dj Kon' and Ringo and Energun) So, yes, '94 – '95. Always loved hard techno, but prefer to play minimal-techno or atmospheric and even a bit trancey techno, which are very exciting styles at the moment. Q: What's your attitude to psy-trance culture? Have you ever played trance? I used to play progressive trance in 1994, and really liked that stuff during that time. From that time I am not into it so much. I think psy-trance music is boring and connected so much with drugs. I used to go to various trance festivals in Germany and UK and I felt very boring there. The only thing I like is decorations, smelling insences, tea and coffee and that's it. When people use psychedelic drugs, they they don't feel that unity with the rest of the people ….they are too closed against people surrounding them. And trance music helps them to “fly away”, but in general nothing serious in it. It's not so much changing for the last 10 years for example (like techno, or house)… long time ago I called it “music to run forward all the time, but soon you understand that you run nowhere”. But it exists, people are into it, so this culture should exist, why not… I ‘ll stay in chill out. Q: Are there any difference in atmosphere at techno and psy parties? Techno music brings energy to the dancefloor. I haven't seen any energy on psy-trance parties. Just easy dancing, nothing else. Maybe I am mistaken. I was at one psy-trance open air last summer, 70 km from Minsk, decided to play some psy-breaks in chill-out. It was very boring. 30 people sitting near the fire place, listening to music in complete silence, in their dreams and thoughts. And another 25 people dancing on trance. I couldn't feel any energy there at all. There were no atmosphere, which I like to feel at the parties and festivals. Q: So you wouldn't go to a week-long psy-trance fest? I will be bored. I would like to listen the whole week some downtempo, trip-hop, ambient, but not trance. And I don't like to go to the raves and parties, if I know that I won't enjoy the music there. Q: Do clubbers in Belarus use less drugs than in the West or neighbouring countries? How does it influence local EDMC and popularity of certain styles? Yes, of course. This culture is connected with drugs, there is different level of it in different countries, but more or less it rather close to each other. I don't see any drugs in Belarus, there was such a policy in the country 2-3 years ago, to find all drug dealers and put them to prison. There are pluses and minuses in this. We understand pluses – no drugs, which very good indeed. But the main minus, people started to drink a lot of alcohol, which is very bad as well. You can see lots of drunken girls in high heels in commercial clubs, completely drunk at 4 o'clock at night and it's not looking good at all. You can see that sometimes at 4-5 o‘clock clubs are empty, dj's play for empty floors because people got drunk, picked up their girls/boys and left the club, when in Europe I would say time from 3 till 6 at night is probably peak time of the party, the best artists play. Q: Clubbers often accuse others (usually fans of other styles) in drug abuse. Psy-trancers call techno and d'n'b heads – amphetamine-freaks, speed lovers, and techno fans say trancers eat too much magic mushrooms and lsd. Do you think it's real or just myths about "other\alien"? I am not sure here, because I try not be involved with drugs at all. I travel a lot in Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Baltics, and all I can see that the whole club culture is connected with drugs definitely. But I am sure, that techno-heads can take LSD on their raves, and psy-trance- heads can use speed and pills on their raves. So, can't say anymore about this conflict :) Q: Are there any stable groups of certain style fans \ subcultures in Belarus? I know that there are drum'n'bass guys, who prefer to listen to d'n'b only, the same with techno, the same with minimal… But I guess it's a matter of age, they can change their tastes when they grow older. Or can stay with their styles, who knows. Q: There's opinion that techno and trance communities are rather closed and aggressive towards ‘aliens'? Is it true? No, I can't say so. Probably in trance music – yes, but not in techno. I know a lot of people who are deep into their techno, but prefer electro, IDM and sometimes other styles. Speaking about Belarus club culture, they can go to any parties, at the same time prefer more techno, than something else. Looks like trance culture is more closed that any other. Q: "The party was fine\set was cool!" – what does it mean? What happens in such moments – on the dancefloor, between you and the audience, with you? Sometimes you feel by yourself, that you played a great set, but people didn't react so much. But mostly you can feel the energy, coming from the dancefloor, it helps a lot, you play better straight away. There is some kind of chemistry between dj and crowd, people react on almost every your record. You are a good dj, not because you think yourself that you play good music and play cool sets, but when people come to you after your set and say : "Thank you very much you played a great set!" Q: What are your strategies\tactics to keep people on the dancefloor? If they're a bit cold and not so responsive? It's one of that “changing mood” factors. I try to give people some “fresh air to breath” after some big bomb hits, but then you have to feel that moment, when you need to drop some more big tunes. Crowd will stay interested, but will be having some rest while dancing aswell. Q: If you analyse the most unsuccessful parties\sets – do they have something in common? (Audiece response, bad sound-system...) Technical problems mostly. Bad sound, something like no monitors at all or bad needles. Or bad organization, when you think that should be good party, but organizers make bad promotion, etc. And you finish with playing for almost empty dancefloor, playing for yourself actually - which is not that bad sometimes too :) Q: Are there any peculiarities while playing a techno-set? Well, yes and now. You can use crossfaders in breaks and d'n'b, when it's better to straight mixing with techno. You can use vocal samples, acapellas, scratches in broken music, but more filters in techno. Q: In the beginning DJs usually base their sets on planned sequences of tracks. How long does it take to build skills - to be able to construct the set ‘on the fly', flexibly adapting to the situation? I played in London in December, there was one musician (with lots of releases and stuff) who played with playlist written on a piece of paper. I was quite surprised, he is not that young. I think it depends on people, some people know their records so well, so prefer to play freestyle, so people will always plan their sets at home. Q: Is there any pattern or structure in your sets? I prefer to play freestyle, which means I can play several sub-styles of one style of music in one set, otherwise it can be to straight and boring. If the set is regular 2 hours, my style is to have several peacs. I like to change the mood several times during my set. Q: Do you vary BPM in the course of the set – accelerate, slow down or both? And how much? Yes, it happens sometimes….it depends…sometimes I like to play with public if I play special records for it and can change speed from +4 to +8 back to -8 and back to +4 again….sometimes it works funny :) Q: What music do you like to dance to? Any good music. Depends on the mood. Pretty much everything actually : techno, house, deep, hard, d'n'b, breaks, hip hop, funk…..Depeche Mode :) Indie – rock-and-rave-and dance. 05-02-2008 |
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