1. First, thank you for taking some time out to spend with the TranceSound.net readers and all of our visitors from around the world.
Umek: Oh, thank you for showing the interest. It's always nice to hear that people are intrigued with my music.
2. Lots of visitors to TranceSound.net can name dozens of EDM (electronic dance music) artists, your name would likely be on that list thou, therefore, you have had your name on the pages of all major websites and magazines out there. I would appreciate if you would introduce yourself to us, as an artist and as a person as well, thanks.
Umek: This is one of those questions that I don't really like as it's a bit hard for me to speak about myself. I don't have a feeling that my life is really so special and interesting for people that it should be covered in the media. I don't mind talking about the music and the line of my work. I actually like that part, especially if other artists are trying to expand their knowledge and are looking for my opinion, advice or a little bit of help. But I do get annoyed when journalists dig into my personal life too much. Luckily this doesn't happen too often. Well, I'm 34 years old guy, born and raised in Ljubljana, Slovenia. I got hooked on electronic dance music as a teenager and quite soon after that decided to make a career out of it. I've started mixing records back in 1991 and became professional deejay two years later. Couple of years after I started producing my own music and so far I've released more than a hundred artist titles, including now classic tracks such as "Gatex", "Lanicor" and "Posing as Me". If you want to know me better visit my official web page and check out the content. If there's still something that you would like to know about me and you can't find the answer on the page, send me e-mail and I (or someone from my team) will provide you with the answer - if we find the question provocative enough.
3. What do you think has contributed the most to your success so far ?
Umek: I believe hard work, creativity, dedication, patience and constantly good artistic output are the main keys to success, especially on the long run. You need a bit of luck along the way but if you are dedicated to the goal and have something special to show you will emerge on the scene eventually. I am part of "the old scene" when music and artistic output were still defining factors of deejay's quality and the scene was not so much brand oriented. I was among those who built the scene in my homeland and the wider region from the scratch and I'm still one of its main developers. People acknowledge that. And they support me passionately in my attempts to promote the electronic dance culture as an important part of the contemporary pop culture, especially in Slovenia. Breaking the international market wasn't easy. I've already released dozen of records on good labels before promoters started to book me for gigs around the Europe. I was frustrated but that made me work even harder. Another important moment was my decision to get fully digitalized as a producer and performing artist few years ago. On that account I alienated part of my crowd for a while, especially in the homeland, but I reached new fan base and in a while even most of my old fans got comfortable with my new sound. It was a bit of a gamble but I believe in the field of arts you can't always play it safe if you want to create something really special. On contrary, you should always try to find your own way and be on a look for every fresh tool that can help you develop your fingerprint sound.
4. To let our visitors get a better feel for what has influenced you so far, in no specific order, could you name a few of your favorite EDM artists of all time ?
Umek: Todd Terry produced Royal House's Can You Party was the record that got me into house and electronic dance music. Westbam was the leader of German techno movement in the early '90s and I decided to focus only on techno because of Surgeon and the rest of Birmingham crew. As a deejay I found a lot of inspiration watching Jeff Mills doing his mixing, Carl Cox was the #1 master of building energy on the dance floor. It was really amazing watching this guys mixing records from three decks at the same time. Claude Young was also an inspiration. Music was the main thing, but I've adored deejays that were not afraid fiddling with knobs and switches. I've learned then that every piece of equipment you are using is there to be exploited to the limits. Nowadays I get the biggest kick out of collaborating with fresh, young, even no-name artists. I share similar vision of how techno music should be developed with my fellow countryman Tomy DeClerque and I really enjoy watching Beltek building his profile step by step. He is best known by his trance anthems, but his sound is really wide, from techno to progressive and house as well. We've just released our new joint venture on Italian label 303 Lovers and this track really isn't something you would expect from him if you know him only by past releases.
5. The EDM and radio industry can be tough on some artists. How has it treated you so far ? Why there is no radio show from you at all ?
Umek: I can't really complain as I'm a techno artist and this genre has the least mainstream appeal of all EDM genres. Which I quite like, as I don't believe too much exposure would bring much good to the traditionally more underground oriented techno culture. It's true that I'm not producing and hosting my own weekly radio show but I do record at least one or two guest mix every week and I have monthly residencies on some top on-line and FM radio stations all around the world. I'm actually so very radio active, that you can hear me on up to four radio shows in one night. Please check out my web for the latest broadcasting schedule and details.
6. At what point did you know you were an above average EDM artist ?
Umek: Interesting question. This didn't happen at some exact point so I could say I knew it then and there that this is it for me. I didn't explode with one specific performance or a hit single release. In my case breaking trough was a longer process. I've already had released some 30 tracks on really good labels before promoters started to call in for gigs. It was confusing time for me: I knew that I am a good artist as record labels wanted to release my music – but on the other hand, nobody invited me to perform. But eventually the domino effect happened and bookings started to pile and my career really took off. Although I can't pin that to some specific thing I did. At one point the amount of my releases was big and good enough and people noticed me as a performer. And this is still how I'm growing: slowly but steady, without big amplitudes.
7. In terms of productions, why is your album "Responding to Dynamic" so special ?
Umek: Well, it is my first artist album in eight years so I invested a lot of thoughts in what kind of record should I release as it has to reflect me as an artist. This is actually the third finished version of the same project that sounds totally different as the initial one. When I started working on it three or four years ago, I opted for very organic sound with bunch of guest musicians and vocalists. And we did that. But the trends on the scene shifted in between and production took so long that the album became obsolete. So we recorded another one. This time it was the sound of my artistic output that shifted so much in between that I could not release so organic and mainstream oriented record. I went back to the studio and this time produced and recorded everything by myself, I only asked Tomy DeClerque to master it, as I wanted a pinch of his sound in it. It took me another nine months but I am very satisfied with the final result. This is an album that reflects my sound and music philosophy perfectly.
This is purely digital, techno record made for the dance floor. The title reflects my vision of how this record should work on different levels. From my point of view this is quite dark album, I didn't incorporate any typical melodies. It's underground music for clubs. It's primal. It has balls. It lets your mind wander on its own. It doesn't give you some specific perspective on the story. So each listener is the one that dictates where the music will take him. I provide the content, the dynamo, engine of the whole experience – but it's on each individual listener to respond to this dynamic by creating his or hers own visualization, story and respond to it. Or on more primal, physical level: I provide the music and the audience responds to it by dancing. Because this is a dance record, inspired by what I've experienced in the clubs all over the world in the past and produced in the way to inspire the crowds on the dance floors at my future gigs.
8. What is the first single of the album and what can you tell me about it ? What about the second one, any further details you may share with us please ?
Umek: Prior to the official release of the album on March 15th we've released two singles, "Slap" in December 2009 and "Individual Breath" in February 2010. Both were introducing the trademark sound of this album and the response for both was very good. They stirred a lot of attention and expectation for the album, especially among the deejay community and media professionals, so it's not surprise that in the days after the release all tracks from the album were in top 100 techno downloads on Beatport, some of them even scoring top of techno and overall charts. And it seems that critics and my fan base like this album too, as I get a lot of cheering e-mails and positive media response.
9. Back to Your professional expertise for a second. What's your current interest into vocal tracks ?
Umek: With me this works in cycles. Producing those two versions of my latest album that I haven't released at all was kind of growing and at the same time purifying process. It took my mind into another dimensions. I've spent most of the first ten years of my career in the studio alone with my computer and other gear and I produced cold, strict, algorithmic, rational, synthetic electronic music. I felt the need to do something more organic, to blend my sound with the output of other artists, to exchange ideas, to do something with live instruments, something warmer, more mainstream oriented, radio friendly even. My first approach to vocals is to use them as one of the instruments. I am not interested in lyrics as they are more or less about love. When I listen to the music I don't really get the message – I hear it as one of the instruments, a sound arrangement. I'm interested in color of the voice, sound flow, a hook. In the past I used human voices in my productions in the same way as one of many instruments in the form of samples and loops. But at some point I felt I needed to produce something with proper vocals and lyrics. I did couple of songs such as "Posing As me" and "Obey" that can be considered a small discourse from my typical sound, but I did those with the same passion and artistic integrity as my more typical techno oriented production. The problem is that I don't know how to write lyrics and don't sing so I have to connect with other artists if I want to do that. But I feel more comfortable if I do everything on my own. As an artist I am a lonely wolf. I guess I got this out of my system and right now I am again more oriented in instrumental, power driven tracks rather than harmony. Though I still like to jump out of the box here and there. My remix of Ramirez's "Hablando" is one of that projects or the Cocoon released "Pravim Haos". But those two projects are a bit special: "Hablando" is a remix of classic dance tune and I only rearranged the instrumental part. And the vocals of "Paravim House" are actually just a sample from a vintage Serbian documentary I've found on You Tube. This track is actually a parody, which only people from ex-Yugoslavia can really understand as the lyrics are in Serbian and the speech is a reflection of the working class youth mentality in the 60’s or 70’s. To wrap it up: right now I'm focusing mostly on underground instrumental production with some special ingredients, but I allow myself some vocal discourse now or then. After all music is an art and I believe artists should not be closing themselves in the boxes. They should escape the clichés and do what they feel – if not other way as a side project.
10. Any artists that you would love to work with ?
Umek: This is one of those questions that I get asked quite a lot. I am in good terms with many top artists but I frankly find more interest in collaborating with young talents. Some of my colleagues think that I should not remix "no-name" artists. That I should rather focus on collaborating with big names. But I get the biggest kick out from working with new names as they introduce fresh ideas into the music. I'm supporting them by playing and charting their tracks, remixing their releases as well as signing and releasing their music trough my label 1605. My label is not bringing me any extra money, I'm glad if the venture covers it's expenses by itself, but I really enjoy running it as I can support young talents, musicians as well as visual and performing artists, by running it. My involvement gives assures some them exposure and opportunity that other major artists might also notice them. I am taking the role of an editor: I am exposed to a lot of music and I pick out some gems. We are releasing a single from French guy Worakls in couple of days, Tesla from Russia and Spartaque from Ukraine are producing amazing tracks, there are Loco & Jam, Reset Robot, Steve Parker and a whole generation of amazing young producers from ex-Yugoslavia: I've already mentioned Beltek and Tomy DeClerque. There's Siniša Lukic from Bosnia and Vladimir Acic from Serbia, Ian F, Andrew Technique, Aneuria, F.Sonique... from Slovenia as well as the whole legion of young Italian artists.
11. Coming from you, an artist that makes music largely independently. What do you think of the state of electronic dance music as it is today ?
Umek: What can I say? The music industry is a game between big record companies and small labels: majors are always on a lookout for big tunes and the small underground labels are providing the freshness and progress of the scene. I believe a good symbiosis between both camps involved is a key to quality and success of the scene. Majors need fresh ideas from the underground and club scene needs media exposure to attract new audience. There are always some extremes on both sides especially big business doesn't always take in account the artistic integrity of music, but right now EDM is doing good. With big American urban artists getting involved in house music it brings freshness and it seems that Americans are finally getting really interested in the European lead electronic dance culture that they've blocked from their market for the last 15 years. Sure, the big house artists will get most of the honey pot but some people will also take interest in the underground. I've toured the USA in December and our 1605 label night in Miami was packed so I can say that the scene is developing.
12. Any plans for the future, anything else special in the world of Umek ?
Umek: I'm in the middle of compiling the remix version of the album for my label 1605, with contributions from artists such as Joey Beltram, Spektre, Christian Smith, Kaiserdisco and Koen Groenewald. We've just released Luetzenkirchen's EP and Worakls' is coming out in couple of days on the 1605. Then we've scheduled some very interesting single releases from Russian producer Tesla and Spartaque, Loco & Jam and Fergie are also working on their new contributions... The most special thing I'm working on for some time is my first sample CD for music producers. And on the 8th of May I'm hosting the annual Dan elektronike / Day of electronics event in Ljubljana city centre.
13. What other milestones or events in your music career stand out to you nowadays ? Which ones do you wish you could do over ?
Umek: I don't like to publicly announce my career goals before I reach them. I have a vision, I've set the pole very high for myself but we'll talk about this when I get there. One big mistake I did in the past was not catering to my audience enough, especially on far away territories, as I'm not very keen of flying. I didn't tour Australia, Far East and the USA for years – and so they've forgot me. But I've already returned to those territories and I'm working hard and they've noticed me again. I did a series of gigs in the USA at the end of the year and again in March and we're already putting together new tour for the autumn. In Europe I allowed to myself to lost touch with German audience – and Germany is a really big market for techno. The problem was that in the time of Recycled Loops German scene took two directions: to slower "minimal" techno and harder, faster genres. As I was stuck in between both camps, I didn't really enjoy performing there. I didn't want to make any compromise, so I've rather moved away. That was a mistake. Sometimes it's better to **** against the wind than to rise a white flag – in the first case people at least notice you.
14. Any last words for all the TranceSounders out there, or anyone reading this amazing interview ?
Umek: Keep your creative always chackras opened, try to be open-minded and always respond to dynamics.
Interview made by Cosmin Lukacs (TranceSound.net admin/founder)
Links:
Umek official website
Umek @ MySpace
Cosmin Lukacs official website
Cosmin Lukacs @ MySpace
