- Could you share the thoughts or ideas behind this mix?
This time I combined my Japanese Tour with a family trip, my kid is 10 and it’s the perfect time for his first Japan experience, so this time I left my dearest Rimowa bag at home and picked only 20 records which I thought could be useful for any occasion I might run into, as I was booked to play at Mitsuki, Room 303 Radio and of course Ella Store in Tokyo and Absinthe Underground in Osaka. Basically, I picked records that I feel are super special for me. They defo come from different shelves but each record was bought and appeared in my collection on some special occasion that I can clearly remember, and as every record I carry includes a non-visible trail of emotions and history of how, where and with whom it found me (exactly like this, I’m not a vinyl digger, records finds me themselves in a way - looking at me from the shelves and saying «Take me with you»). So, I picked the STORIES, which I can share with Ella Stories and my friends in Japan and all over the world. STORIES I got from other people (I mean other’s people music) and my own very important STORIES (which I obv did myself: 思考気雲 was made with Japanese singer Minako Sasajima and Jimi Tenor, the story was made for this moment in the mix in Tokyo, nothing beats this feeling and also my very special own record is a 10’’ of SPDSC which was out on Glenview Records in Chicago, US when I was working there as head of A&R, a record from 2011-2012 I guess — time traveling.. spiritual)
- Can you tell us about your approach to creating mixes?
Never planning but always ready. Limitations on one hand (small bags, long flights), so I have to be picky beforehand and something completely new: for instance, the next day after playing for Ella I went to play Room 303 Radio and I started with 3 records I bought from you, as the hotel doesn't allow me to have a turntable I had to go half-blind for that track and it worked out perfectly, I listened and played on-the-go and it’s so exciting, not only radio/your audience listens to unpredictable transitions and flow but also ME. That’s what makes me so excited in everything I do, I’m learning and teaching at the same time on the fly. If we talk about club / bar gigs, I think what a DJ should do is to blend not only records, but blend the room, people, emotions, reflections, bar shaker noises, the crowd cheering from empty space to fill in fully and back the last one for those who are melting at sunrise with you.
- What is the current state of the DJ culture and club music scene in your hometown, St. Petersburg? Also, which music genres are popular in the clubs there?
I think, like everywhere else, over the years I feel that the culture is cycling through the same loops like electronic music, music is made of loops, and countries loop & loop things that came before. I feel the same as the older generation of DJs felt I believe, the new crowd is faster, more aggressive and more viral and more… big in a way, at least in terms of numbers, now music industry ppl have access to everyone thru phones, and I think that sometimes, musicians and DJs start forgetting what brought them to making music. I think they just follow the short-cut or wrong ideals. I think the main ideal is the transfer of knowledge, transfer of what one generation has built for another, how much passionate work was involved to make the next generation KNOW more, FEEL more, HAVE more. I feel like the hometown scene and other scenes in the world are losing it a bit, although I haven’t felt it in Japan. I felt honor, respect and a great educational moment when a new crowd respects the previous DJ generation, like what I felt in Mitsuki bar with Mr. Toshiya Kawasaki. I think that the cultural bridge that Japan is building for itself is great a lesson for all scenes around the world, especially for my hometown Saint Petersburg. I feel now I want to build more things back home, I want to re-sample myself from all past trips and bring all these treasures home, reconnect with the old and new generations and start something new. I feel it now. If we talk about clubs, Saint P is losing it a bit now as I see it, I feel that one remaining club is most probably Blank. I need to restart my own project KUZNYAHOUSE this year, it’s been a tough 8 years, we had amazing DJs and musicians like Erol Alkan, Ruf Dug, K-HAND, Public Possessions, Kenji Takimi, Chida and many more, but then I was far away or just out, now I feel I want to build things again.
- If you don’t mind sharing, have recent shifts in the international political situation led to any impact or restrictions on the music scene or artists’ musical activities in urban areas of Russia?
I don’t really know how to comment on that really, as it’s hard to find words, the only thing I feel I can say is that I believe and I hope that music, art and community are the things which can drive society to solutions which will not lead to any disasters. Music is an artform of communication, of beauty, of hope. I feel that the scene now is like an island, sometimes we have people flying in, but less, as there are less bridges, bridges are NEEDED, if something is super isolated it can work well for some time but interaction must exist, that’s what I feel needs to come.
- You are currently also based in Dubai, right? Dubai is a city experiencing rapid economic and cultural growth. What is the current state of the DJ culture and club music scene there? Also, would you say it’s an environment that’s conducive to living and working as a DJ/producer?
Not like based based, home is home, if we count the hours I'm defo more in Saint Petersburg, but Dubai is a very frequent destination and hometown for the media project where I’m creative director. It’s The Sandy Times Media and we also run a radio station STR. Dubai is interesting, it has inner worlds and defo growing, in my opinion Dubai is on the way to becoming A REAL CITY. What I mean by REAL CITY is actually the art crowd and street food, street things, Dubai is very new and if we compare it with Tokyo, there’s no street culture yet, I think this is the main thing that is missing as the rest is very interactive and promising. So, my little impact, my little ideas and attempts are connected with that. Dubai should start having more and more small scene founding parties, like Moist Paper Party and Dancewerk (both run by friends) Kirill Zhan and Cyrill Ready and Hani J (sending hugs). Regarding producers it’s also only just developing but Dubai has its own kings: I recommend investigating Shadi Megallaa, his records are selling all over the world and he is the real godfather of Dubai scene for me. I’m really curious where it will lead and what will happen with culture, I do radio things myself and I sometimes help my friend Varun and his magnificent music bar in Dubai — Honeycomb Hi-Fi. With Japanese bookings! With Sandy Times x Honeycomb Hi-Fi we did an amazing night with me and Kenji Takimi playing vinyls all night long, that was one for the books as ST brought an art exhibition to the bar with Koshta and it was special, and Kenji’s trip itself was really great, we visited Louvre in Abu-Dhabi and had many other small experiences. The next thing I’m doing for Honeycomb is Toshiya Kawasaki & Kuniyuki Live. I’m really really excited bringing such legends to Dubai and really curious how Dubai will react.
- Do you have any thoughts or impressions about Japan’s DJ culture and club music scene?
Of course, as I have said before in previous questions, it’s an example for me. Art based on art, not on showing off, less words, more deeds, respect for the fathers, deep love for details, equipment, sound system, deep impact, entertaining thru education, that’s what I have discovered. Comparing to other parties around the world, I would say that I always feel that music most belongs in Japan, I feel and hear that what I have truly discovered and appreciate and love finds a response in the Japanese crowd, like in Mitsuki, I felt, that really deep tracks (by deep I mean spiritual) bang more than any dance floor pleaser. For me that’s the highest grade. Hats off, Japan. I Love you.
- As a DJ who has traveled around the world, are there any countries or cities with DJ cultures that have particularly impressed you? If so, could you share why?
I’m so thankful that I have this opportunity to see and play for different people, music is an international community where I can come to almost any city in the world, find a record shop which blends traditions with new material, say who I am and what I do, get recognized, accepted and most often become friends, see the city and the real country culture from the inside. Every country differs, every city differs, but it’s built on people, one human being can change and build everything, that’s the people I’m looking for in cities and I experience the world with them, with people, people impress me and make me keep doing my thing.
- In your opinion, what kind of skills or mindset do you think are important for building a DJ career abroad?
Well, I think it’s 30% hard work, 20% "being willing to do it", 20% communication skills, 30% luck. I find it easy if you have the right point to follow, I had a clear point, music is where I can make friends by making music and making friends. Sounds fun but that is completely true, I felt I "really want to do it" then invested some time in it and obvs I’m thankful for some luck, which directed and connected me with some random people who in the end become a chain of people who make things possible. And music. Do your thing! I guess every DJ says it the same in every interview, but hey, this is the only thing. If you follow trends, hype etc, it could work, then your friends will be in commercial clubs, normally the guys who run them, you get some money, but you can’t experience the depths, you can only buy things, if you dig deeper, you get to another level, and then another and another. Find your way, be true to yourself about why you came to this. My wife once told me, man, you really like your records the most, so keep doing ‘em, keep playing them. And that’s true, I love records, I love how they sound, how they look, the weight in my bag, a packed Ikea Expedit etc etc, everything around records and that made my intentional career. I meet friends and make records. That’s easy and that’s it. Plus luck, as I told you before.
- Besides DJing, what stimulates your creativity?
Everything. Really. It'd a simple answer but it can be absolutely anything, from hope to anxiety, from love to hate, from beauty to ugliness. Everything that touches me I transform into sounds, I can’t say what that is, but one thing is clear, to create you need to work, so basically creativity is what comes from my mind when I sit at the piano or synth or laptop etc. I get inspired and when I WORK it comes out. So everything stimulates me, but I use WORK to make things WORK.
- Do you have any advice for those looking to start a career as a DJ?
Ooof. It’s a hard job but an incredible journey. Mentally, physically and socially it’s one of the hardest jobs, you can laugh in my face, but when you DJ your brain is collapsing, a mental system as thin as ice, your neural connections working so FAST and analysing so much information, and all you are doing, is playing some other people's tracks one after another. Can u imagine? Simple things are the most complex and competitive. Being a DJ is hard. Being a DJ is a responsibility. If you are here for something other than music, I recommend picking any other kind of job, you be pleased and satisfied much faster and on a longer horizon, but, if you're here for the music, WELCOME ABOARD!
- What plans do you have for 2025?
I don’t like to talk about plans, I like to do things first and then discuss, cooking something up as usual, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
