You are quite known well in Latvian dance music scene. What are the projects you are in at the moment?
Well, I was involved tuff in Space:Garage during this year, I mean from summer 2007 till summer 2008, when it get closed, playing there early morning sets almost every Friday… Untill it get closed. It was very worm, friendly and I fucking loved it! I was not involved in it as promoter, ZeDmitry, Coky, Kirill and Dace had a lot of work in there. Big respect for them, unfinite love. And DJ Ksenia Kamikaza was doing booking for them. Great booking I must say. I hope Garage will continue at another location…. We really created a great family. Lovely atmosphere.
Than, I was running jungle party ‘Spyseed Jah:gle’ for about 3 years as promoter. It was very successful, but than people seems to lost interest in Jungle, me too honestly, so i closed it.
I’m not really productive as producer. I do sketches time to time, only when inspiration comes… I have a lot of them… But my sound really upset me. Software sucks, so I use computer just as composer tool, to record some ideas I have running in my head. Than I hope I will finish them in real boxes, hardware stuff: synths, samplers, outboard. I do buy this old school boxes as a freak, but they still waiting to be explored… or not. Let’s see.
Inside Space:Garage: Gonzo, Madara and Patricija, Kirill and P.Toile, DV5 and P.Toile, Coky bihind the bar, ZeDmitry, Beti and Heincha
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How is it going for “Fuck for Friendship”? Do you produce music or only djing at the moment? Any specific plans, related with the music production, for a future?
Fuck For Friendship is having summer holiday. ZeDmitry has played with Android at very respectable German festival, Fusion. Ivars Mednis and DV5 played in Western Europe a few times this summer. But in Riga we’re resting. Waiting for next season.
My plans for producing music are huge. Let’s see. If readers of DJ magazine will wish me more time and power in producing, it’s gonna help. 🙂
Inside Space:Garage: GusGus, Zedmitry, Smash TV, Koze, Kone
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What have you been doing in summer? Played somewhere, visited some nice festivals, parties abroad?
Yes, I played at very small open air called ‘Baltic Rainbows 2008‘. There we enjoyed exclusive live set of Selffish for instance, I adore his music. This time he performed together with vocalist Zoya. Beautiful music, I must say! I did couple of tracks with her too. The party was small, but very friendly atmosphere, I got drunk… And we played great set with Ivars Mednis back to back!
Baltic Rainbows 2008, photos by pelmeshkin.com
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You are dj, producer, promoter etc. But if I ask to choose only one of these, what would you choose and why?
DJ! Djing gives me greater contact with audience. I think you never can make people that high if you playing only your own stuff. Because diversity is the key! Even greatest producers get boring if they play longer than 45 minutes. As DJ you can be very different, if you know how! And thats the power.
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What is music for you? Do you have any musical background? How did it happen, that you turned to electronic dance music? What music do you like? What are the artists that inspire you?
Music is my life. I can not live without music. I must play music for people, I must choose for them best music (out of 99% shit), this is why I was bring into this planet. You can call it my job, it’s my purpose. I must make people high, I must make them dance, I must get them flirting, and hopefully some even getting in love, I must get them feel free. Background… I was studying to play clarinet and piano when being a child. Than guitar, three punk chords, bass guitar, reggae bass-lines. Than computer with midi keyboard.
I like good music. Good means intellectual, groovy, funky, sexy, complicated, deep. If going to genres, I would say minimal tech house with melodic and romantic touch, nu’jazz with danceable uplifting touch. A bit of everything, but good. ‘Good taste’ can describe it all. Artists… I do not know any artist who makes only good tracks. Each of them has few good and many bad. But that’s ok. Maybe bad track for me is good for somebody else. So I’m not going to call names. I mean each composer can have bad and good mood. Music which comes out of bad mood makes people feel bad, and vice versa. If you in bad mood, you may want to listen this music, but it only will get you deeper. I use music as a tool to make people fill better.
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Do you live only from the music or do you have “normal” jobs? You are in a graphic design, aren’t you? You probably use your skills for designing flyers and stuff?
Yes, I’m graphic designer by day, DJ by night. It’s so obvious, many graphic designers are producers or DJs. But I glad I had one and half year doing only Djing. Due to economic crisis it’s over. So I had to start daytime job again. Beside graphic I run few porn websites, it bring me some money and some fun. It’s interesting in terms of statistics. What people click on.
I was doing a lot party flyers during last ten years, but not anymore. First, flyer is lost its importance due to internet, second I want to devote more time to producing music.
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Could you tell more about the dance music scene in this city? Can you call the scene active? Is the audience is good, educated? Are there enough foreign djs and musicians coming to Riga? What’s the situation in other cities of Latvia?
Well, it’s like everywhere, big clubs full of people who just can accept MTV hits, small clubs for those who love good music. Yes scene is active. DJing in Latvia has quite a long history, rooting from beginning of 90’s, when disk jockeys used to play and scratch on tape players, which was extraordinary in world by itself. Firs vinyl DJ in USSR is from LV, Janis Krauklis. You can catch him playing sometimes. Many new DJs.
I can’t say audience is really educated, because many educated people left clubs due age, children or family. We try to educate new ones. It’s never ending process. But I must say Riga is best place for me to play. It can be hard, it can be disappointed, but it can be really high too. Those moments are worth living.
Foreign musicians I see more often come to Lithuania than to Latvia. As I understand it, you guys have more sponsor money. But again, we had very ‘creme de la creme’ in Spece:Garage. Really. Just every Friday party was so warm and lovely. I heard from Holger Zilske (Smash TV) and P. Toile that they already missing Garage. About other cities I would mention Liepaja. While in Riga all this dance movement seems to get smaller, there people are very up to it.
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If I get right, in last years there was a Space Garage, which was quite important place in Riga’s underground? It’s closed now, right? Why? What are the best alternative places at the moment?
Garage was in Andrejsala, which is big area of former port, given by our minister of culture for all kind of cultural projects. Exhibitions, theaters, parties, concerts, clubs, crazy bikes workshop, hostel. As the place got attention and become famous, a big posh club was open there too. Than problems stared. One its visitor sinked in water to death. So authorities decided to shut down all clubs, only allowing art places. Thats why Spece:Garage was closed too.
Now… I like clubs where I play, Cuba Cafe, Pulkvedis. They aren’t so alternative, but still quite. Term alternative lost it’s significance anyway. Tea room Goija is what I would recommend to visit.
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Are there the old, derelict factories, warehouses etc. used for parties in Riga or other Latvian cities? Do you often make raves? Maybe there are some annual events, which are worth of attention? Do you have a leading underground dance music festival, like Lithuanians has “Tundra”?
Big open air festivals are pop in Latvia. Other are good, but I can’t remember, sorry.
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Do you enjoy playing in Lithuania? Did you play many times here? What do you think about the moving, interaction and coo-working between Latvian and Lithuanian djs, musicians, event organizers? Is there a good dialog? If you think, that things could be better – tell what those things are and how they could change. What do you think about Druskininkai and the party?
Druskas Naktis was nice, we loved to play there. I like to come to Lithuania, I do regularly. It’s always pleasure to play abroad. We have much closer connection comparing to Estonia. It’s going both on pop and underground levels. I wish it to come closer, and thats what is happening right now.
Kone and Vital at Druska Naktis, Druskininkai, Lithuania, 2008
Interview by Rimas, DJ Mag LT.