Six Drummers: The Key Questions
Skrufff Editor-in-chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)
Six Drummers: click for promo clip
Founded in 2001, Six Drummers is a group of artists that make music, film and live performances. Known from the films ”Music for one apartment and six drummers” and ”Sound of Noise”, the drummers make music from objects rather than regular instruments and explore the boundaries between sound, music and image.
Six Drummers have played live on vacuum cleaners, food processors, cars, forklifts, ice blocks, drum kits and more in New York, Washington, Moscow, Cannes, Berlin and Stockholm. shington DC,
Six Drummers are: Johannes Björk, Magnus Börjeson, Marcus Haraldson Boij, Fredrik Myhr, Sanna Persson-Halapi and Anders Vestergård (drummers), Johannes Stjärne Nilsson and Ola Simonsson (directors)
Bojan Boskovic (Exit Festival founder, Serbia); The Key Questions
Skrufff Editor-in-chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)
Bojan (click for more)
Bojan Boskovic is a one of the key characters in Serbia’s recent much troubled history, having co-founded Exit Festival – the festival which started as a student protest but turned into one of Europe’s most critically rated- and successful- music festivals.
Duncan Dick (Mixmag) The Key Questions
Skrufff chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)
Duncan Dick (click for more)
Duncan Dick (Mixmag Deputy Editor) The Key Questions
Duncan Dick joined British magazine Mixmag as a freelance writer in 2003, becoming clubs editor in 2005, features editor in 2007, then Deputy Editor in 2011.
As Mixmag’s occasional spokesman on the politics of rave he has called mephedrone ‘very moreish’ in front of 1 billion people on BBC News 24, incited civil disobedience in the Observer newspaper and once got into a shouting match with a representative of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People on the Today program on BBC Radio 2.
Tim Metz (Dancetrippin) The Key Questions
Skrufff chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)
Tim Metz (click for more)
Tim Metz (Dancetrippin) The Key Questions
Tim Metz (30) is co-owner and Director Marketing & Operations of DanceTrippin, the only dance-music content platform to operate both a highly popular international website and a 24/7 dance music linear TV channel.
Carl Loben (DJ Magazine): The Key Questions
Skrufff chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)
Carl Loben
Carl Loben (DJ Magazine): The Key Questions
Carl Loben is a Contributing Editor for DJ Magazine (UK), manages Liverpool electro-blues act Killaflaw, produces and DJs and also runs acclaimed independent label Westway with Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols).
Droog’s Andrei Osyka: From LA With Love (SWMC) (Interview)
Andrei Osyka (click for more on Culprit)
One of the more prominent and international events taking place at next weekend’s Sochi Music Winter Conference 2012 will be the showcase of LA’s stellar label — Culprit.
The showcase will feature Ukrainian expat Andrei Osyka, leader of the mighty Droog collective and label owner of acclaimed underground tech-house label Culprit. Also releasing on the likes of Crosstown Rebels, the trio of Andrei and fellow Droogs Brett Griffin, and Justin Sloe have held residencies at LA’s Avalon as well as touring the world spinning events including Sonar and Miami’s Winter Conference.
Russia’s Special Case: The Concept is Simple- Dance Music for Orgies (interview)
Special Case (Roustam stage left)
“Basically Russia is a large country with tremendous resources and almost unlimited opportunities. If the majority of the club industry stops striving for the lowest possible denominator with which to earn money, we will have a music scene to rival that of any other big electronic scene in the world.”
Growing up listening to Mid-western house and rave techno as he divided his time between Detroit and Moscow, Roustam Mirzoev received an impeccable grounding in electronic music, honed his knowledge still further after he opened a record shop in St Petersburg.
Promoting parties in Russia along the way, as a DJ he became well known for spinning acclaimed back 2 back sets with many of his headline guests such as Matt Tolfrey, Clive Henry, Valentino Kanzyani, culminating in him dipping his own toes in production in 2010.
“I recorded a track called ‘round:about’ just before Kazantip of 2010 with some gear I got for my birthday and sent it to a lot of my DJ friends just for fun,” Roustam recalls.
“To me I considered the track as already a great success and the highest point in my (then-non existent) musical career when Rhadoo played it with [a:rpia:r] one morning at Kazantip, during what was probably the most amazing Z-session ever,” he smiles.
“Honestly I thought that would be the pinnacle of my music career and I was happy with it.”
“Then to my surprise I came home to find an email from (Droog producer) Andrei Osyka, which included a video of him playing the track at LA’s Avalon and the place just exploding. He wanted to sign it to Culprit immediately, which was more than I’d ever hoped for, for my first real production.”
Long-term friend Arram Mantana also loved the track, introduced him to fellow Russian producer Tripmastaz and a mutual passion for each other’s music led to the trio teaming up as Special Case.
“I knew Arram from way back in the day when he used to buy records from me at my record shop in St.Petersburg and we’d stayed in touch ever since,” Roustam recalls.
“Anyway they made a great track with Tripmastaz which became Aurum — I knew immediately it was going to be a hit and would fit perfectly with the Culprit sound.”
“So I sent it to Andrei and he also loved it right away. After some deliberations (doing a split EP, etc) we just decided that we’re going to start our own brand new thing and to see how our three very different styles and creative approaches to music production and DJjng would turn out. The rest is as they say history.”
18 months on, they’ve released a follow up single with Tiefschwarz’ Souvenir Records and continue to work closely with Andrei Osyka and his label Culprit, performing together next weekend at Culprit’s label showcase at the Sochi Winter Music Conference (Saturday February 11). Musically, Roustam personally leans towards a ‘more minimal, reduced sound’, though Special Case he points out is different.
‘The concept for Special Case is simple,” he chuckles, “We make dance music for orgies.”
Chew The Fat Man Praises Tim Deluxe’s Message
Paul Arnold
London club promoter Paul Arnold chatted to Skrufff this week about moving his Chew The Fat parties to East London’s Xoyo and also revealed that he’d been particularly inspired by a recent Skrufff interview with Tim Deluxe in which Tim chatted candidly about the reality of life as an international DJ and club star.
“I really enjoyed the Tim Deluxe feature because it was fascinating and very truthful,” he said.
“I forwarded it to a few artists I manage who are in very similar situations. It’s so frustrating managing an artist who has such good opportunities but goes through those similar issues. This article has been a great help for them knowing it’s not just them,” said Paul.
Tim Deluxe (click on the picture to read the interview in full)
Lauhaus; Live @ Arma 17 (January 27)
Arma 17 (click for more)
Dutch minimal tech-house type Lauhaus visits Moscow’ Arma 17 this weekend where he’ll be spinning alongside Skrufff mainman Jonty Skrufff and Russian producers Mike Spirit and Special Case.
Starting his career ten years ago, he was initially best known for being one half of minimal tech duo Polder, as well as being one of 6 men laptop collective “Amsterdam 661”, though nowadays is increasingly standing alone.
“In the beginning of my career Polder was definitely my priority, but in the last few years, it’s been more about my solo Lauhaus stuff. But David Labeij (his Polder collaborator) and me are still best friends, so Polder definitely isn’t over,’ he says.
“How do I decide between ideas for Lauhaus and Polder? It’s all about a feeling,” he continues, “but in general Polder is more techno heavy then Lauhaus.”
2012: Mugwump’s Corporate Concerns (interview)
Click for more on Mugwump
“I’m pretty concerned about all the corporations taking control of the whole world and we’re obviously the batteries that are powering them, Matrix-stylee.”
Geoffroy Mugwump started his DJing/ music-making career in the 90s, pioneering Belgium’s New Beat scene though these days is as likely to produce disco as house, techno or whatever other style catches his interest. Working as Mugwump with Kolombo (aka Olivier Grégoire) he’s also one of Belgium’s recognized international DJs, yet despite his own personal popularity admits he’s more than a little worried about 2012.
“The future looks awful,” he sighs, “With a mix of the theories developed in science fiction movies and futuristic books such as Rollerball, The Matrix and 1984, all turning into reality.” (Click here to read George Orwell’s 1984 in full: http://www.george-orwell.org/1984 )
“Besides the huge and constant crimes of the financial institutions, the food, information and pharmaceutical industries are frightening, the self-effacement of the statesmen in favor of the lobbies is a reality and the only exit looks like being in the entertainment business. It’s a sad world,” he says.
