Exclusive Interview with UMEK

Umek is widely regarded as one of the most influential players in the global techno scene and a true pioneer of forward thinking electronic music. 2010 was an exceptional year for the Slovenian artist and 1605 record label boss .  It was a year that saw him pack out the biggest clubs and land numerous download chart topping releases including ‘Back In The Race’ and ‘OMGWTF’.

2011 is starting on the same pace with the massive release of Toolroom Knights Mixed By Umek on Sunday March 13th 2011. For the occasion of the release we had a chance to talk to Umek and ask him questions about his last year, the Toolroom knights mix, his relationship with PHNTM, his production style etc.

How are you doing today?

Really fine, thank you. I’m having a really creative production period since the beginning of the year, the creative juices are flowing and I’m a bit sad I have to go for a tour that will keep me away from home for almost two months as I’m in the middle of a very interesting project with Beltek. Right now I’m sitting in the room outside my studio, taking a pause from todays session with my young prodigious colleague. We’ve started working on couple of new tracks sometimes in the mid January and hooked up so well that we decided to create the whole album together. Two months later we’ve already more than half way trough. As we speak Beltek is checking out if everything is OK with the mix of fifth or sixth track for this long player. Although I’ve had a lot of gigs at the end of 2010 I felt surprisingly fresh in the January. I took the traditional month off and spent most of the February in the studio, so now I am a bit tired. But that’s not that deep tiredness after the season. I’ll take couple of days off in Miami and than I’ll be ready for intense touring in the North America, Asia and Australia ‘till late April.

So, how did you first come in contact with Toolroom?

We’ve done our first project together in the beginning of 2010, when they ordered a remix for Thomas Gold’s track The Button. That track performed really well, so we stayed in touch. In the summer they released my track Chase the Moroder that also stirred a lot of attention as part of their Ibiza compilation. After that they offered me to mix the compilation for the Toolroom Knight series, and I was honoured they want me to be part of that series so I accepted and really did my best to make it special. I have secured eight exclusives from some of the best producers in the scene, I’ve contributed additional two new tracks and I’ve also produced and edited eight loops, which I mixed in between other tracks, which only an experienced ear will hear.

2010 was quite a year for you, would you say that you tried to sum up your past year to present in the mix you did for Toolroom?

That’s a good observation. In a way this mix sums up the style and energy I’ve developed in the past few months trough my productions, remixes and performances but as I’m a very future oriented person, I’ve also tried to lay down some directions for the months to come. Toolroom Knights compilation showcases some of the key artists that are contributing regularly to the development of 1605 sound and at the same time it sums up what I do at my shows. I used all the advantages of producing this compilation in the studio but it’s not done with the thought it will be played mostly at homes and cars, as I wanted to sum up the energy of my club and festival performances.

Would you say that the Toolroom nurtures similar sound as to what you stand for?

No, not really. I’d rather say that our sound is generally quite different, but we connect in the techno and tech-house segment. I’m a techno artist and Toolroom is one of the leading labels in the field of house, electro-house and tech-house. Now and then they also release some techno track, the same as I sometimes play something housy if I really like it. We have connecting points but we don’t really try to blend in each-others sound completely. We’ve seen this collaboration more as a challenge, what interesting can we make if we connect those two music worlds together. In any case I admire their courage to invite me on board and to try to expose their audience to a bit different, techno music.

What can we expect from you at the Toolroom party at Space, Miami on March 25th?

Those dedicated party animals that have had danced with us at the Toolroom party in the Ministry of Sound in London couple of weeks ago, already know what amazing energy can we create together. That night with Mark Knight and the rest of the crew was amazing and I believe we can top that in Miami as this gig coincides with Winter Music Conference and also with the Spring Break, if I’m not mistaken. I had a great time at Space before and I love Miami, not only for the WMC, it’ one of my favourite getaways as I feel really good and relaxed there, so I can’t wait to be back.

You recently teamed with PHNTM again and future the track Dead Spade on the mix. We hear similarities to Freak on the floor. Was this intentional or just a coincidence?

That’s simple. We never try to tell the same story twice, but sometimes when you work with the certain artist you approached him or her very similar on different occasions spontaneously. And that probably happened here. PHNTM has distinguished sound, he uses particular dirty samples and even if you want to take the story somewhere else, you are still moving in this groove. Not so rarely I create a track for which I’m sure that it sounds totally different than all previous but then people tell me it’s a typical Umek record – even if I intentionally use totally different bass, kick, hi-hats and everything else. But it seems that the structure of my productions is made in a similar way. And that might have happened in this collaboration with PHNTM. We did this two tracks in a short period of time and probably haven’t moved along with our sound that much and landed somewhere in the vicinity of the first collaboration.

What elements do you use to create that fingerprint feeling of acceleration in your tracks?

I don’t know exactly. I always produce the music with deejay and the dance floor in my mind. That’s why I always start with a minute long introduction that allows deejay to mix in the record with no problem. Next part of the track serves as an introduction for the key dramatic element of every production: a big breakdown and the following lift up. People like the building of the energy, the climax and the pause before the next bass drum hits them really hard. It’s all about the dynamics. It’s really important to choose the right sounds to gain the right respond on the dance floor. I use uplifting synths a lot. Every producer uses his own approach to build the atmosphere. I have mine, too. And I am paying a lot of attention to relation between the break and the next big bang. That must work as one element and has to include a lot of dynamic that the speakers can produce the same level of power I want to be felt on the dance floor.

All your tracks and most featured on this compilation, especially Hertz’s Red Ryder, tend to have violently pleasing bass lines. What is the secret in creating such powerful riffs and creative bass synthesis?

Those baselines are created on the base of italo disco sounds from the early 80s, when disco producers started to use electronic synths. If you want to create the proper power, you have to take a good care of the relation between the bass and middles, which gives you a sense that the bass line is also the main line at the same time. That’s an old disco trick. You can create those sounds simply by sampling or you re-write midi pattern. In any case it’s good to chop and edit the originals a bit, so that you bring something fresh to the music.

Your new track Sarajevo is also featured on the mix. What can you tell us about it and when can we expect it on the Beatport?

It should be out this Monday (March 13th). The track is homage to the people and the city of Sarajevo. That city has an unbelievable soul. The audience at the gigs is just amazing. I’ve spent part of my January break there and had a lovely time – as always when I visit the city for a gig.

Quickies:

What is your real name? Uroš Umek
Where are you from? Ljubljana, Slovenia
Favorite animal? I like dogs.
Favorite time of a day? Morning, after a good 8-hour sleep.
Do you prefer working on music alone or with others? It depends on how I feel and what I want to do. Right now I’m in the period that I like to collaborate with other artists such as Beltek, PHNTM, Jay Lumen …
If we made you sing karaoke what song would you sing? None. I’d hide behind the column and laugh at other people singing.