Photo: Press (Abelle)
I became a DJ because: DJing is what makes me happy, when I do that i enjoy my life at the fullest. I love the feeling of losing yourself in the music and becoming one with the floor.
Today I’m DJing with: Regularly I prefer to play with 3 CDJs – I like the possibilities the setup gives you with an option to make loops. When I play experimental sets, I also use turntables to play the experimental and noise records I am collecting.
My first DJ set: My DJ début took place in 2004 at the first party we threw for 30 friend together with Alexei, my partner and later also the founder of Arma17. The party was dedicated to the traditional Russian Ivan Kupala night. On Kupala day, young people jump over the bonfires and swim naked. We chose a place at the bank of a reservoir near Moscow. The only lights we had that time came from a projector pointing at the smoke from the fire.
What makes a good DJ for you? First of all, that it’s a musically educated person who understands the history of music and doesn’t put himself into the boundaries of a certain genre. Someone who is able to move through different style and moods. Secondly, a good DJ must have an idea of what he’s doing to the floor, immersing himself into music, leading the floor according to that idea. Most important however is the ability to sync the people, merge their spirits into a single collective soul.
Through my residency at Arma17 I have learned that: The years of residency at Arma17 have taught me that sincerity is key. Only if you play music which you resonate with emotionally, then people are ready to trust you and follow you far, far away. Do not underestimate the crowd. If you think people won’t be able to feel a certain track and put yourself into bounds by selecting something which will “work”, you deprive yourself of the joy of DJing and expressing yourself. You can lose the trust and love of the audience
This is what I’m doing when I’m not DJing: The main part of my life is being busy with the Arma17 club and Outline festival. Another important thing in my life is raising a daughter who’s going to be 4 in December. I love reading books in my spare time. At the moment, I’m keen on classical Russian Literature – Tolstoi, Kuprin, Turgenev. Dostoyevskiy is in the cue. Only now I can recognize the depth and power of these works of art. Reading these writers, you can understand about something new at any age.
My secret weapon: My secret weapon is a classical musical education. I learned violin and even although I have not played it since 16 years after I understand how much that gave me for what I do now.
Stream: Abelle – Am Deck 30
01. Celldöd – Ögon I Nacken
02. Minimal Man – Jungle Song
03. Die Form – Leders Klub
04. Unbroken Dub – Factory Presets Imporvisation
05. Nocturnal Emissions – Demon Circuits Bloodbath
06. Parrish Smith – Savior As The False
07. Tackle – Stung
08. Ron Morelli – Modern Paranoia
09. Nick Klein – Drive Through The Rainbow
10. Esplendor Geometrico – 30 Km de Radio (Chris & Cosey – 3D Mix)
11. Windbreaker – Primitive Humans
12. Edmundy – Astropsychics
13. Elec Pt.1 – Moonoo
14. Jack Curtu – Paranoia
