Photo: Viikatory (Salut 80 & Verde)
„You can always rely on the residents. They know the club, the crowd, the sound system, and they are a pillar of the musical identity of a club, just as important as the architecture, the acoustics or the interior design,” Nick Höppner once said in Groove. Our monthly Resident Podcast aims to give the residents of clubs and collectives working locally and internationally the attention and respect they deserve.
There’s nothing quite as essential as the beat, and the name of the Warsaw-based collective 1-2-3-4 couldn’t make that any clearer. However, co-founders Salut 80 (Stas) and Verde (Yura) will be the first ones to tell you that their approach to organising events, making music, curating a high-quality podcast, and—newly so—running a label is about a lot more than just thumping club bangers.
The duo’s contribution for our Resident Podcast attests to that and features tracks by close affiliates such Viikatory, artists whose work the two admire and some previously unreleased cuts by Salut 80 and Verde themselves. It’s a sprawling mix dedicated to the 1-2-3-4 that electronic music dance music is built upon, but also explores the many facets of the two as DJs.
How did the two of you get into electronic music in the first place, and what led to you stepping up to the decks?
Yura: I started pursuing music from a young age and graduated from a music school. Then pursued a degree in arranging at university. At school I listened to a lot of different music from old school hip-hop to classic electro when I skateboarded and breakdanced. Already at university, I encountered academic music. I was attracted to the subjects of instrumentation and composition. It was then that I began to take a more in-depth interest in electronic music. Due to the specifics of my education, I had to understand synthesizers, sound processing and software, which is what I do to this day.
Stas: At a young age, I used to create my own compilations on cassette tapes, recording music from late-night radio shows onto my cassette recorder. Then, I would meticulously compile the recorded material from one tape deck to another. Additionally, a history teacher at school, who was an electronic music enthusiast, had a significant influence on my musical taste. We exchanged audio cassettes and engaged in lengthy discussions about music. By the way, we are still in touch and continue to share music with each other. It was after listening to the Liam Howlett’s mix The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One on XL Recordings from 1999 that I realised it was my desire to become a DJ.
How were you involved in the local scene before founding 1-2-3-4?
Yura: At some point, my passion for music led me to start organising small parties for friends in completely different places, from rooftops to interesting street locations. We just brought our turntables, speakers, and a generator. Then, after a while, we came to the clubs.
Stas: I also organised parties with various artists whose music I enjoyed. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that through music, you can meet musicians and like-minded people from all over the world.
What was your motivation to start 1-2-3-4 in 2018?
Yura: I met Stas, like with many other interesting people, at a party long before the creation of the project. Stas invited me to play as a DJ at his own party. After that, we became friends and started talking regularly. We had many different ideas, and one of them was the concept of creating a collaborative project called 1-2-3-4. Our motives have always been and remain very simple—meeting new interesting people, discussing synthesizers, jamming, and, of course, parties.
Your self-description defines you as a “community that comprises friends, DJs, and musicians”—notably putting “friends” first. Who else on board besides the two of you and Viikatory, arguably the most visible fixture in the 1-2-3-4 cosmos?
Stas: Friendship and personal relationships are significant to us. We personally know almost all the artists who have recorded mixes for our podcast or performed at our parties, and we maintain friendly relations with them. Additionally, we have friends on our team who assist us in organising parties, and behind the scenes, they play an essential role as well.
Yura: It’s worth mentioning that the foundation of our priorities is, first and foremost, our love for music. However, friendship is undoubtedly an important aspect of what we do.
What conceptual approach do you follow in your programming in regard to musical styles and the DJs whom you invite to play at your events?
Yura: We like completely different electronic genres. Therefore, we always try to think through the line-up of our parties, and so that the performances of the artists move according to a given concept, thereby creating a complete impression.
Stas: We also organised a series, called Total Back2Back, for which we gathered a group of five to six DJs and played one track at a time all night long, thereby creating one big joint mix. In the future, we plan to invite even more participants to this project.
1-2-3-4 was started in Minsk, but you have since relocated to Poland and only slowly started organising events again such as recently at the Blask Record Store and, next up, a joint event with Mechatronica in Warsaw. How did you find the scene upon your arrival in the city?
Yura: First, Vika [alias Viikatory] and I relocated to Warsaw and lived here for some time. Soon after, Stas also moved to Warsaw. Once we were all reunited, our interest shifted from organising parties to focusing on making music. We brought our synthesizers, reconfigured our studios, and began producing new staff regularly. After a while, we met the great folks from Blask Record Store, who proposed hosting our event. Now, we eagerly anticipate our next party with Mechatronica at K-Bar.
Stas: Regarding the electronic music scene in Poland, it has always maintained a high standard. However, in my opinion, it has recently gained significant strength with the emergence of many talented Belarusian and Ukrainian artists.
Beyond your events, you also run a podcast. How do you go about programming the series?
Stas: We release DJ mixes as they become available and are very grateful to all the artists for their work. We don’t adhere to a specific stylistic framework, and if you listen to different episodes of the 1-2-3-4 podcast, you will notice that the music varies widely—from ambient and breakbeat-hardcore to electro and house.
Both of you are active as music producers as well. Stas has recently contributed a track to a compilation by the Berlin-based Warning collective while Yuri has put a collaborative track with Viikatory and in the past also had appearances on compilations by Hamburg’s PAL’s in-house label, among other things. What role does making music play in your respective lives?
Yura: Music is an important and integral part of my life. I’m drawn to the process of creating and immersing myself in a variety of sounds. I’m very happy when I finish one track and move on to the next. This pleasant feeling is difficult to describe, but it compels me not to stop.
Stas: Music for me is a universal international language through which I can convey my experiences and emotions to other people. Creating music is a continuous process of personal evolution for me.
Unsurprisingly, the two of you have also collaborate in the studio. What does your joint working process process look like and how do you prepare when preparing B2B in club settings and for radio shows?
Yura: During our projects creation process, we focus extensively on synthesizing sounds and discovering a specific instrument sound that resonates with both of us. Additionally, working with vintage instruments requires continuous exploration and comprehension of their capabilities. Given that we are always striving to enhance aspects of our works, it might suggest that we derive more pleasure from the process of creating than from the final outcome.
Stas: When preparing for joint performances, we simply gather together and have a sort of home party. We have some beer, take turns playing tracks, and discuss what could be included in a particular podcast or our joint performance, as well as what to focus on in future works.
1-2-3-4 has a very striking visual aesthetic. Who is in charge of that and what do you try to convey through your artwork?
Yura: We’ve been working with designer Pedro Noguera from Spain for a long time, and we’ve developed a common creative understanding. This collaboration allows us to create excellent and memorable works that combine our love for the aesthetics of the 1990s and its influence on the cultural heritage of our time. We want to convey the atmosphere of freedom and creativity that was characteristic of that period.
What about recording mixes? How did you for example approach your contribution to our Resident Podcast and what was your idea behind it?
Stas: Our idea was to showcase a variety of works, including our own, as well as those of our friends and other talented producers whose music we enjoy.
Last but not least: What are your plans for the future, and what can we expect from 1-2-3-4 in the coming months?
Yura: We finally decided to launch label and featured several tracks from our upcoming release in our mix. So now we’ll be developing the label, working in the studio, and, of course, throwing parties.
Stas: As we move forward, we are full of enthusiasm and plan to continue creating music, exploring new sounds, and collaborating with talented artists worldwide. We are grateful for the support of our friends and fellow musicians.
Stream: Salut 80 & Verde – Groove Resident Podcast 50
01. Salut 80, Verde – Introduction (Unreleased)
02. Verde – Entry Control (Forthcoming on 1-2-3-4)
03. N9oc – Memory Allocator (Die Orakel)
04. Mars Leder – NTP (Warning)
05. Sam & Jack Brickel – LSB (Animalia)
06. Hamatsuki – Routes (Fantastic Planet)
07. Salut 80 – Abyssal Data Code (Forthcoming on 1-2-3-4)
08. ADT & Daniele Paduano – Relation (Mechatronica)
09. Viikatory – Acid Waves (Forthcoming on 1-2-3-4)
10. Voigtmann – Lowrider (20:20 Vision)
11. Eversines – Digital Plant System (De Lichting)
12. Verde, Salut 80 – Hissvox (Unreleased)
13. Reptant – First Contakt (R.A.N.D. Muzik Recordings)
14. E.R.P. – Zrx (Frustrated Funk)
15. Reedale Rise – Hypersleep (Where We Met)
16. Thru Zero – M-Trans (Sunrise Inc.)
17. Salut 80, Verde – Ending (Unreleased)
