Pe:Te

Proof of the raw talent taking over the Czech Drum & Bass scene right now, rising local jump-up star, Magenta, recently teamed up with Prague-based producer Pe:Te to deliver a certified anthem on the increasingly popular Hoofbeats Music. An undeniably catchy and feel-good summertime-laced cut, ‘Away’ brings together two of DnB’s most exciting names in a way that has you leading to the dancefloor with relative ease.

Fresh off the back of his collaboration with Magenta, we caught up with Let It Roll artist Pe:Te for an exclusive DMC World chat…

Can you tell us about your journey into music production and how you discovered Drum & Bass?

I first heard Drum & Bass around 2002. I remember I got a CD called Jungle & DNB, there were songs from Aphrodite and Dillinja, and it was awesome, something new. That was a great time to explore new DnB music and producers. Without Spotify or YouTube, it was like treasure hunting, and I was excited about it! Because I loved it, I started playing as a DJ around 2009. After a few years of Djing, I was curious about the production process and how to make music, so I started trying to make my first beats.

How has the Czech electronic music scene influenced your sound as a producer?

There are a lot of great producers in CZ/SK, but not many of them make “melody” Drum & Bass. We’re more into harder styles and have an army of great producers like QO, Holotrope, Notequal, Absu, A-Cray, Zigi SC, etc. I like all kinds of Drum & Bass, but I follow producers like Madface, Changing Faces, Magenta or Ripple for my production. But overall, it’s great to see how many talented people we have in CZ/SK, and I look forward to their future music.

Your latest release on Hoofbeats Music, a collaboration with Magenta titled ‘Away’, has received much positive attention. Can you tell us how the partnership came about and what the track means to you?

We met at a party, of course! We have a lot of friends in common, so it was easy to meet each other. Magenta is a great, friendly, humble guy and a great producer. I expect he will be a big name on the jump-up scene, so I’m grateful we have collaborated together. ‘Away’ is not typical for Magenta, but I’m glad we made the track as we did, in a different way from our first collab ‘, Bullet’. I like this track because I was making it during summer, so I always hear the groove and feel summer vibes 🙂 I’m also happy we released it on the label Hoofbeats; they made a massive footprint in the DnB scene in the Czech Republic, so it’s great we’re part of it.

You can buy/stream it here: https://cygnusmusic.link/brvryxx

Can you walk us through your creative process when producing a new track?

I always start with some melody, bass or synth. You can build the rest on it if you find a good sample or make a good synth and feel the vibe. Sometimes I lose it, so I have to start again, but you have endless possibilities for how to create music, so if you lose the vibe in the first attempt, the second can bring something else and better.

As a live performer, what sets your shows apart from others in the industry, and how do you engage with your audience during a performance?

I don’t know. I’ve never been in the crowd when I’m playing 🙂 It’s essential to be in touch with people, look at their reactions, and, based on that, create the story of your set. But I don’t make anything special; I carefully prepare a tracklist regarding the party, where and when I play. I support big DJs/producers, so I prepare the crowd for them or continue after them to keep the atmosphere. But as I said, I like all kinds of Drum & Bass, so I like to change it, sometimes deep or liquid, or sometimes heavy mainstream Neurofunk.

What hobbies and interests do you have outside of music?

My daily job? 😀 I like to spend time in nature, on the bike, walking, hiking etc. Being in touch with nature; can calm me down, which is essential now because everything is fast. But my family and my awesome supportive wife are the biggest interest in my life.

What advice would you give aspiring producers looking to make a name for themselves in the electronic music industry?

Oh man, I’m terrible at this. Look at my name; it’s just a nickname from high school with a double dot in it. But somebody told me it’s good to start with the letter A because a lot of flyers are alphabetically, so you’ll be at the beginning, smart 🙂

What can fans expect from you in the future? Do you want to share any upcoming projects or collaborations with our readers?

I’m working on new music, some jump-up tracks, and some deep and mainstream ones. So there will be something released soon. But at this moment, I’m getting ready for my most significant project in collaboration with my wife called Baby 🙂

Pe:Te & Magenta’s ‘Away’ is out now on Hoofbeats Music