The frontrunner of the electronic scene in China signs for Spinnin’ Records. World exclusive…
As Spinnin’ Records is known for discovering and developing new talents in dance music, the Dutch label recently set the goal to find China’s rising stars. The country is starting to embraces dance music; the amount of festivals is increasing leading to a considerable growth of DJs, resulting in more and more productions emerging from this highly evolving scene. As the Dutch label started to look for new artists, this quickly led to the first official signing of a Chinese artist: please welcome DJ CARTA!! CARTA has quickly established himself as the frontrunner of electronic musical talent from China. Between an initial residency at one of Shanghai’s top nightclubs M18 and features at almost all of the largest venues in Shanghai, he has garnered both the support of all the local DJs and captivated fans both young and seasoned with his high-energy live performances. The first releases of CARTA are expected to be released in April and June, before that he will feature as resident DJ during the Spinnin’ Sessions mini tour through Asia, passing by cities like Hong Kong, Chengdu and Taipei. After this he will join the five-day event Spinnin’ Hotel during the Winter Music Conference in Miami, USA. Dan Prince checks in…
CARTA – a huge welcome to DMCWORLD. Where on Planet Earth are you right now?
Thanks Dan! Shanghai, China.
So young man, a hearty congratulations on you becoming the first Chinese artist to EVER sign with the legendary Spinnin’ Records. How did this all happen?
Honestly, everything happened really quickly throughout the last few months. Thanks to IMS, hosted by A2live, the Spinnin’ boys came out to Shanghai for the conference. Basically, we met up, chatted, the vibe was really good, they invited us to ADE and BOOM! Magic.
What are the first releases planned for the label?
My first release is coming out in April. It’s a collab, but I’m pretty sure I can’t yet say with whom the collab is. Keep an eye out! I’ll drop it on my socials soon.
How would you describe your production style?
I wouldn’t say I have a specific style yet, because I’m still trying to test the water out, but I’ll eventually find my own sound and style. Although the only thing I CAN say about my releases is that they’re all high-energy, DJ-friendly tracks.
Some cool photos of you sharing the booth with some proper legends of the wheels of the steel; Fedde Le Grand, R3hab and Quintino to name but a few. Have you ever been starstruck meeting a world famous producer?
OHHHHH Yeah! When I met Tiësto at the Storm Festival in Shanghai. The only thing I said when we met was “oh shit.”
What are the 5 big tunes in your box this weekend…
‘Sweet & Sour’ by Mike Williams
I really like the melodic breakdown with a combination of future house sounds and a bass house drop. Very DJ-friendly, I’ll play it a lot in my sets.
‘Feel Good’ by Fedde Le Grand and Holl & Rush
I love the old school breakbeat break down, and the drop is super fresh and unique, I’ve never heard of anything like that before. Love it. Big ups.
‘Don’t You Worry Child’ by Swedish House Mafia ft. John Martin Favorite track of all time. Played it in almost every single one of my sets in the past two years.
‘SEX’ by Cheat Codes & Kriss Kross Amsterdam
Super excited about this track, was listening to it on repeat ever since I got it as an ID. Looking forward to making a bootleg of it, and hopefully I can get a official remix release on it, but let’s see what happens.
ID by ID (ID Edit)
Savage.
We were in Shanghai a few years ago and the scene was certainly different. Not so much hands in the air, more hands in pockets. What has changed in recent years that has seen the Chinese clubber finally ‘get it’…?
It really depends on the club, it depends on the night, it depends on who’s playing. You can’t really say that the scene has changed or hasn’t, it really depends on a lot of different aspects, but one thing’s for sure – the EDM scene is getting bigger and bigger.
Okay let’s rewind for a moment. What is your earliest memory of music?
I grew up in China as a kid, so I was listening to Chinese pop songs early on. That’s probably as far back as I can remember.
At what age did dance music first appear on your radar and how?
When I was 13, thanks to ‘ONE’ by Swedish House Mafia & Pharrell. I bought the NOW 76th edition CD of Top Dance Songs, something like that…and ‘One’ was on that album. When I heard it I was like “DAMN SON, where did you find this.”
What was your own steps into the world of production or DJing?
I got my first ever DJ set on my 14th birthday, and ever since then I’ve been distracted by EDM from school. The rest is history.
When did the idea of a career in music first form in your head?
When my track got onto the demo of the week on Hardwell On Air in 2013. That moment made a career in music seem real to me like, I can do this.
What did your family think of this decision?
At first they were really against the idea of me being a DJ, because they didn’t really understand the scene at all…but ever since my mom found out her son’s track made it to the #1 DJ’s radio podcast, I got their support and I just kept going with it.
Can you recall the first superstar DJ you saw live and first incredible club you went to?
I saw Steve Aoki at MAO LiveHouse in Shanghai, China in 2011. It’s technically not even a club, it was kind of like a warehouse, but the energy was crazy and I got hooked on everything EDM ever since then.
Where can the world catch you playing live in the next few months?
I’m playing at Spinnin’ Sessions’ Asia club tour in the next few weeks, and I’ll be joining the Spinnin’ team in Miami at the Spinnin’ Hotel in Miami.
Do any of your family ever come to your gigs?
Yes, my mom likes to come to all the big shows I do. She sometimes jokes about offering to dance on stage during my sets, which I always kindly decline her offers.
What do you want to have achieved in the next 12 months?
I want to get as much support as I can from all the big DJs in the next 12 months, and that’ll be a first step of my career.
What other Chinese DJs can you big up at the moment?
There are so many talented people out here I honestly can’t just name a few because that wouldn’t be fair to everyone else. Come to Shanghai and check the scene out for yourself!
And finally, you DJ’d alongside Helena Legend a few weeks ago. Has she the best arse in electronic music or what?
Well, I’m afraid to say that I can neither confirm nor deny any rumors you may or may not have heard because all of that is strictly confidential!!!
*****
NYE aftermovie…
