Tune
Ben Buitendijk – Near Mint (Oblique Music).
This track is a good example of good dance music (on my opinion). Beautiful and deep like a fairytale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYAPqry0ySQ
Album
Moby – Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep. I am listening to this album almost every day since I discovered it. A very serious and mature musical work from Moby.
Remix
Jaffa Surfa – Okota (Teluric remix) (Eating Records).
Teluric is a new producer from Romania. He made just a few releases but I can feel has his own touch in music. This remix is a good proof of his talent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tuZ4CDcWhg
Label
Aniara is one of my favorite labels at the moment. It has a distinct sounds and it is totally in line with the concept and the design of records. And I have all the 17 releases.
Breakthrough label
Hostom:
https://www.facebook.com/hostomrecords/?fref=ts
The label is ran by a very young and music passionate crew and it has established itself after only four releases coming out this year.
Producer
Janeret. He is a friend and colleague and has released lots of good music on this year. I think I played all his releases.
https://www.facebook.com/janeretmusic/?fref=ts
Festival
Gem Festival
https://www.facebook.com/GemFestival/
https://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?805819
It’s a relatively “young” festival in Georgia, based on the Black Sea coast. The collective are doing a great job and I look forward to their 3rd edition in July 2017: https://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?892420
Music Conference
ADE – This year I didn’t have the chance to attend the event this year but I was there in 2015 and I was impressed by the amount of good shows organized in 5 days. I like the idea of an industry event which gathers artists, music technology experts and other music industry professionals in place where everyone can catch up in a formal space (like the conference hall) and informal settings (like at events). It is a good time to meet the people you only had the chance to exchange emails. It was very inspiring and I hope for more serious events like this to
Radio Show
I didn’t have the chance to follow any particular radio show this year (apart from few online or FM transmissions) because of my touring schedule, but recently I discovered a very nice playlist on Soundcloud with old shows (1995-1996) from Kiss 100 FM with wonderful mixes from LTJ Bukem, Fabio and Grooverider – lots of Drum & Bass. I can’t stop listen to them.
https://soundcloud.com/jrumhand/ltj-bukem-kiss-fm-mix-1994
https://soundcloud.com/ethereal94/fabio-kiss-100-fm-20th-december-1996
Mainstage DJ
Sven Väth, he is 52 and is still doing what he likes: running lots of projects and touring non-stop with the same energy and enthusiasm. I wish I could do half of what he does at my age 🙂
Resident DJ
Lujio from Dominican Republic:
https://www.facebook.com/luijoofficial/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE
He always opens for me when I play there. He made a brilliant set for the Northern Lights tour gig at The Warehouse in Santo Domingo.
Also…
Isu from Aktrecords in Budapest. I have been playing at his annual event in December at A38 for the past 5 years and and Isu always makes a great warm up for my sets. Here’s the next event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1820083131604464/?notif_t=plan_user_invited¬if_id=1480504616479068
Club
In October I had the pleasure to play in Rome at Circolo Degli Illuminati. The atmosphere at the party was overwhelming. A fantastic audience, great club acoustic and a very professional collective. It is definitely one of the best working experience I had this year.
New Studio Equipment/Software
I didn’t have the chance to use it yet but I would like to try this new rotary mixer:
Taula 4: http://www.canelectricaudio.com/taula4/
Personal highlight of 2016
I had the opportunity to tour around the world and in countries I never played before. I was in Australia in March for the first time and loved the audience and felt very connected with the country. I moved from Moscow to Berlin to build a more stable routine in the week before gigs. I met new inspiring people which I know I will keep the connection with.
Your ambition for 2017…
To be able to bring more meaningful and still moments in my life and those of everyone around me. To have the strength to provide my best contribution in making this world a more conscious one. To let the music speak louder and Iife interact, and through this language become one with the stars – because when we all unite beautiful things can happen.
