Interview
A promising newcomer from the city of central Russia, Nizhny Novgorod.
Between his work with video-podcast TAKT, platforming likeminded electronic musicians from Nizhny Novogorod, and his recent debut EP on Ltd, w/Lbl, Leiba is helping to solidify the fresh scene of underground dance music selectors coming out of Russia.
What is your history with dance music?
I think there are very few unusual stories about how people started to like dance music. I have always liked dance music in different genres and at the same time attended jazz concerts, which were enough in my city.
What was the inspiration for your recent EP for Ltd, w/Lbl?
It turns out that over time, all those influences came together and you heard in the EP all that's inspiring me.
What is the history of TAKT, and what is your role in the project?
It seems that I came to DJing when the parties began to calm down. There are not many independent venues in my city, especially where house music is played. Therefore, it was necessary to somehow declare it for yourself.
After talking with friends, we agreed it would be cool to create an approachable series of video broadcasts, where guys like us will play. We got a lot of support from the local bar and started our live streams and stories around the local scene. After a year and a half, we have collected enough material and hope that the owners of local establishments will nevertheless pay attention to this part of the music culture.
For the last year, I have been running the project on my own, but fortunately, from time to time I meet like-minded people.
What is influencing the recent rise in Russian deep house music?
I can't say for sure what influenced the rise of the deep house in Russia. Probably high-speed internet (just kidding). It seems to me that the tough guys, who understand what they want, came at the right time and showed what the scene is capable of.
What informed your selections for this mix?
About the mix, everything is very simple, I do it for myself. I want to make it so that listening to music it would be great to walk in the evening or come back from work. I guess I always rely more on my mood when choosing tracks.
Best regards!