DJLarge

UMEK Can Party: Slovenian DJ, producer and label boss UMEK started down the electronic road when he was about 11.

“I discovered electronic music properly when I heard the Royal House track ‘Can You Party’. At the time, I was amazed by it, and thought “Wow, what is this?”, I loved it then and still do today,” he says. “I think it has become serious the moment I got paid for my first DJ gig. I started playing in small clubs in 1990/91 and became a professional DJ in 1993. So yes, I think that was the moment when my career started.”

He describes his sound today as “peak time techno.”

“In other words, it’s real energetic, high-energy techno that’s primarily aimed at the dancefloor,” he says. “I get inspired by the dancefloors of the world and try to bring that energy into my tracks when I’m in the studio.”

UMEK says that electronic music is in a “crazy” place right now.

“It’s crazy how many new artists are added every day,” he says. “On the one hand it’s very cool, but on the other hand I have mixed feelings. There are so many doors open for people who aren’t really technical DJs and don’t have studio skills, and it’s also crazy how easy it is to be successful these days just by being active on social media.”

His latest release is “Footmachine.”

“‘Footmachine’ is basically another stomper I recorded in my studio in Ljubljana,” he says. “It contains a big kick, pitched down AI vocals, and I’m very happy that I can record this stuff myself instead of hiring vocalists and then having problems with creative miscommunication. It’s pretty hard to explain to other artists what I’m trying to accomplish with my tracks. With AI, you can just type in the lyrics you need, sync them to the project, and use them without any delay in the creative process or waiting for delivery times.”

Looking ahead, UMEK has much planned for the second half of this year.

“The biggest thing for me this year is definitely the Footmachine release on Drumcode,” he says. “After that, I’m working on several other collaborations and singles to release this year. I’m also planning another tour of North and South America this fall, and performing at big festivals and clubs around the world, as I have for the past 30 years.”

UMEK Can Party: UMEK’s “Footmachine” is out now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Editor’s note: The disclaimer below refers to advertising posts and does not apply to this or any other editorial stories. LA Weekly editorial does not and will not sell content.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.