dJarto
"I have the same approach to every mix, there has to be a story."
"DJarto" started his passion for music in the early 90's as a radio host of electronic music shows, later he became the founder of the electronic scene in Kumanovo, as well as a longtime resident of the legendary club "Linka". An original lover of progressive house, inspired by a visit to the legendary club “Twilo” in '98, over the years he constantly changes his music style, which in recent years has been refined into groovy / minimal / dub techno. Techno-tourist, globe-trotter, in constant search of a new festival, managed to perform at "Burning Man" for two years in a row. A lover of vinyl sound, in Macedonia he is part of the promoter group "House".
In addition, listen to the pilot mix of Roomania and read the conversation with Igor Dzartovski.
Roomania: Hi DJarto. Unlike all the other mixes that reach us at our invitation, your mix for "Roomania" is special because you sent it to us at the exact moment after which we started a series of audio podcasts that define the brand "Roomania". What was the inspiration to record this set and why did you choose "Room 313" to promote it?
We have a little anecdote here, right? The mix was inspired by too much good music that due to the pandemic remained "not released" on a podium, so it was all turned into a mix that I definitely did not want to put on my "Soundcloud" profile, so in fact the mix fit in well with the timing of "Room 313" to start something new. And here are the beginnings of the new concept "Roomania".
Roomania: In the beginning of your musical journey you appear as a radio host. Tell us something more about that? What inspired you to be a radio host?
In the early 1990s, radio was a powerful medium, simply because there was no Internet. We collect the music in cassettes, a little vinyl and CDs. That is why I formed the concept "Technology", which was broadcast on several Kumanovo private radios during the years where I presented (at that time techno) music, with special emphasis on educating younger listeners. Music alone is sometimes not enough if you do not know the background of artists, producers and bands. In each show I told a story about a band, producer and music direction. I was enthusiastic and seriously preparing for each issue. I think that all this definitely had to do with the development of the modest scene that we made in Kumanovo, which later developed excellently and parried on the stage in the capital.
Roomania: "Linka" is a place that marks your DJ beginnings. How did you happen to be part of that story? What kind of culture did "Linka" present?
The club "Linka" was a wonderful place, and whoever came to Kumanovo "on the climb" in those years, definitely ended up there, and many people from Skopje came specially to parties there. In those years there were not many restrictions in any aspect and that contributed to the birth of a special culture, for example, people just did not want to go home, so after. That moment, you can hardly wait for the weekend where you know there will be no miss, such a thing no longer exists. The club had a special energy and it all started by accident, of course with the great passion of the brothers who own the club with whom I have been friends for a long time. Many enthusiasts came out of that club and I must say that in the golden years of the Skopje clubbing, the people of Kumanovo were always in the front lines;). Who he was, he knows.
DJarto live @ Smirnoff Boat Party, Ohrid
Roomania: Guided by the progression of your musical taste, we can say that you do not dwell on a certain style for too long. How did your musical evolution go? What were your beginnings and what music releases are holding your attention now?
In the 90's I was a huge fan of "progressive" sound. I was really one of the biggest fans of "DJ Sasha" and "John Digweed". As a "life-changing experience", I visited the legendary club "Twilo" in "NYC" and "10/15 Folsom" in San Francisco in the distant 98th year. After those two parties, Sasha released the mix for Global Underground, San Francisco, one of the most epic mixes I hear today. In the years that followed, the music was so revolutionary and fresh that I simply soaked up whatever came to my ear. But there must be one rule, music must have emotions and melody. I could never grasp the harsh techno sound, and the progression that happens to that someone to a minimalist sound must again have a melody, texture and groove. These are my rules for good electronic music. Today there are many releases that fit that musical taste, I love the minimal French sound, the artists "Janeret", "Miroloja"… "Bandcamp" has become perhaps the main source of great music, and again the Romanian producers like "Mihai Pol" take the lead. , "Cosmjn", "RQZ", "Vern", "Sublee", "Costin RP"… The list is endless.
Roomania: The epithet "globe-trotter" best describes you. Where did the love for your world adventures come from? Which would you single out as your favorite trips? Why?
There are two sides to travel. Globe-trotting, which for me personally is a more adequate word than today's inevitable travel influence. The trips are exclusively for my personal experience and eventual presentation of some photography, but from the photographic aspect (Djarto on Instagram).
But there is another aspect of traveling as a techno-tourist, and I have a large circle of friends around the world who associate travel with a visit to a festival and are always looking for a new clubbing experience. Among the special destinations I would like to single out the first few years of the BPM festival in Mexico, the first years of the Day Zero festival in Tulum, the Fusion festival, and one of my unfulfilled destinations is the obscure Garbitz festival in Poland.
photo: Sunwaves Festival, Mamaia (Romania)
Roomania: As a frequent visitor to Romanian festivals and a big fan of the Romanian minimalist style, it can be said that Romanian music releases reach you easily. Is it easy to make friends at a music event of that rank, since everyone attends for one purpose, and that is good music?
In 2011 we were one of the few who went to a festival in Romania, when there was literally no foreigner there and when the locals wondered why we were fighting so much to party in "Mamaia". We immediately became interesting to them and made a good connection. Within a few years, that scene simply exploded, both in terms of the music being released, and in terms of the huge following base of followers, which, apart from Romania, already exist from all over the world. It all started with a small modest tent where local DJs played music, so that the tent soon expanded to the level where the main stage of the legendary Sunwaves festival is now. Making friends and making contacts is very spontaneous, all these people are very simple, despite the great success in recent years they still have a huge amount of modesty and gratitude for what they do.
Roomania: What is the atmosphere like at festivals across Europe? From sound, to organization and audience, what is the comparison with the events that take place in our country? Are we on the right track or do we still need to work hard to catch up with the festivals that promote this sound?
I can not boast that we are on the right track. First of all, we do not have any specialized festivals (except for the sporadic Green Beach, Taksirat, D Festival…), because we do not have a specialized audience that enjoys a more specific sound. We have more rivalry between promoters, instead of cooperation. In the past, I think we missed the chance to give birth and establish a serious brand from a festival that will attract a regional audience.
Quality sound for this type of music is perhaps the single most important factor for a good festival. The "Function One" system is exclusively installed at Romanian festivals, which gives a top sonic experience that needs to be heard to be felt. There are no compromises here. Unfortunately, in our country, the sound has always been saved from the start, some short-term profit has always been thought of, and a combination of all these factors can not have a positive impact on building an audience base, no matter what type of music it is. Hopefully some new kids will change things when the post-pandemic restart begins.
photos: Day Zero Festival, Tulum (Mexico)
Roomania: Do trips around the world affect your taste in music?
It depends on the destination. Maybe not so directly, but in many of the destinations I try to find "our stage", be it a small club in Medellin, Colombia, a disco in Ho-Chi Minh that for the first time begins to promote some kind of electronic sound or a local internet radio station in Sao Paulo that nurtures minimal sound. South America is a good destination for any kind of musical inspiration, because the people there just love the rhythm too much.
Roomania: Aside from your world travels, we can not help but comment on the Burning Man experience, Nevada, USA. How many times have you attended this festival? How did your performance on "Burning Man" happen? Tell us briefly about this and capture the emotions that connect you to this event?
On social media, there is probably no one who has not heard of "Burning Man", which I was on twice in 2015/16. My performances were in different camps and there is mostly listening and playing different music from what we are promoting and playing now. Even in a strange way, it may have accelerated my musical transition to minimal sound. Maybe those performances gave me a signal that I am stagnating musically and I no longer enjoy that "deep / ethno / melodic house" sound, which is even over-represented there. From this point of view, now after 5 years, I would say it is time for a "Minimal Camp" of "Burning Man".
photo: Burning Man Festival, Nevada
Roomania: After the world madness began, a travel ban was imposed. How did they experience this news? How did he use the free time caused by the pandemic?
The beginning of the pandemic was a shock to all of us. I came back from a long trip two weeks before they closed, so I had no problem owning some home. From a musical point of view, the isolation had a very negative effect on me. Let's face it, the music we nurture has its place in dark little clubs with a focused audience. No matter how much I let her go "at home", it may keep me in some form, but not for long. If there is no audience in front of you, if there is no energy exchange, then we have a problem. The only thing I hope is that there will be a restart on the whole club scene after all this, people will no longer take things for granted, they will want to use every moment of freedom and they will want to play. I think about it while listening to or mixing music at home.
Roomania: You are a collector of records. How much is your collection? Are there any that I would single out as special?
Vinyl is back at the big door, and my collectible is divided into two cycles. The first was with the purchase of my first turntables in the 90s and the purchase of the first records, mostly from the first (and probably the only one of its kind) record store in Skopje, "Massiva Music", to my dear friend Zani Mitrevski aka DJ Pass- ngr ”. The renewal of my passion for vinyl in the last five years is because minimal music is exactly right for this format and a number of releases are coming out that interest me. My collection counts about 500 records, and I can freely say that the monthly order of vinyl, in addition to the bills, is a regular item in my household :).
Roomania: Our goal in promoting the mixes we publish is for the previous releases not to lag behind the new ones. Promote at the same time, which can be confirmed by your mix as the first and which has a lot of listening. Finally, how would you describe your mix for "Roomania"?
My approach to each mix is the same. There must be a story. And every story has an introduction, so the story should get on pace, eventually culminating, then slowly coming down to the end. I do not want to stack one lane behind another, monotonous 60-70 minutes without emotions. I do not like to "peel" all the time. The mix for listening and the set in the club should not be the same. Melody, vocals, break, groove, texture and one sinusoid from beginning to end. That would be my recipe for a good mix.
In addition, you can listen to all the published episodes from the first season “Cave of Hands“.
Thank you for being a part of “Roomania”. We hope that after this madness ends, we will be able to dance together.
More information about the audio series "Roomania", as well as listening to previous and subsequent episodes can be found on the Soundcloud profile of Roomania on Soundcloud and social media of "Room 313".
author:
Aleksandar Mitrik
Editor in chief
author:
Aleksandar Samardjiski
Editor in chief