How’s the EDM scene in Russia?
Arty: Producers in Russia are pretty strong, there’s a lot of new talent. But the club scene is kind of dead, I don’t play there very often. People are educated about music though. They know which artists are hot and what music is trending, and EDM is popular on social media there, but it’s not very popular in terms of people going to big festivals and all that.
So growing up in Russia then, was it tough getting into EDM?
Arty: It was, because there wasn’t much internet. At least no fast connection. My first decent internet connection was in 2008, and that’s the first time I could actually put out my music and get in touch with labels. It was challenging, for sure.
Which artists inspired you most to get into EDM?
Arty: Axwell, Eric Prydz and deadmau5.
You actually have a collaboration coming up with Axwell, don’t you?
Arty: Yeah, I’m not sure if that’s going to work anymore. At least, not any time soon.
You’ve worked with Mat Zo a lot. How did that partnership begin?
Arty: We have a lot in common, so it works really well. We both enjoy producing the same music and listening to the same music. Anjunabeats first put us together, and Mat sent me an idea for “Rebound” and I loved it so I hopped on board. Same thing happened with “Mozart.” I sent the idea to Mat and he put his touch on it.
Anjunabeats has played a huge part in your career. What do they bring to the table?
Arty: They really care about their artists, they make you feel like family. They’re also very hands-on with all of their releases. They’ll never just throw something out there. I love those guys. They gave me so much support early in my career and I’m very thankful for that.
What can we expect from you in 2015?
Arty: Album, album, album. A bunch of stuff around the album. That’s the main thing. There will be a couple of remixes, too. I can’t give any specifics though, sorry.
That concludes our interview, but we’d like to thank Arty very much for his time. Check out his recent single, “Night Light This” below and let us know what you think in the comments section.