feeder insider w/ Derëk
Keen on music even as a child, Derëk debuted at 17 in Ibiza, only to have a rising career in the field of electronic music. He is present on line-ups in renowned clubs in Europe, such as Fabric, Watergate, Eden or Club Der Visionaere, and at festivals like Sunwaves, Electric Castle and Dakini in Romania, or Transahara in Morocco. His productions have a distinct sound, with electroacoustic, musique concrete, glitch, and leftfield influences. The minimal or deep techno rhythms, which define the final result of his compositions, attracted collaborations with known labels such as Hourglass LTD, Parâng, Tzinah, and Youth Invasion Muzik.
Lately, Derëk has been working on his future releases, whilst preparing the launch of his own label, VHS Records, and surprised us with his presence in the Sunrise agency artists’ roster. He is also the one to sign the latest mix in the feeder sound series of podcasts, so we decided to learn more about him and his music.
VHS // Glitch // Minimal // House
I collect… VHS gifs.
Mornings are… full of heavy traffic in the Unirii area.
Year after year, Sunwaves… is increasingly lengthier.
A track that reminds me of childhood… Depeche Mode – Enjoy the silence.
I never refuse a piece of… Weather Report.
The visual arts are for music… like Coco Chanel for Igor Stravinsky.
The public spaces in Romania… are concrete.
When I want to see a good movie… I don’t find one.
Sometimes I forget… to remember.
3 artists, I have discovered in 2018… Vagif Mustafa-zadeh, Igor Kovaliov, Toshio Matsumoto.
feeder.ro: Hey, Derëk, we are happy to have this conversation and we thank you for your set. ☺ How have you curated the sound selection and what vibe have you tried to imprint on this mix?
Derëk: My sets usually reflect my mood and these are a collection that has drawn my attention lately and I wanted to share it with you.
f: What is your vision for VHS Records and what are you preparing for the future?
Derëk: A community of visual artists and producers that perfectly combine visual distort with glitch/ minimal house.
We are preparing the first EP created by Aoki Takamasa with a remix from G76, which will be released in record shops at the beginning of next year.
f: We know you discovered electronic music around the age of 14. Do you remember what drew you then to this zone?
Derëk: I am a man of contrasts. I like that electronic music is heterogeneous, playful and dark at the same time, thus it can be interpreted very subjectively.
f: What are you working at in the present? Do you plan a new release soon?
Derëk: I work on different plans; I am preparing 3 releases for Visionquest Special Edition, Full Scale and Emeth.
f: We have noticed two trains of thought concerning the purpose of electronic music. On one side, we have the DJs, the producers and the listeners who believe that the sole purpose of music is to make you dance, in contrast with those who see electronic music as a source of knowledge or a channel that can be used to educate the public. How do you see music and what would you like to convey to listeners?
Derëk: I see electronic music as something very syncretic, a way to access knowledge. You discover artists, moods, and experiences.
Surely it is a way to educate for the DJs and producers, as well as for the public.
f: How does your schedule for the rest of the year look like?
Derëk: Digging, production and some upcoming gigs in the country and in Europe.
f: feeder.ro reached 14 years of activity. In your opinion what is the role of online publications in relation to independent artists, in today’s context?
Derëk: Happy birthday! You do a wonderful job offering information from the source to a niche, interested public.
Words by Cristina Popa (random)
Traducere Oana Filip
Photo by Bogdan Marinescu
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