Hailing from Saint-Petersburg, Russia, rising star Denis Shubin has been DJing and promoting events as Tekstil Music co- founder for many years, and recently DJed in club “KPD”. His credible take on house and techno has been delivered on labels such as Plant 74 Records, Базовое техно, Underground Experience and Hypnologic Music, and his stunning new EP on Amber Muse is a testament to his eclectic and authentic production style. We invited him along for a chat, and a guest slot on our radio show with Just Her.
Hey Denis, welcome to Constant Circles. Firstly, what is your background & how did you get into music?
Hi, thanks for having me. Since childhood, I’ve been passionate about good music, and in a variety of styles, I have always loved and like to listen to different genres of rock, electronica and even rap sometimes. As for creativity, after young years spent in novice punk rock bands somewhere in the early 2000s, I became interested in vinyl, DJing and nightclubs.
A few years later, with my friends, we founded the promo group Tekstil Music, the achievements of which were several hundred events and showcases, as well as two wicked club projects in St. Petersburg (DOT and KPD). As a DJ, I managed to interact with different dance floors in Europe, Southeast Asia and, of course, in my native Russia, with its particular aspects and a very colourful scene …
And of course all this time I’ve been experimenting with electronic musical instruments, and I continue to do this. This is what is most important and exciting for me in the great amazing world of electronic music.
How would you describe your sound – do you think your music falls into a particular genre?
House, techno, everything in between and a little that goes beyond the outer limits of these styles. Generally, in this project, I do not seek to lock into style frames.
You have just released your ’Str8’ EP on Amber Muse. What was the inspiration behind this project and how did the collab with the label come about?
We’ve been working with this label for a long time. Despite it being a small independent label, I like their responsible work approach, whether it is releasing music or promoting parties. Nice guys, with whom we largely agree on the taste in music. (Buy it HERE).
What is your production process – is each project or track different? And what are your key pieces of studio kit?
Every new track I start from scratch. I usually just play around with the equipment in search of a thrilling idea. Most of the time, I start with the rhythm part, which I have been using Digitakt for lately. This is a crazy sampler! It sounds cool and lets you sketch quickly.
If I need a deeper dive into sampling, then I use Octatrack, which is also a cool MIDI synth sequencer. Of the synths, I now mostly use DSI Mopho, Nord Rack and Arturia Microfreak… And by the way, on “Str8” EP I used Argon8 a lot, it was my experiment with Wavetable synthesis 🙂 I like to work with hardware effects: Ensoniq DP4, OTO BAM, Analog Heat – these guys have a decent influence on my sound.
What would be your dream label to release on?
I don’t think any particular label is that important to me now. I just want to make good music, and I’d like my music to be heard by as many people as possible who are really interested in it.
How did you put together your guest mix & what have you included – any exclusives or surprises?
The mix turned out to be quite diverse. Amongst others you can hear tracks from my “Str8” EP in it, and as an exclusive, I put several forthcoming productions from Russian producers, one forthcoming track from Latvian guys and one of my unreleased work, a track that I just recorded. Have a pleasant listen!
Check out Denis’ guest mix on Constant Circles Radio with Just Her:
