UMEK

Mention Uros Umek in most electronic music circles and you'll probably get a dull stare, but drop the first name and just say 'Umek' to any bangin' techno trainspotter and you'll get instant recognition points. The guy is on par with fellow internationals like Cari Lekebusch, Adam Beyer, Marco Carola, Oliver Ho, Ben Long, Chris Liebing and Fumiya Tanaka. Some people rate him even higher. If local producers Voiteck, Will E Tell, Son Of Zev and Simon Digby are your thing, then Umek is most definitely your man.

How and when did you get started making music, and how has your style changed over the years-
"I started making music seven years ago - I just wanted to know how to produce, and that was the main reason. My style has changed because now I own better equipment, so the sound is better and different. Also, now I like things a little bit different to before!"

These days Slovenia - and in particular your city Ljubljana - is renowned for its exploration of techno and electronica. It started right back in the '80s in the days of Laibach. Is Slovenia itself an inspiration-
"Yes, Slovenia is a big inspiration for me!...If you could see Slovenia, you would know what I mean."

How does the country's mentality compare today with, say, the mentality in Yugoslavia when it was run by the communists-
"Since we have become independent a lot of things changed. We developed a lot. I think you can't compare us to Yugoslavians [anymore] really. But that's just my opinion. Otherwise, there's no hard feelings from my side. The crowd in Yugoslavia is great - they're really crazy, and this is what I like! You would be surprised if you had the chance to hear those DJs. They're wicked..."

Which fellow producers have had the biggest impact on your own work, and who do you continue to keep an eye out for-
"There are too many! ...I love all those whose records I play!"

You've worked with Ben Long, Chris Liebing, Valentino Kanzyani and Inigo Kennedy. What's it been like making music with these people, and how has the collaboration helped-
"Making music with those guys was easy, and funny. I don't know if collaboration helped me or them, but we had a wicked time doing it."

You've also remixed Jamie Bissmire, Ben Long, Space DJz, Cold Dust and La Monde vs Levatine - again, do you remix people whose music you admire-
"Not always. If it sounds interesting then I do it. But I do like the music of these people you mentioned."

In one review I read your music was compared with that of Shape Changer and Thomas Krome. How do you feel about this comparison-
"I don't think that we have that much in common... But maybe you can see a similarity-"

Some people say that techno is on its way out. Do you agree-
"I disagree! There are already new shapes of it! More phunky stuff is coming out and that's one way that more people like this music! But you still have strong synthetic things within."

How is the Mumps style of music you produce different from that which you make as just plain Umek-
"The Mumps name was invented specially for Billy Nasty's Tortured label; after that came Recycled Loops and my music went in a different way. But don't worry - there are strong synthetic releases coming out, with the first of these through Potential."

What is it about Uros Umek that makes you most unique-
"...I just make music I like, and that's about it!"

Finally, what would you say are your top three albums for 2000-
"You don't want to know that!" [he laughs hysterically].
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