Matej Rusmir was born in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2000, where he finished music school for classical guitar. Soon after, Matej started exploring audio production. Later, in 2016, as he began his career in the underground scene, Matej quickly gained recognition for his distinctive style, blending tribal techno with downtempo old-school trance and ethnic elements. His production, live and DJ sets are filled with hypnotic and tribal rhythms and motifs that draw the audienceās focus entirely to the sound.
You were born in the magic year of 2000, at the dawn of the new millennium, and also a turbulent period in your home country, Serbia. Can you tell us about your background?
From what Iāve been told, the late 90s and early 2000s were tough times to live in Belgrade, but at the same time, Belgrade was never behind any other European capital when it comes to the art scene. Underground club culture, bands, live shows, moviesā¦ they were all blooming and, from my point of view, forming a specific Belgrade vibe. My parents are quite young, so in that period, they were at the age of exploring the art scene the same way we do today. Family and family friends who remind me of my friends today always supported my passion for art and club culture.
How did you get into music? What were your inspirations & motivations?
Since I was a few years old, my mom would play me whole albums by Vangelis. I would just sit and listen until they finished. Even though I donāt remember those moments, that music has a special place in my heart. Before kindergarten, I got my first set of toy drums, a small guitarā¦ stuff like that, and those were my favorite things to play with. As I got older, I could recognize my passion for music, so I naturally started to turn my life in that direction.
You got into the underground scene pretty early, around 2016, when you were 16. How did this happen? Did you know producers or clubs that helped you on your way?
I got into the underground part of Belgradeās club scene because that was the sound I liked the most. I knew where to listen to that music, so I started going out with my friends to clubs like Drugstore and 20/44. My gigs also started quite early, when I was 16. At the time, I was the only young guy in Belgrade who was into DJing and producing that kind of music, so I guess that caught some attention. At 16, I started DJing in Drugstore, and since then, Iāve understood how creative that job can be. Now thatās what I do almost weekly at all my favorite parties in Belgrade.
You are connected to the well-known Belgrade club Drugstore, organising a club night there, etc. Can you talk about this involvement, as well as your view of the Belgrade club scene as such at the moment?
Itās been a long time since the last party my friend Andria and I curated. For both of us, it wasnāt interesting at all to do almost any promo for the events, and even though the crowd and we liked it, we slowly started pulling out as we were overshadowed by more popular events. Today, Belgrade has a great scene; I love it, but small and regular events are a bit outdated here. I guess now is the time for me to start doing it again. I feel like some specific club music is a bit neglected. Iāll have to face the same struggle, but on a greater scale, as promotion has become more important.
Can you talk about your production? How do you make your music?
I like to think of music as a long-forgotten feeling you never had but want again. The reason Iām more into older club music is that I like to hear it ānot perfect.ā Technical limitations are a good thing, in my opinion, especially today. Most of my sounds are homemade, and I love getting inspired by the same old gear in a new way. Iām recording everything through a broken tape mixer that works in mysterious ways. Even after downloading hundreds of different plug-ins, to me, sounds get their best shape after the right compression and EQing, analog distortion, and some weird delays. I like working with simple waveforms and changing them to fit the mood I like. As Iām more inspired by old music, Iām slowly figuring out how to make a track sound complete with a minimal amount of sounds. Now Iām trying to listen to the music I make from a different perspective, letting myself have a good groove rolling for a few minutes instead of creating a new interesting sound every 40 seconds.
What are you currently occupied with?
My main occupation now is finishing university. Besides that, Iāll soon go on my first mountain trip alone to think about music and art for a long time before starting something new. I DJ a lot, so digging for music brings me a lot of inspiration. Now I have to channel it somehow and focus on what I really like.
Interview Lucia Udvardyova