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 Here's a new review from the rising star trance DJ/producer from Russia... Bobina!
After playing close to 70 gigs in 2008, including Gatecrasher Summer Sound System, Amsterdam Dance Event and Cream @ Amnesia, Ibiza, Bobina was voted 28th in DJ Magazine’s 2008 Top 100 chart and in the process, the year’s highest new trance entry! Now, four months later, in February 2009, he kicked off his latest manoeuvre with the third, massive instalment of his compilation series, ‘Russia Goes Clubbing’! Soon he will also release a Remix Album. After interviewing the Russian Trance god in 2008 on account of his new album, i:Vibes is back at it giving him an interview in 2009 about his new interesting projects...
i:Vibes: Hi Dmitry, thanks for taking some time to talk to i:Vibes.nu. Congrats on reaching #28. You have been a known producer for many years, but how much credit do you have to give your DJing in 2008 for the success at DJ Mag?
Bobina: Hey and thank you! Well think first of all thanks to my fans in Russia – I guess it’s their work. :-)
i:Vibes: Were you a bit surprised that you reached #28, plus you were the highest new trance entry. That has to be a big honour for you?
Bobina: Yes I was for sure. To be completely honest, yes it’s a big honour for me but I strongly recommend people to love DJs for their work but not for their places in such charts. Everybody has their own no.1 DJ in my opinion.
i:Vibes: You played close to 70 gigs in 2008. What was your most memorable gig in 2008?
Bobina: I really liked the party in Turnmills – such a shame that it’s closed now. Also Amnesia was great – I didn’t do a lot of gigs outside Russia last year…but in the country I really love Moscow, St Petersburg big parties and also Siberia is always great!
i:Vibes: After playing so many gigs in 2008, how has your DJing developed in the last year?
Bobina: Hard to say to be honest. Everytime I play I just try to learn something new, you know. But if you ask about the difference for example between me @ the decks in the beginning of the year – and in the end of 2008 – it’s really hard to say. When you doing it almost every weekend – you really don’t feel the difference yourself, I think.
i:Vibes: Are there any new countries you would like to explore in 2009 to DJ in where you have never been to before?
Bobina: Yeah I really want to play in Brazil – sounds really exotic to a Russian guy. Also USA of course – I’m going there end of March – heard it’s massive. Asia looks really interesting for me as well.
i:Vibes: Have you ever played in Germany? What is your impression of Talla 2XLC? He has the legendary Technoclub, where you have never been a guest before. Maybe you will find your way to Germany this year?
Bobina: No I never had a show in Germany yet. I heard a lot about Technoclub and about Talla of course. Love his productions he did in the past…
i:Vibes: You released your new mix CD ‘Russia Goes Clubbing 2009’ on Feb 29th. How happy are you with the end result?
Bobina: Yes for sure. It’s 19 records which I really like and listen to both in the car and the club with pleasure. :-)
i:Vibes: You are Russia`s number one Trance artist. The Mix CD title is ‘Russia Goes Clubbing’. How much of a force is Trance at the moment in Russia?
Bobina: Trance is really growing and growing in Russia. Lots of parties… also some great producers. For example in the CD you can find a record from Anton Firtich. He has a great future in my opinion as he is trying to make special sound – not based on standard trance presets.
i:Vibes: When you were preparing the mix CD, what kind of journey did you want to send the listener on?
Bobina: Usually when I do a compilation I prepare it for car listening – dunno why. Maybe cause I personally have time to listen to such CDs only in the car. So when I choose the records and then mix them – I think about how it will be better to listen to it when you drive in the night.
i:Vibes: How did you go about finding the right tracklisting for this compilation?
Bobina: I have worked for the World Club Music label in Russia for many years. We do licensing from such labels as Armada, Blackhole, Anjunabeats, Be Yourself etc. So I just asked them and some other labels to send me something really upcoming – and they did. I got around 150 tunes. Then chose 25. Then I started to mix them… at the end I had 20 tunes in the mix. But at that moment it looked like “Top20” pop compilations in Russia! Many of them are called “Top20 This” or “Top20 That”. So I laughed and decided to use 19 in the end!
i:Vibes: I am listening to the promo CD now and I have to say it is mixed flawlessly. How difficult was it for you to get the perfect mix? What was the most difficult thing that you had to achieve to get this CD perfect from your standpoint?
Bobina: It’s really a long story. First I try to feel the atmosphere of every tune and also check the key of the records. Then I start to mix them …at the end I had around 100 mins of music…then it’s Sound Forge time – just to make some tunes shorter. And at the end we have 78 mins!
i:Vibes: On the mix CD, you have many current well known Trance artists as well as some up and comers, but none of the top Trance DJs like Armin van Buuren or Paul van Dyk. Is there more of a trend coming with mix CDs that don’t have the pressure of having to have the big names to sell the CD?
Bobina: Thanks for a great question. It was just an experiment. I will try to explain… Well... I always do one “Russia Goes Clubbing” CD per year... So in previous CDs I always used a few big name tunes. And we sold those CDs well. People started to tell me that the key to success is that I used Tiesto, Armin, PVD tunes in the tracklist. So this year I decided to go without big names and will check the sales difference later. As World Club Music release in fact all the big trance names its not really a big problem to clear the records – and that time there was ‘Made Of Love’ single from Ferry with my remix as well…I really wanted to include it…but decided to go without big names at all and have more space for not that well known producers but who still have great music in my opinion.
i:Vibes: If you had to choose a track from the CD that you would play at peak time in a club, which track would you play?
Bobina: Hmm…if to speak about RGC 2009 compilation…I think the most peak time banger is Orjan Nilsen’s remix of Markus Schossow’s latest. I still play it in almost every set. Massive tune!
i:Vibes: When listening to this mix CD, it is obvious that your heart is supporting more the uplifting sound. How big is the melodic sound with Bobina in 2009 with productions and producing?
Bobina: Its just I had that uplifting mood that few days when I did it. If I do it lets say a week later – it could be different. And as for Bobina productions – I try not to make that uplifting trance – just doing an electronic music style let’s say. Many trance records sound really the same nowadays and I don’t really feel it. From my ‘Again’ album – there were only 2 uplifting tunes in my opinion, ‘Time & Tide’ and ‘Invisible Touch’. We’ll release them as a singles in 2009.
i:Vibes: ‘Time & Tide’ is a very beautiful track from you, but Gareth Emery gave a nice remix. What did you like most about his remix?
Bobina: I’m just a big fan of his productions. They sound really fresh and are not like usual trance. That’s what I like in the remix. He turned the uplifting original mix into almost a new track but kept the chords the same – really great work.
i:Vibes: ‘I Come Running’ is a nice intro start to the mix from D:Folt featuring Marcie. I think that you have worked before with my friend Marcie. Marcie’s beautiful voice is probably the most used voice at the moment. When will she make her big breakthrough and work with you again?
Bobina: No I never worked with her before actually. She has a really ‘special’ voice in my opinion… in a good way! So maybe in the future... the performance in ‘I Come Running’ is really nice!!
i:Vibes: You’re also going to release a Remix Album. What can we await from this CD and when will it be released?
Bobina: Now we plan to do it in May. But now (when I’m answering the questions) 2 remixes are still not finished... so I hope we’ll make everything in time. Really nice CDs coming… believe me. There will be Ferry Corsten, Gareth Emery, First State, Genix, Orjan Nilsen, Paul Miller etc remixes... so this makes me really happy!
i:Vibes: What other surprises can we await from you in 2009?
Bobina: The main target for 2009 is the singles from ‘Again’. We release ‘Time & Tide’ now... later we will make ‘Where Did You Go?’ (my fav from the album) single with First State remix... and ‘Invisible Touch’ with Ferry’s remix. Also there are plans to make ‘More Than Love’ a single with a remix from Heatbeat – really talented guys from Argentina. All the singles will be released by UK guys – Newstate Music.
i:Vibes: Thanks for the chat and good luck in 2009 and come to the Technoclub in Germany!!!
Bobina: Thanks for the great questions!!! Hope to come someday. From Russia With Love!
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