After having his track Up All Night debut as the very first Insomniac Records release, Arty has made his influence in dance music undeniable. His effortless blending of electro and trance has put him in high demand across the world, and it’s hard not to agree with that demand. The 25 year old Russian has come a long way since his days starting out on the Anjunabeats label, and was nice enough to chat with us ahead of the release of his newest single available for free download now, “Night Like This.” Read on for his plans concerning his upcoming album, his thoughts on the dance music scene, and plenty more!
[divider]5 Questions With Arty[/divider]
1. Your sound has transitioned out of trance and into more broad genres — what’s that transition been like for you, and what do you feel is next for your sound?
“My first release came out back in 2009 when my biggest inspirations were Axwell, Eric Prydz and Above & Beyond. Even back then, it was hard to call my music “pure trance.” It was always a blend of styles and my perspective hasn’t changed much since then. Every genre has its own awesome features and there is always a way to make a cool combination of them. As for right now, I’m doing a lot of songwriting for my album and really enjoying this process. The album has a unique shape to it and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
2. What are your thoughts on the growth of dance music globally? In what ways has this boom in popularity been both good and bad for the scene overall?
“I think the growth of dance music so far has been great. Being from Russia, I’ve watched the scene in Europe closely for a while, and it’s nice to see it finally catching on all over the world – especially the boom in the US. Dance music deserves to be heard by everyone, and I think this recognition is giving artists opportunities that were not available 5/10 years ago.”
3. You’ve talked about releasing an album soon — 2014 has been a huge year for the concept album, with guys like Porter Robinson and The Glitch Mob putting out some pretty amazing work. What’s your vision for your album? Do you see it as something that will flow and tell a story, or more a collection of songs that each stand alone?
“It’s definitely not just 10 or 12 songs without anything in common. Making the record was huge decision for me. I locked myself down for 4 months trying to execute the core of the album. During this time, I worked with a lot of talented songwriters and singers. When you go into the studio every day and write your ideas for the songs, you suddenly develop this vibe that flows from session to session and creates this special connection between the songs. I’m 95 percent done with it and I can tell you one thing: It sounds really personal.”
4. With the rise of the album this last year in EDM, more and more major artists like yourself and committing to full-length LPs. What are some of the advantages to this for the dance music scene vs. the “release a bunch of singles one-by-one” philosophy?
“Creating the whole LP was one big challenge for me. With an album, you want to create something whole and special at the same time. You have to learn how to become a songwriter with your own ideas, and this within itself has been an interesting but challenging process. Between finishing the records, welcoming a lot of changes, and fixing small things that nobody will hear except you, it’s a process with a lot of moving parts that you have to make sure are working together. In the end, this whole process is a journey and ends with a huge feeling of satisfaction.”
5. Past your album, what else are your plans for 2015? Will the Pacific Northwest possibly get a chance to see you up here again soon?
“I’m very excited for 2015 because I have a ton of music that I have been working hard on for the past couple years to show the world. People can definitely expect more releases, music videos, and of course tour dates. We will be announcing the tour dates later so the Pacific Northwest will have to wait just a little bit longer :).”
You can stream Night Like This above, download it for free over in this direction, and stay tuned for more from Arty in the coming days!
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