In the age of viral sensations and fast rising superstars, UMEK shines, a testament to hard graft, talent and playing the long game. We’re thrilled to have him on the label for his Drumcode debut.
The artist is a pioneer in the true sense of the word, playing a pivotal role in kickstarting the electronic music scene in his native Slovenia, while being an ever-present and impressive fixture on the global techno circuit, having helmed the quality 1605 label since 2008.
Stream & Download link: https://shorturl.at/npzMQ
His maiden outing on Drumcode, ‘Footmachine’, comes approximately two decades after first sending Adam Beyer a demo for the label, reinforcing the brick-by-brick mentality needed to build a sustainable career in techno.
The track is a rhythmic peak-time beast, highlighting Time Warp and Exchange in LA in recent times. It also saw the artist experiment with AI to create the heady vocal line. “There’s still a lot of work in the post-production process, but it’s certainly an interesting time when you can make use of these tools,” he shares.
Of his long-awaited Drumcode debut, the techno stalwart says it’s a reminder to always be patient when building a music career. “I first met Adam around 1998 when we played our legendary club on the coast of Slovenia, Ambasada Gavioli. A little later – approximately 20 years ago I think – I sent him a demo and I never heard back. You always beat yourself up thinking you have not done something right, which isn’t a good way to deal with rejection. Learn to take advice (if you are lucky enough to get it!) and focus on putting those emotions into your work. I promise when it does happen, it makes it all that much sweeter.”
https://soundcloud.com/UMEK
https://www.instagram.com/umek_1605
https://www.facebook.com/umek.si/
https://www.drumcode.se/
https://soundcloud.com/drumcode
https://www.instagram.com/drumcoderecords