ind.o.g: Why is clubbing one big adventure?
DJ Monumental: Clubbing is not only an adventure, but science too. With the fact that even clubbing books are published now citing experiences, clubbing has reached another dimension. It’s a one big and mixed concept of attractive offering, experience, interest, promotion, popularization, manipulation, gathering… There’s a small million of people to whom the clubbing is their profession… for us the DJs, the healthy environment is very important. It is a big network of people, and different aspects interlinked to precisely define what is clubbing. Clubbing is Clubbing J Adventure, many sleepless nights, experiences (good and bad), memories, love, emotions, wishes, status, enjoyment … the list is endless.
ind.o.g: You lived in Australia for some time. What is the scene like there? What are the differences between their scene and the local scene?
DJ Monumental: Well yes, I lived in Australia for quite a long time. The scene there is big and developed with lots of different music genres. The most common is the mainstream music played on the radio, similar to ours comercial stations. There is also an underground scene and good quality DJs and producers. It is easier to organize an event in Australia then here, as there are lots of sponsors and media for those types of events, with no relation to their target market. There is a conscience for development of every part of the social and daily life, and clubbing is part of it.
As we already know, one of the biggest electronic music festivals are organized in Australia (Creamfields, SummerField Days, Bid Day Out, Two Tribes, Sunshine Live, Meet Me etc..)
I was really interested in the techno scene. Australia maybe has a vas majority of quality techno DJs but has a minimal techno scene, often resulting in Techno DJs mostly playing in Europe, Asia, America… However, my experience is coming from there which now results in my daily work
ind.o.g: In the last few years we’ve seen a new sub-genre emerging – funky techno, and tribal techno disappearing. Do you think it has disappeared due to its monotonous sound?
DJ Monumental: No, it’s not due to its monotony, but because of lack of creativity. Everything was based on manipulating of the same sounds and loops, reorganizing them in one track, which resulted in hyper production with no quality. That increased production meant that some people started overlook the music in the first place and concentrate on the moneymaking approach, selling records made with no creativity or ideas. That trend had its ‘cutting edge’ and it just failed.
As if one whole music genre disappeared, which I think it’s very sad and it’s very destructively influencing my interest to work with that genre.
Fans don’t follow the music like we, the DJs, do. They follow it as fashion, trend so you always need to know how to use both concepts to please the public and your taste.
I can discuss on this further, but I only want to give one clear message to all and that is: Techno needs creative music, not loops.
ind.o.g: What made you start working on your production?
DJ Monumental: The answer is short and clear: it’s the love towards electronic music, motive, and wish, inspiration, idea.
ind.o.g: Your production consists of different music styles. Does that mean you do not want to orientate yourself towards just one?
DJ Monumental: I try to have as much variety in my music as I can. I don’t want to be only doing one style. It is about music and music has big horizons, and every limitation is absurd. But I mostly produce melodic techno, with deep and dark music vibes. I make tribal, minimal, hypnotic,.. everything that comes to me as an idea or inspiration is welcome J
ind.o.g: Will we have the chance to listen to a live act of yours in the nearest future now that you have so much material to present?
DJ Monumental: Uh… I can only imagine the feeling being so good when playing live, presenting your own music, and getting reactions from people and criticism for your music… I’ll definitely have my first live act very soon.
ind.o.g: What is your DJ set like at the moment?
DJ Monumental: It all depends on where I am playing, in what conditions, is it a small or a big club, a big party… depends on the circumstances. I can play minimal, funky, tribal, industrial, funk, deep techno… In this moment, I play everything that’s new and a good quality but also some Detroit and old school classics…
ind.o.g: Now you are in Bulgaria, how is the scene like there?
DJ Monument: Bulgaria is now in the middle of its economic boom. As we all know, Bulgaria will join EU on January 1st 2007 which means that the Bulgarian scene has the chance to progress even further due to its available sponsors, investments and also having a big market on its own already. They are on a higher organizational level than Macedonia, and by their number of events, they have a better and bigger scene. From the music aspect, the most popular genre is hard techno, which in Macedonia is hardly ever played anymore, and our quality of DJs and producers is far better than theirs and we have more creative and music, but it’s sad that we have a great potential but nothing happens after all… It is about time for some people to use that potential in the best possible way.
ind.o.g: Do you think that people not being informed enough is influencing the clubbing culture?
DJ Monumental: Yes, for sure. Information systems have an enormous impact, not only on clubbing. In our country not all have access to internet or any other specific informational system. Firstly because of the economic-financial situation in Macedonia. I know that people have no other alternative, so they absorb only what is served to them on the local radios and TV stations. We need to establish some world standards for improving the quality of information and that will also result in improving the clubbing scene.
ind.o.g: What’s your view on today’s dance scene?
DJ Monumental: I would publicly criticize all managers and club owners of the bigger clubs who are leading a confusing political game between themselves, which has a destructive impact on the electronic music scene in Macedonia which has a great potential.
Which laind.o.g:bels and producers inspire you at the moment?
DJ Monumental: At this moment I am interested in Deetron, a DJ and a producer with great enthusiasm and energy. Also the artists like Len Faki, Joris Voorn, Alexander Kowalski, Phase, Mathew Jonson and many more. Labels I always follow are Theory, Inceptive, Monoid, Musicman and recently Trapez, Vakant, Wagon Repair….
ind.o.g: I know you are working on a new release, can you tell us more about that?
DJ Monumental: Yes J… finally I’ll have my track released on a compilation, the second release of Excel Recordings, label founded by my dear colleagues and friends Aleksandar Vidinovski and Darko Spasovski. Along this, I wish them many more releases and successful work with their label. I have also exchanged some material with some foreign labels so I hope to have more releases in the near future.
ind.o.g: Please name your 5 all time favourites.
DJ Monumental :
1. Holy Ghost – 6 am at the crying Cactus ( Tresor )
2. DJ – T 1000 – Bout to bang it ( Inzec )
3. Carl Craig – Climax ( Planet E US)
4. Jeff Mills – The Dancer ( Purpose Maker)
5. Kevin Saunderson feat. Reese – Station of the groove (KMS)
and my favourite album James Ruskin – Into Submission (Tresor)
ind.o.g: Can you name your current 10 tracks (from August/Sept/Oct)
DJ Monumental :
1. Phase - Espresso ( Theory )
2. Sound Diffusion - Simple Pop ( Excel 01 )
3. Raudive - Here (Podium 01)
4. Kevin Saunderson feat. Reese - Station of Groove DJ Monumental rmx(CDR)
5. Samuel L. Session - Easy walker ( Klap Klap)
6. DJ Monumental - My Friend Mary (Excel 02)
7. Deetron - Twisted ( Musicman)
8. John Beltran – Part 2 (Styrax Germany )
9. Cobblestone Jazz - Dump Truck ( Wagon Repair )
10. Fumiya Tanaka - Unknown Possibility 3/3 (Torema Japan)
(c) ind.o.g.translated by ana. skopjeclubbing.com.mk
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