Exclusive Interview with Arctic Moon

Siam2nite had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with Arctic Moon, shortly before his performance at Sonic on 18th May.

You grew up in Poland. How is nightlife there and how did you get in touch with electronic dance music in the first place?

First of all, nightlife in Poland really sucks, especially in my hometown. We barely have good electronic music in clubs. When I was a kid, all my knowledge about EDM came from tv stations like VIVA or MTV (when they used to play trance video clips) and older friends. Then in the era of internet, it was easier to search for interesting music. I was mainly inspired by artists like Armin Van Buuren, ATB, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Alphazone. I think listening to their music gave me that initial push into producing.

What - artists and music genres - are your biggest influences?

Other than EDM and artists like Armin, Paul van Dyk, Aly & Fila, I’m a big fan of rock music, for example alternative, indie and post rock (some of the artists: Explosions In The Sky, God Is An Astronaut, Caspian, The American Dollar, Mogwai, Mono, This Will Destroy You, Hammock, M83). I also really like film music. I get many inspirations from it.

How would you describe your music?

Melodic, euphoric, uplifting and sometimes with a techy edge.

Aly & Fila called you the “Breakthrough DJ/Producer of 2012” and you’ve been ranked #160 DJ Mag Top 100 DJs in 2012 – all this at the age of only 24 years. Is it a gift or a curse to be so successful at such a young age?

I say it's a gift. I do what I love and receive such a great reaction from people, so there's really nothing "cursed" here.

Your singles “True Romance” (it hit #5 in the Beatport trance charts) and “Adelaide” were topping download charts and you also made highly popular remixes for some of the world’s top DJs such as Armin Van Buuren (Coming Home), Aly & Fila (It Will Be OK) and Dash Berlin (Till the Sky Falls Down). Which other tracks of yours would you suggest to people that are not yet familiar with your music?

Arctic Moon - Starships Over Alice, Tonny Nesse - Hole In The Sky (Arctic Moon Remix), and from new ones: The Killers - Miss Atomic Bomb (Arctic Moon Remix), Arctic Moon & Paul Webster - Valhalla, and there is much more, just check out my SoundCloud page www.soundcloud.com/arctic-moon.

What are you currently working on?

I just finished my collab with Paul Webster and Aly & Fila, also my new single. Now I'm working on a collab with Bryan Kearney, my first vocal single and few remixes. There's definitely much going on.

You do a monthly radio show called “Arctic Moon presents AFTERWORLD“, released every 4th Monday of the month on www.mixcloud.com/arctic_moon. What can you tell us about the concept of that show?

The most important thing about my radioshow/podcast is that I don’t have any restricted length limit. I can make it 1 hour or even 4 hours long if I want. That’s why it’s not airing in any internet radio station. I also try to experiment with different styles of music, very often I play tracks that I wouldn’t normally play in my livesets. Right now Afterworld is going thru some modifications and it will be back very soon.

You travel a lot. What are the essential things you need to have with you at all times and what are the things you miss when you are on tour?

I always need my macbook, headphones, sound card and novation launchpad, because I use that stuff for DJing and producing when I'm on tour. I of course also need my phone, mainly for listening to music all the time. The things I miss the most is my bed, studio, family and friends.

What was the best and the worst gig you ever played?

The best gig so far was ASOT 600 in Den Bosch. It was just massive and epic. People really enjoyed the Who's Afraid Of 138 stage and you could see that they are having a great time. The worst gig was probably the one in Poland, I don't want to say the name but almost everything was wrong, from the organisation to the weather.

What was the funniest thing ever occurred during any of your performances?

Maybe not the funniest, but something more crazy and interesting. It was in Argentina, when I played my remix of Armin van Buuren – Coming Home. During the breakdown everyone sat on the floor and when the climax came the whole crowd jumped. It was really something special.

Are you adventurous if it comes to food? Do you try the local dishes of the countries you travel to, or do you usually eat what you know from home? Will you give spicy Thai food a chance?

I always try to taste different food but nothing too weird. However, when I was in Manila, I tried an egg with a small chicken inside, actually it wasn't that bad! I don't like spicy food tho.

You made your Thailand debut at last year’s Culture ONE festival. This year you return by popular demand and play at Sonic on 18th May. Did you keep your debut in good memory? Are you excited to return to Bangkok?

I'm definitely excited! Last time when I was in Bangkok I had really great time, so I'm really looking forward to be back. I'm sure it will be a blast.

What can Bangkok expect of your performance?

Definitely a very energetic set with uplifting and techlifting trance. I will be playing some new stuff from me too so be sure to check out my performance, hope to see you all on the dancefloor!