Get to know: Artbat

Joining a multifaceted line-up on 30th June, Ukranian duo, Artbat make their Egg London debut...

With an impressive discography spanning Diynamic, Connected Frontline, Suara and lots more, Artbat have emerged from Ukraine’s electronic scene as an intriguing duo who are set to soar this year. The pair have crafted a sound which remains truly their own, touching on sensory techno filled with deep grooves and wavering basslines to create an ethereal, galactic tone which has allowed them to fully break through set them apart in the cut-throat realm of electronic dance music. 

Joining a multifaceted line-up on June 30th with Culoe De Song, Gabriel Ananda, the South African Buntu collective and lots more, Artbat make their Egg LDN debut on our cavernous Middle Floor. 

Ahead of the show, we caught up with Artbat to see how they’re finding an extensive touring schedule and who’s caught their eye on the Ukrainian electronic scene amongst other things… 

You guys played in Beirut recently, how did it go? There’s quite a divide between politics, religion and dance music there…did you plan your set beforehand or did you approach the show in the same way you would prior to a London show for example? 

Hi and thanks for the interview invite. Correct, we played at a big open-air event in Beirut last month. We love to play there, because its always a lot of fun. We have an incredible fanbase over there and they simply know how to enjoy a party to the max. 

We played 5-6 times there and every time is quite special and full of happiness and emotions. Needless to say that people in Beirut / Lebanon very progressive and friendly without any strict or harsh mood. Everyone wants peace and fewer political restrictions and impositions. 

We never really plan our sets. We are picking up the vibe, scenario and atmosphere at the venue and go from there. When everything planned, you lose your flexibility and improvisation. And that's what we love about DJing. We love to go with the flow. 

There’s an incredible image on the ARTBAT Facebook page of both of you riding camels in Egypt with the Giza pyramids in the background. What other surreal moments have you encountered outside the DJ booth in the midst of touring? 

It’s always interesting to travel different countries and see such a big variety of cultures. When we have time, we always like to see historical places and sights. At one of the trips to Lebanon we visited Baalbek. 

Quite a dangerous place, but unthinkably interesting and mysterious because of its architecture and scale. 

With a slew of gigs around the world, particularly Ibiza, you’ve been exposed to a variety of crowds, venues and electronic music communities but we’d like to know more about your home city of Kiev. What’s the electronic music scene like over there? 

Kiev is the capital of our native country and favorite city. Especially from May until October it’s beautiful and a great living comfort. Most of the people are very kind and peaceful. The electronic music scene in Kiev is constantly growing and you can find a variety of venues / events all over the city. Our favorite place is without a doubt CHI by Decadence House, where we are residents. 

Honestly, is one of the best venues to play. During the year we invited guests like Solomun, Maceo Plex, Tale of Us, HOSH, Adriatique and many more amazing artists. 

Some huge names have come from Ukraine like Nastia, Woo York and Etapp Kyle, are there any particular Ukrainian artists who you’re strongly supporting at moment? 

Unfortunately, we can’t point out anyone at the moment, but hopefully that will change soon. 

Solomun recently played your track ‘Prometheus’ [Diynamic]. It’s an unusual track, almost galactic and clearly captivates the dance floor in the video on ARTBAT’s Youtube channel. The title itself is intriguing, what’s the meaning behind it? 

We are very grateful for Solomun’s support. Prometheus is indeed a special track and he road tested the track a lot, not only in Miami but in all his sets, before he then decided to release the track (Planeta EP) on his label DIYNAMIC in February. 

When we created the track, we wanted to make something powerful. Something that drives people and makes them automatically dance. The names of our tracks are chosen by feelings and emotions in that particular moment. 

Prometheus, should be powerful, burn body and soul on the dancefloor and simple create a wow-effect. 

What’s next on the horizon for ARTBAT? 

We are working on new productions. This summer we are quite busy with gigs and it’s good opportunity to roadtest new tracks. Especially in summer we have the chance to play them out loud for different audiences. Like this we can fine tune our tunes. 

A few collaborations with some amazing artists are also in the pipeline. Stay tuned. We are hopefully able to showcase them soon.

Leave us with a track that’s been crucial to your career so far and why? 

Our first ever released track “Mandrake” was the crucial. Supported and played by Richie Hawtin every set for over a year. The fact made our minds go crazy. Mandrake also got picked up by Maceo Plex and other cool artists in very early stages. It was special and kind of a signal for us. Its the biggest motivation and inspiration you can receive as a new artist. 

We understood that our stuff can conquer any crowd. The hype around Mandrake made us go forward to create new music and share with the world.