#INTERNETVIEW25 DILIAN
Brooklyn-based experimental electronic producer and dj Dilian also known as Gap, Safari Explorer and Ke’So provides us with full of sparse and deconstructed rhythms, nature sounds and ambiguous harmonies mix and answers our questions
'playing in a punky funky semi improvised band'
#IG: When and how did it all start? Who is 'Dilian'? Do you release your own tracks and dj-sets under other aliases?
D: I started playing in a punky funky semi improvised band with my brother when teenagers and then after it ended I tried figuring out how to make music on my own. I do make music and play out under few other names as well — Gap, Safari Explorer, Ke’So.
#IG: Was it likely that you would do something completely unrelated to music and art?
#IG: What influenced the formation of your musical taste? How did you come to experimental electronics?
D: I went through different genres, trying to learn about all possible kinds of music. These days I’m mainly focused on figuring out a particular language in the experimental club and free form music, I think it’s the more progressive music possible today. I just want to make music that reflects the state of possibilities of the present and maybe the future, I’m not really interested in nostalgia and looking into making things that have already been done really well.
#IG: How developed is the culture of experimental music in your country, and how closely intertwined is it with pop culture? Name the headliners of the electronic scene, in your opinion, who most actively promote experimental directions to the masses.
D: It’s ok but I think it’s a bit disjointed and it’s not very well supported by audiences or other outlets. Notably, OPN has opened a path toward mainstream recognition, he’s collaborating with some pretty notorious pop musicians who on their end are looking to get some inspiration and hopefully bring in more adventurous producers. Elsewhere too tho — there’s Arca for instance. And a good amount of festivals in Europe and labels that are relatively successful in that sense.
#IG: What can you say about the development of electronic music in Russia? What artists and communities would you recommend to listen to?
D: I’m not super familiar — I’m aware of some great labels like ANWO, Gost Zvuk and John’s Kingdom and some adjacent projects that are really good but I’d like to find out more. Through our collective we’ve done mixes by My Cruelty and Elina Bolshenkova recently, we like them a lot. And we have an upcoming mix by Flaty.
'a bit of everything'
#IG: As far as I know, you are a member of the 'International Winners' collective. How did the project emerge, what does it do and what is it aimed at? What role did you play in the formation of the project and what do you do now?
D: Yeah, the collective started after a show organized by a bunch of people turned out ok — we felt that everyone involved in it had the common need to unite and support their own and other likeminded people’s music. We all had similar roles in the beginning, we had weekly meetings and made plans and such, but after a while some people left and others joined and so on. Currently I coordinate releases and radio shows schedules and help with organizing shows, a bit of everything…
#IG: Is it easy to work in a team? What advantages can you point out? A couple of tips for aspiring musicians who are planning to form their own community/label.
D: It depends, if everyone is focused and diligent things obviously go faster an also there’s more motivation. I think it’s important to have common goals and have discipline and not expect huge results overnight. There’s so many great orgs and it’s hard to get noticed, especially if there’s a specific ethics you’d like to observe and if the traditional channels for promo are not widely available.
#IG: Is music your only passion? Where do you get your inspiration from? What message does your music send?
D: I went to art school and so I did a bit of that too, I did ok but I decided in favour of doing music. But while at it I learned how to do visual stuff as well so I do design and creative direction for the collective and other work when I have a good project. Honestly I get inspiration from other people’s work in different disciplines, it’s impressive to see some great ideas achieved.
#IG: How do you make your music?
D: Through a combination of samples, computer algorithms and some hardware generated sounds that I edit afterwards. I look for interesting melodic sounds/sequences and mostly do polyrhythmic beats. I like very dynamic changes and structures, one track has usually a bunch of parts that evolve or just disrupt the flow.
#IG: In a rather difficult period for many artists and promoters you find the strength and motivation for a big tour of Europe. What motivated you to go? What are your plans and expectations from the tour?
D: I’ve been going to Europe for the past 4-5 years annually and I like it a lot, it’s great to go places and meeting likeminded people and forming bonds. I’ve been happy to find a great and highly active scene in Europe and I’m grateful that some places and people would have me play, do a radio show or such. Not sure how big of a tour it’ll be this year but I have about 10-15 things here and there planed so far. I’m also aware that some shows can get cancelled or have smaller attendance but I just haven’t been out of NY for the past year and a half and wanted to get out somewhere and playing music I think is a good reason. I hope I get to make new friends and do some music collaborations and get invited to more places in the future.
LINKS
DILIAN: SC / BC / FBOOK / IG / WEB