UMEK, the renowned techno maestro hailing from Slovenia, played a pivotal role in kickstarting the electronic music scene in his homeland. Initially organizing underground raves, he soon became one of the most coveted exports from Slovenia and a leading music ambassador worldwide. From the depths of Berlin’s underground clubs to the grand stages of renowned festivals, his presence resonates.
Alongside his mesmerizing DJ sets, UMEK tirelessly crafts his own productions, often releasing them on his esteemed label, 1605, where his tracks consistently ascend to the summit of Beatport’s charts.
The new single entitled ‘Footmachine’ is out now and marks UMEKs first ever release on Adam Beyer’s mighty Drumcode label. UMEK has worked hard and relentlessly to get music released on Drumcode. After sending demos regularly to the label for the last 20 years, it is fair to say that his latest track is proof that hard work and determination pays off.
The new track ‘Footmachine’ is a total banger, perfect for those peak-time moments! It’s been making waves at events like Time Warp and Exchange in LA recently. And guess what? He’s even dabbled with AI to come up with that killer vocal line. We caught up with UMEK to chat about the track, AI and releasing on Drumcode.
UMEK on the production of ‘Footmachine’:
This track was done entirely in my computer and I used AI for the vocals.
Lately you hear a lot of ChatGPT in my tracks in combination with other text to speech AI’s. I find that useful, and I’ll tell you why: I regularly order vocals from different platforms, and it takes time to deliver them, it takes time to talk to the singers, it’s quite difficult, and those things make that part of the creation really, really easy. It’s in a rhythm that you want, like the color of the voice that you want, all those things. And it’s exactly how I imagined it in my head.
So, the production is that I wanted to make a real bank in techno. There’s not a lot of melodies in it. It’s just the pure feel of heavy beats. Plus, super effective, spot-on vocals. That was the goal of the track and I think I achieved it.
What are your thoughts on AI being used within music production?
It will change everything.
It’s already changing the design aspect. Now it’s changing the singer, and it’s only a matter of time before it changes DJing and production. It’s pretty ignorant to think that computers with enough data won’t be able to crack a single producer’s code.
Take me as an example, they can always look up what I’ve done in the past. And I’ve heard a lot of comments like, “Yeah, but you don’t know what to expect in the future.” But basically, it’s easier to predict the future if you have enough data.
I’m not saying it’s 100% certain and will be exactly how I imagine my sound in the future, but I think it’s ignorant not to think so. So yes, AI is here and will have a big impact on our scene.
What drew you to Drumcode those many years ago and what about the label kept you wanting to work with them?
Yeah, come on, Drumcode has been the number one techno label for a long time. Just check out what kind of artists they have, or look at the history of releases.
As for me, I sent Adam my first demo 20 years ago. I got rejected a few times, but I never lost hope. I’m a guy who sets goals and tries to achieve them. Even if it takes 20 years like it did for you.
And yes, what you learned from that is that you have to be patient to achieve good things.
It takes time. Sometimes a lot, a lot of time.
Are you releasing on any other labels at the moment, and can we expect more music from UMEK on Drumcode in the future?
I’ve released on other labels all over the world. There were many of them. But lately I’ve only been releasing on 1605. But then when the opportunity for Drumcode comes up, you can’t say no.
For drumcode in the future? I don’t know.
I mean, I hope so, but it depends on Adam. You know, he’s the label – he’s the label owner and the manager, so yeah, he’s the one you should ask.
Thanks to UMEK for taking the time to chat with us, ‘Footmachine’ is out now, download it here or listen below!
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