Sofia born and based METODI has been a staple in the music industry for many years. With a diverse plethora of releases throughout almost every genre and sub-genre of electronic music. He’s not one to stick to a single sound and that’s what makes him stand out as an artist.
Over the years he’s gained support from some of the biggest artists in the world, including Carl Cox, Adam Beyer and Enrico Sangiuliano. Alongside performing at iconic locations like Mount Olympus in Turkey.
We sat down with METODI to discuss moving away from the tech house sound, set preparation and running a music label.
Hey METODI, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Let’s start with your background, did growing up in Sofia, Bulgaria have any influence on your musical journey?
Thank you for having me, guys! Yes, I grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria, and never lived in any other city / Country. And definitely my musical taste has been shaped here by my friends, and what I was listening to as a kid.
How did you first get into music production and DJing, are there certain people within your life that have played a part in shaping your journey?
When I was about 16 or 17, I went to a friend’s house and saw something strange on his computer. Curious, I asked him what it was, and he told me it was a music-making program. That instantly caught my attention. I asked him to show me the basics and create something simple with it. I watched it, I was amazed: I instantly fell in love.
I knew I needed this program, but first, I needed my own computer. Coming from a family with limited resources, I kept asking my mom and grandmother to help me get one. To my surprise, they supported the idea when I explained how I wanted to use it, but it wasn’t easy for them to afford it. After long discussions and insistence, I finally got my first computer. I installed FL Studio (probably version 5 back then) and started experimenting day and night.
At 17 or 18, I realised that if I wanted my music to reach more people, I had to become a DJ. The problem? I didn’t know anyone in that world. One night, while at a bar with friends, I plucked up the courage and approached the DJ to ask if he wanted to teach me. To my surprise, he said yes, and that moment sparked a journey that led me to where I am today.
At the start of your music production career, your sound was very tech house influenced, what was the reason for the transition into your gritty techno sound? How did you find switching from one to the other?
The reason I switched genres is that tech-house became too boring for me. As an artist, I want to experiment and explore different sounds, even though the industry isn’t very welcoming to artists like that. The industry expects you to stick to one genre, one sound, and avoid stepping outside that box.
Many artists stay in their lane out of fear of losing their fan base and honestly, that’s exactly what happened to me when I switched. I had to start from scratch. But the way I see it, limiting myself to one sound doesn’t feel artistic at all. I’m sorry, but I can’t live to please people. I’m not doing this for anyone else, I do it because I love it, and I’ll follow my heart no matter who I disappoint.
By the way, if you look at my full discography, you’ll see I was never really tied to one genre. My music blends many styles. The truth is that most people just remember me for 3 or 4 tracks, and this became their perception of me, but if you actually go through the whole thing, you’ll find techno, breakbeat, progressive, house, tech house, psytrance, melodic, hard techno, everything. What really happened back then was just a shift from softer to harder music.
You’ve had some huge support from some of the biggest names in the industry, names such as Marco Carola, Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox and Adam Beyer. How does it feel to have support from some of the industry’s heavyweights?
Absolutely amazing, of course! To have this support from the top performers is crucial for any artist’s career.
Your latest release, a remix of “JD Davis – Closer To Me”, is a gritty, big room techno banger. How did this remix offer come about? Do you approach a remix in the studio vs original tracks?
I first heard it during a John Digweed set in 2005, and it had a profound impact on me. It sounded different from anything I’d ever heard, and it became one of my favorite tracks. After years without hearing “Closer to Me,” a song that marked my beginnings, something reminded me of it, and I felt the need to find it again. Although I didn’t remember the title, and after two days of searching, I dreamt the lyrics, and thanks to ChatGPT, I managed to identify it.
I decided to remix it myself: I bought the track, separated the stems, and worked on a new version. When I didn’t hear back from the original label, I directly contacted JD Davis, its vocalist and renowned artist. To my surprise, he responded quickly, liked my music, and supported me from the start. I sent him the remix, he loved it, and he gave me the original stems. Thus, a collaboration was born, culminating in the official release of the remix on July 4th on my label on my label Set About Music.
You run your own music label within the industry, Set About Music. When it comes to signing music/artists for the label, what stands out for you? What do you look for the most?
What I’m looking for is creativity and quality. For me, it doesn’t matter how many followers the artist has on Instagram. Before signing a track, I ask myself one question: would I play this track? If the answer is yes, I will sign it.
Moving to DJing – when preparing for a set, do you plan any of it at all, or is it mostly improvised at the moment?
It depends on the occasion. Usually, it is just different playlists in which I’m throwing tracks that I’m feeling like playing, but you never know until the moment you stand in front of the people and feel their energy.
What has been the most memorable event you’ve played? Any cities in particular that blew you away?
I think that’s maybe our Set About Showcase in my hometown, Sofia, in 2022, and at Mount Olympus in Antalya, Turkey, because it was at 2325m and the view was stunning.
If you weren’t a DJ/Producer, what do you think you’d be doing for a career?
Astronomer / physicist for sure.
Finally, what’s your favourite track by another artist that you wish you’d made?
There is no such track! 😀
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