Viktor Apo talks to us about his techno roots in Macedonia, Mojuba Records, and music production in the latest edition of our //SNCMIX series.
Educated in the fertile grounds of the Macedonian techno scene, its no surprise that Viktor Apo has made his way onto the likes of Mojuba Records. Established in 2005, Thomas Wendel’s (aka Don Williams) popular Berlin-based label has always been contentious about who it allows into its fold – in a 2008 interview about Mojuba, Wendel confirms that his intention for the label’s roster is mainly friends and family and that it will be difficult for outsiders to get in — and this is clear from a quick skim of their Bandcamp page. Familiar names continue popping up throughout Mojuba’s discography, such as Sven Weissman, Don Williams/Oracy, and Nick Solé, to name a few.
Viktor’s introduction onto Mojuba’s a.r.t.less sub-label was born from his connection with Macedonian veteran Stojche, who introduced him to Wendel. Stojche could be considered somewhat of a mentor to Viktor, and his influence on him runs deeper than a gateway into the industry. Similar sound design tropes can be found in the production styles of both artists. For example, tracks such as Sojche – Granada and Viktor Apo – Flow feature glassy, dubby, phasey chords layered over flowing grooves. Viktor’s Regenerate EP lives somewhere in the middle ground. It encapsulates the spirit of Mojuba’s deep dubby house roots whilst adhering to a more techno feeling, with its faster bpm’s and bouncy drum programming.
Regardless of whether this sound is something completely new or not, Viktor Apo’s clever combination of loops, grooves, and deep spacey sound design work. It’s a fun and nostalgic throwback to that early Detroit sound, and worthy of a place on the well-respected and closely guarded roster of Mojuba. Viktor Apo is part of a diverse albeit overlooked scene in Skopje that is keeping the city firmly on the electronic music map.
For his //SNCMIX, Viktor puts together a functional, energetic, dancefloor-focused blend of techno and electro tracks. Perfect for your weekend listening.
What were some of your earliest inspirations, and how did you become involved with music?
At around 16, I started producing stuff on Fruity Loops. A neighbour – who’s still a friend of mine – already had a pair of 1210s, so I would go there and play around with him. At 18-19 years of age, there was a workshop held by a local drum and bass crew for people to learn how to DJ on turntables. At this point, I had started to use all my money for food to buy records and kept practising!
I eventually started going to parties more, not only to have fun, but also to see and learn from other DJs. This is how I met some of my best friends. One of them is Alex Acid whom I’ve shared a studio for 7 years now. We play out together a lot, and we also had a radio show called E Freq! on Amok Radio
What’s your relationship with Stojche?
Stojche used to throw parties in a club called Kapan. The event was called Argumento Nights. It later joined with another crew, Deeplima and started a new party crew called Drop Series. By the time Drop Series was around, I was regularly joining their parties and enjoying the local artists they had, but there was something about Stojche which really got me. It was his musical taste, way of mixing, and productions, you know?
A year or so later, I recorded a mix for a competition held by Dimensions Festival in Croatia while still having a gig or two here and there. He somehow heard the mix and reached out with some positive feedback. I still remember the day I received his message. In a way he was a hero in my eyes (and still is), and to this day, he is still is my favourite producer.
A few weeks later, I got invited to play on a Drop Series event, and then about a month after that, I was invited to join the Drop Series crew, hosting local parties with them. From there, it’s all friendship. He’s had a huge impact on my productions, always giving me constructive feedback, teaching me how things work, etc., especially in the beginning.
He also allowed me to play in Tresor on his New Faces night he had back then, which was a life moment for me honestly. Through him, I made so many friendships with like-minded people from abroad, one of them happening to be Thomas, the Mojuba/Artless label owner. I can say he’s like a brother from another mother.
Tell us about your EP Regenerate on Mojuba imprint Artless. What was the inspiration behind the project?
I’ve been doing music for a long time, probably way too long to have only one record and few digital tracks out, but it’s kind of a private relationship. I do not want to force myself, and sometimes I just enjoy jamming out and creating stuff without getting it finished. It sounds awkward, I know, but it is what it is. I am not sure I will ever change, to be honest. At least not on purpose.
I created the tracks for Regenerate at my “peak” of playing and producing, and I liked them a lot. I liked them so much that the old PC died, and I had a chance to recover all the work I’d done, but I only recovered those tracks and re-generated a few parts on them using a delay I acquired (BOSS DM-100).
I met Thomas in Skopje through Stojche. He had listened to a remix of mine which he liked, and asked if I would send him some stuff. I couldn’t help but think that these were the tracks for a label like Artless.
Can you describe your creative process? What software/equipment are you using?
I am using Ableton Live with VSTs, and I have quite a lot of equipment that I honestly use more to play and jam rather than to compose. I have a Mackie 1604 mixer (although I just upgraded to a Mackie 24/8) and some effects like the Quadraverb, BOSS DM-100, Yamaha rex50, guitar pedals and the DX-100 (bassline on Regenerate). I don’t think I’ve used anything else. I also have the 606, Behringer 909, 808 and 303 clones, Alpha Juno, DR 110, and Tx81z. I usually start in the same way, which is building a foundation that can be a basic drum loop and chords. I love techno chords.
Macedonia is highly regarded by the techno community. What are some key parties and clubs people need to know about?
Indeed, it is! It’s where I grew up and learned a lot about music. We used to have a proper underground scene and a few underground clubs and crews throwing parties. The clubs were old places where you just host your night and do everything, like renting sound, gear if needed, etc.
I remember going to the places in Skopje where like-minded people usually hang out and place posters for the parties we organized. That’s not something you can see often nowadays. Right now, I am not playing much. I’m not even going out as I have a newborn daughter who I love spending my time with.
Izlet Bar is throwing some nice parties and booking artists like Detroit in Effect, Radio Slave, Ian Pooley, etc. Regular clubs like Epicentar and Minus Eden are doing a lot of local techno nights with some international bookings from the crews that organize the nights there. If you’re into house music you can visit Klub1212 or Radio Bar also.
Who are some artists that you are currently listening to?
I don’t really have any favourite artist or someone I listen to at any point in time because I think music is diverse. I just try to enjoy it and dig deep as much as possible. However, if I had to credit something newer that came to my ears, there’s this duo Fireground who I also happened to meet in real life and are super nice. I enjoy their music the most lately, to be honest.
It’s something that touches me a lot which is pretty rare nowadays. Besides them, I also like Volpe, Fadi Mohem, this new record on Artless by Adlas, and of course, all the usual and well-known artists that I liked throughout the years.
Tell us about your mix for //SNCMAG.
It’s been a great opportunity honestly, especially after a long hiatus of playing. You can feel my rusty hands at some moments, which I would of course blame the pitches on the decks. (Just Kidding ;)). I was not planning much. I just wanted it to make sense. I included my EP and some tracks from Artless as well. Everything else was a moment of choice in my head about what could mix well with what. Thanks again for the opportunity, honestly enjoyed recording the mix and it brought the spark in me back to get back and make more music and play more records.
What’s next for Viktor Apo?
Finalizing the reconstruction of our studio. After seven years, we decided it was time for an overhaul and removed everything so we could put in new flooring, acoustics, and paint. After everything is put back in place, I plan to work a lot. I feel like I have many ideas in my head, and I’m really motivated, especially after the release. Besides this, I’ll let life decide which way I go.
Tracklist:
Unknown Artist – Deep Flight
Fireground – Spice Up
Mark Broom – Revival
Healtz – Untitled
Stojche – Body Language
Viktor Apo – Flow
Fadi Mohem – Trust
Don Williams – Beyond The Means
Fumiya Tananka – Go Up
Fanon Flowers – Mode 22
G Flame – I Want You
Deetron Presents Soulmate – In Main
Jeff Mills – Casa
Marco Carola – Question
Deniro – MPC Tracks
Gian – 412
Aux 88 – How Lo Can You Go
Detroit In Effect – Transparency
Detroit In Effect – You Aint Ready
Frankfurt Bass – Jit The Planet
Stojche – Cognitive Dissonance
