UMEK is undeniably Slovenia’s biggest electronic music export, a literal techno legend personally responsible for kickstarting the electronic music scene in his home country by first organizing illegal raves and then becoming one of Sloveniaās most wanted export products and number one music ambassador to the whole world.
Standing at 2 meters tall, 6ft 5in for us in America, UroÅ” Umek is a producer, founder of his own 1605 imprint and a globe-trotting DJ. With 100+ gigs per year, UMEK visits almost every continent with each of Earth’s rotation around the sun, his gig schedule taking him from dark underground clubs in Berlin to massive techno stages at some of the biggest festivals in all corners of the globe. And on top of that, he keeps up a popular weekly radio show called Behind the Iron Curtain, which is now featured on more than 150 radio stations across the world.
More recently, UMEKĀ teamed up with Ā German airline Lufthansa to curate an exclusive 2 hour playlist that will be available on all their long-haul flights and has just released his latest EP,Ā Work It Out, on his own 1605 label.
6AM had the chance to chat withĀ UroÅ” and discuss his many projects, as well as life in Slovenia and the future ahead of him.
HelloĀ UroÅ”, thank you for taking the time to chat! You’re always on the move… where are you today?
Working on new music in my home studio after a week Iāve spent in Barcelona.
You’re known as being the biggest electronic music export out of your country of Slovenia. How is the scene over there now?
Itās picking up again. Weāve felt the recession quite a bit in last couple of years, but in recent months the scene is growing again with plenty of underground action and couple of major events as well.
Do you feel your international profile has helped techno and other electronic music grow in Slovenia?
Probably. Our scene was more or less homegrown, but if nothing else people who are in the business (booking agents, deejays, labels) have heard about Slovenia couple times more than before I and couple of my peers broke out of our home region as weāre a very small country and are rarely in the international press.
Do you still live there?
Yes, Iām based in the capital Ljubljana, because the quality of life here is top notch ā which explains why I donāt want to move anywhere else although I need to fly in and out with layovers most of the time. You should really come and check it yourselves if youāre into great outdoors, tasty food, excellent wines, craft beers, extreme sports and/or quality relaxing holidays.
Let’s back track a bit on your career. What were some of your hobbies before you discovered electronic music?
I was a promising basketball player. My team-mates were RaÅ”o NesteroviÄ, who later won two NBA championship rings, and Marko MiliÄ, one of the best playmakers of our generation in Euroleague, so Iāve spent most of my teenage years on the court. But soon after Iāve got bitten by techno bug and decided to become a world class DJ, Iāve realized I wonāt be able to do both on top level, so Iāve had to drop basketball just when I was invited to join the national team. It was a hard decision but a right one.
Do you still practice it?
Iād like to, but recently I have damaged one of my ankles quite bad and have to heal that injury first.
What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t being the globe-trotting artist that you are now?
Now Iād probably run my own sneaker store (Iām collecting special editions and for some time Iāve even done my own designs) and work as a basketball coach after a successful international career.
Can you talk us through a typical day for you when you’re back home in Slovenia?
Thatās probably much more boring than people expect. I spent most of the days in my house. I wake up, eat breakfast and go to the studio in the basement for couple of hours. In between I do some sports, a short afternoon nap and in the evening, I watch movies or spend quality time with my girlfriend.
Are you somewhat of a celebrity at all there? Do people stop in you in the street?
I am a known public figure, most of the people know who I am as Iām involved in major charity and other events (Iāve even done some big national campaigns with the President of the State couple of years ago) and media often point me out as a globally successful Slovenian or partner in successful start-ups such as Topdeejays and now Viberate. But in Slovenia people rarely stop you in the street even if you are an international superstar. Sometime people ask me for a selfie or speak to me briefly but thatās no bother at all.
You’ve now played some of the biggest stages and clubs in the world. Is there a venue or festival still on your to-play list?
Iāve played more or less every decent club and festival ā which doesnāt mean Iām not happy to get invited to play again or at the new venues. It would be fun to do a gig in a church or at some landmark such as our world famous Postojna Cave. They do classic concerts in there from time to time and it would be interesting to do some electronica as well.
What’s the craziest thing that has happened to you on tour?
I have a unicorn in my rider – more or less just to see if people who have booked me have read it. But once promoters really surprised me by playing along this joke and they brought me a full-grown horse masked as a unicorn in my dressing room before the gig. How crazy was that!? I couldnāt stop laughing for hours.
Being on the road a lot can be truly exhausting. How do you stay in shape for your gigs with all the moving, flying, jet lag, etc?
First of all I try to be in shape by exercising every day at home and not do too much crazy stuff while touring as I want to regenerate as fast as I can while going from gig to gig, working during most of the nights while deprived of sleep. Iām quite boring in a way as I donāt go all in like some other artists who donāt stop just by getting wasted during their gig, but also go to the after parties.
If you could choose one country you haven’t visited yet for a gig, which one would you pick?
South Africa. Iāve only played once in Tunisia, the rest of Africa is an undiscovered continent for me.
You’re returning to the States soon, a country you’ve played a lot during your career. How do you view the music scene here?
Back in the days I really struggled in America as I was unknown artist there, techno was not that big at the time and on top of that Iāve had phobia of flying, so I stayed away for a while. But since the explosion of electronic scene in the USA everything changed and now I canāt wait to be back, doing couple of North American tours every year. The scene and the way people embrace electronic music there is totally different than in Europe, but I like it.
Some would say your sound is on the cusp between the underground and the more approachable main stage, all the while remaining far away from EDM. How do you keep that balance? Is it intentional?
Most of my career Iāve been somewhere in between: techno purists have considered me commercial, while big room deejays still mostly see me as part of the alternative if not underground. Thatās a bit schizophrenic but thatās who I am. When Iām in the studio I just go where music takes me. For a while Iām again leaning more to darker side, but there were times when I enjoyed doing more radio friendly stuff with Waka Flocka or Chris the Voice. Iām moving between these two extremes as I get attracted to particular elements in music, but I do that totally unplanned. For example, right now Iām satisfying my love for melodies by producing electro under the moniker Zeta Reticula as my Umek production would sound too commercial if Iāve done that in the framework of techno.
You’ve achieved a lot in your career so far. Countless gigs, huge stages, a label, a super-popular radio station… what else is left to do for UMEK?
If nothing else I donāt yet have my own line of designer sneakers. Producing music and playing it for crowds is a never-ending story. Now that Iāve got back to darker sound Iāve had to learn couple of technical things again. I have a certain idea of sound I want to produce, Iām working on this for the last year and it will take me another couple of months at least to produce just that exact thing that will sound perfect to me.
Connect with UMEK: Online | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud | Beatport
Photos by Luka Kase
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