In the age of viral sensations and fast rising superstars, UMEK shines, a testament to hard graft, talent and playing the long game. Last month he made his Drumcode debut with a thrilling single ‘Footmachine’.
Despite his storied career, some might be surprised to learn it was around 20 years ago that the Slovenian star, who helms the excellent 1605 label, first sent Beyer a demo. “I first met Adam around 1998 when we played our legendary club on the coast of Slovenia, Ambasada Gavioli. A little later – approximately 20 years ago I think – I sent him a demo and I never heard back. You always beat yourself up thinking you have not done something right, which isn’t a good way to deal with rejection. Learn to take advice (if you are lucky enough to get it!) and focus on putting those emotions into your work. I promise when it does happen, it makes it all that much sweeter.”
To celebrate the release of his maiden Drumcode release, exclusively for Klubikon UMEK shares five of his favourite tracks on Adam Beyer’s famous imprint.
1. Adam Beyer & Lenk – Drumcode 01
“This is where all the story began. I still remember where I bought this vinyl record. I still have it at home. It’s, white, with silver letters, and I bought it at the Delirium shop in Munich. I played it so many times, and I thought: Wow, this sounds so fresh. It was just like rhythm section drums, it rolled and rolled and never stopped. What an amazing start for the label.”
2. Secret Cinema & Egbert – Maximaal
“I remember playing this track for so long when it was released. Probably a year or so. It has this crazy, synth-based, distorted sound. You just go crazy when you hear it, and even today I think that track sounds so fresh. And I could play it in my set – no problem at all.”
3. Maceo Plex – Conjure Dreams
“What a melodic techno track – real melodic techno, at its best. It has this amazing melody with these bassy stabs. So unique, so different. And it actually tests the time. It’s still fresh and sounds good.”
4. Enrico Sangiuliano – Moon Rocks
“What a cool thing to work with those synth voices again. Like when this came out, it was so unique, so different. Nobody was doing a style like that. And to use sounds like that in techno. Enrico really showed us something completely new there.”
5. Julian Jeweil – Mars
“This track is pretty simple. It’s not a big anthem per se. It has a few catchy things, but the functionality of this track is absolutely amazing. The brakes with the countdown, that’s absolutely amazing. And that was in my set for so, so, so many months, and I still love it to this day.”
