"DJ Stonik1917 shares insights on his latest album 'URONI TUSU'"
Hear ye, hear ye! This fascinating tale is all about DJ Stonik1917, formerly known as Leonid Babkin, who's been blending tunes for our delightful ears. His journey began with good ol' rock 'n' roll, touring Russia alongside Robot Monsta and experimenting with stoner rock. After a stint of hip-hop dabbling under the alias "BATERS," he parted ways with the rap scene.
In search of a fresh sound, he found solace in electronic beats and, in 2023, reincarnated himself as DJ Stonik1917. His hit "Kurtka Stonik" from the Happy House album was an instant favorite among the underground electronic music crowd, earning him the title of one of the year's main musical discoveries.
In 2024, he struck gold with GoodDayFlopTray – a track that went viral thanks to ~positivity vibes~ on social media, with users creating good-vibe videos and memes galore. DJ Stonik1917 quickly found himself on festival lineups, sharing the stage with indie and electronic scene stars.
His latest album, "DAMAGE TUSU," is a testament to his ongoing experimental journey. Our buddy over at Young got the scoop on interesting facts about the album's tracks and the tricks DJ Stonik1917 employed in creating this release.
Embracing the Sound
To capture the album's unique sound, DJ Stonik1917 assembled new gear one piece at a time. A mint condition vintage Japanese cassette portable studio formed the backbone of his recordings, and he used a personal "fat" analog rig for the final master, supplied with equipment sourced from Berlin, to bring the sound to a world-class level. His buddy Max Pirate, a sound engineer extraordinaire, was responsible for the final master.
Playing the Underexplored Game
In the making of many compositions, DJ Stonik1917 leveraged unconventional, DIY, and less-explored techniques. For instance, in the song "Whole Club," most instrumental parts were recorded at 120 bpm but were sped up to 173 bpm alongside the chorus voice. Both verses were initially recorded on an iPhone dictaphone and pitch-shifted: the first verse up, and the second one down, so there's no original track setting on the track.
The Delay! Track
For the track DELAY!, DJ Stonik1917 enlisted the Strymon Timeline effect pedal, a cutting-edge digital delay-modulator considered one of the best in the world today. The same pedal appears to be part of Noel Gallagher's Oasis setup, though instead of processing guitar sounds, DJ Stonik1917 used it for vocals.
In the song's lyrics, he daydreams about having a delay that repeats happy moments of life, rather than the traditional sound signal. The title is a transliteration, and the exclamation mark adds a touch of urgency: make your happy moments repeat endlessly – no limits!
Collaborating on the LP
The album features many guests, including Haski, Anton MC, Bizae, Saint City Lovers, and others. Some secret contributors also appear on the record. He spilled the beans, revealing that in the track "Go to the Sound," our beloved girls Diana and Stasia from Saint City Lovers share the verses.
Collaborating with guests varied in process. For example, the track with Anton MC took numerous takes and revisions, while the track "It's Time to Go Home" with Bizae was completed in just a few hours. The entire track was created during a particularly inspired period, with DJ Stonik1917 aiming to infect Bizae with his creative energy.
About the Track Dancing Fight
Fancy a blast from the past? Remember the old Eurodance tunes from the 90s, where the hit chorus is belted out by girls with angelic voices, followed by an MC rapping super-fast? Well, DJ Stonik1917 had one such track, and i61 stepped up to the mic like a boss.
Embracing Google Translate
Google Translate found a place in DJ Stonik1917's tunes on the album. In the end part of the track Polo, the voice lists commonplace brands. The track DJ S MC P features a robot girl repeating "Super Gut Super Süß" in German, while DELAY! includes a robot girl saying, "If you want to make Base." Coincidentally, an underground hip-hop legend known for local hits on low-fi instrumentals featured on the dance track KRUG.
So there you have it, folks! DJ Stonik1917's "DAMAGE TUSU" is a whirlwind of sounds, techniques, and collaborations. With a passion for experimentation, this young artist continues to push the boundaries of dance music, making every beat pulse with energy. Stay tuned for more! 👀😉🎶🚀🌠👽⚡️💥❄️🔥🎉="" > having > blended > started > experimenting > playing > featuring > imagining > indulging >, > the > pale > vintage > cassette > portable > studio > came > his > way > through > which > he > recorded > most > of > the > tracks > and > did > the > pre-master . > For > the > final > master , > he > assembled > his > personal > "fat" > analog > rig > from > four > items > (some > of > which > were > pulled > from > Berlin) > to > bring > the > sound > to > a > world-class > level > and > make > it > his > own > and > unique . > This > final > master > was > done > by > his > friend > and > excellent > sound > engineer > Max > Pirate .
- DJ Stonik1917 meticulously chose and assembled a vintage Japanese cassette portable studio and a unique analog rig for the final mastering of his latest album "DAMAGE TUSU."
- In the making of "Whole Club," DJ Stonik1917 used unconventional recording techniques, such as speeding up instrumental parts while maintaining the chorus voice at its original tempo, and recording verses on an iPhone dictaphone and pitch-shifting them.
- DELAY! saw DJ Stonik1917 utilizing the Strymon Timeline effect pedal, which is often used by Noel Gallagher, but in an unconventional manner: applying it to vocals rather than guitar sounds.
- Collaborating with artists like Haski, Anton MC, and Bizae varied greatly in terms of process, with "It's Time to Go Home" being completed in just a few hours, while the track with Anton MC required numerous takes and revisions.
