Interview with The Bulgarian

I recently got in touch with The Bulgarian who I first came across on MySpace, I then seen his tracks pop up on a number of blogs and none disappointed so I thought, fuck it I'll interview him, so here it is people!

Nelly: Now let me get this straight, you’re originally from Bulgaria then you moved to Cape Town, South Africa then finally moved back to Sofia, Bulgaria? How does the nightlife compare in both capitals?

The Bulgarian: Yes, I was born in Sofia, Bulgaria but moved to Africa with my parents when i was 8. I go back to Sofia regularly as i have family up here but i'm not moving back anny time soon. Actually i'm moving to London in August. As for the party scenes, it's much the same for underground music in both capitals, quite small and not too much happening, hehe. Cape Town has a very strong local rock band culture, but a techno party might only pull 200 people. Sofia on the other hand has massive commercial parties with big name djs and huge pop and rock concerts quite often but again, the underground music culture is still new and small. There are some bold pioneers in both cities though that are fighting hard to change that! ;)

Nelly: What/who made you want to get into producing your own music?

The Bulgarian: Wow, about 15 years ago an older family friend inspired me with his acoustic guitar. After working hard that summer i bought my first guitar, then in 1997, after failing miserably to start my death metal band i combined my geeky love of techology and computers and started making awfull industrial rock on my then fairly decent Pentium 166mmx!

Nelly: Which do you prefer, the dj’ing or producing side, and why?

The Bulgarian: Well i've been a producer from long before i even first set foot in a club, so I consider myself as such first, and a dj second, but i love djing so much as well! There's nothing like seeing people responding live in front of you to your self expression. Its the coolest feeling on earth. You also get to go to a lot of cool places on earth. ;)

Nelly: You have a few dates in your diary for London coming up this year; will they be your first in the UK?

The Bulgarian: Yep, first time in the northern hemisphere actually, playing with the Zombie Disco Squad @ their Get Rude on the 11th (can't wait!), and at the On The Brink showcase with the Crookers @ the Egg in September.

Nelly: What is the one track that has affected you the most in your production/dj career and why?

The Bulgarian: Oh, it would be totally unfair to all the music i've liked from so many genre's over so many years to try to single one track out. However "The Bulgarian" as such now exsists in no small part thanks to tracks like "This is Sick" by Solid Groove and Dave Taylor's early Switch tracks like "A bit patchy".

Otherwise i can point out 2 people that showed me I don't need to be in a band to make music: Trent Reznor of NIN and Liam Howlett of The Prodigy.

Nelly: Where does your inspiration come from when going into the studio to produce your next track?

The Bulgarian: As cheezy as it is: Life! Anything really, from an odd sound on the street or in a club to a good meal. or an inspired chat with friends can make me want to make music. Equally powerfull as an inspiration tool is sheer boredom. ;)

Nelly: You recently had your “Ignition EP” released on UK label “On The Brink”, what other releases are on the horizon?

The Bulgarian: Most excited about my Potty Mouth Music ep: "The Zombie Door", with label mates like Crookers, Dj Fame and Santiago & Bushido (who are on remix duties for me), hell yeah.. ;)

Nelly: What are the 3 tunes getting people to move their feet and scream “Bulgarian, we love you!” on your dance floors lately?

The Bulgarian: Ignition definately, The Other Door and The Zombie Door.

Nelly: Thanks for the interview Dimitre and I look forward to more of your fidget house in the near future!


Now for an exclusive track given to me by the man himself:

The Bulgarian - Barnyard Dance (zShare)

In his own words, "it's new and unsigned and no-one's heard it yet! enjoy ;)"

Check out some of The Bulgarian's other release's and remixes here: Juno, Juno Download, Beatport

Also search for Mr. Elastik, Dimitre's more Minimal inspired alter ego.