ITW : SVAROG [ARTSPCOPE PREMIERE]

Svarog is one of the Ukranian mythology gods, the god of metal, the forge operator, the god of fire. This is the artistic name of Oleksa Moroz, musician and dj from Lviv, Ukranie. He starts his career in 2015, showcasing the best deep and profound sounds of techno, where textures and ambiances equal the power of the beat. His sound is personal and unique, always focusing in dark but evocative textures, combining saturated timbres, industrial sound and atmospheric landscapes, even broken rhythms. Shades of ambient, mysticism, and real techno are the elements that characterize all his output. Modern and futuristic sounds, far from trendiness and simplicity, from the soul to all intelligent dancefloors out there.

After several releases on different labels around the world including Aine, Circular Limited or Illegal Alien, your latest track will be released on Artscope. How did you start the collaboration with the label?

This release is actually the beginning of cooperation with the label. This work has started almost a year ago. And finally the record was released to public. I’m glad that there are people who are interested in my music and they are ready to press it on vinyl.

More than 5 years have passed since you started to produce music. How would you describe your artistic way through this period? Are there any lessons learned that you would like to share?

Good question. I realize that all my ideas about the music industry have been wrong. It seemed to me that I could control something, use some tools to build my career. In fact, things are changing so fast now that the knowledge and skills we gain immediately become obsolete. Everyone now wants likes. Even my neighbour’s cat is now a media hero, although apart from walking on the balcony and going to the toilet, he does nothing else. Hardly anyone will pay attention to music if it won’t be promoted. I don’t want to be a neighbour’s cat. Most likely Svarog will simply disappear from view.

In fact, things are changing so fast now that the knowledge and skills we gain immediately become obsolete.

Have you met any challenges as a DJ and producer so far? If so, how are you going to develop your art?

It is hardly worth turning your work into a challenge. The best option is to let it all go the natural way. If you pull the strings too hard, then you will break them. Discipline and patience, in my opinion, are better here than workaholism. The horse worked the most on the farm, but didn’t become a boss.

Do you have a different process of producing music when you are writing an EP versus writing single tracks for V.A.?

When I make music, I don’t think about release, about what I will do with it next. I don’t have a business approach where I make plans and do some calculations. If that were like it, I would close the Svarog project and start a McDonalds or IKEA project. Svarog is a bad business project.

Can you give us an overview of your studio methods?

I can start a new track with texture and bass or with some rhythmic pattern, it all depends on what I want to do. There are no rules here. But I always make a small sketch of that track, and only then I bring it to the final look. I don’t like to make changes and focus on one element. That’s why I always make the track already prepared for release, there are no different versions. I don’t see the point in drawing a few orange squares, one red and then pink, if I first wanted to draw pink. I always check the final mixdown in mono.

Is there one piece of hardware/software that you find yourself always going back to?

Nothing special. For me, for some reason, all the tools are almost the same. Of course I have preferences, but it’s not something fundamental in my work on sound. I could easily change that and continue to write the same music. If I can drive a Volkswagen to Kyiv, I don’t see a problem in getting there in a Toyota. It’s just a tool. The final goal is important.

[…] All the tools are almost the same. Of course I have preferences, but it’s not something fundamental in my work on sound. I could easily change that and continue to write the same music.

Are there other sources of inspiration for your music that people might not be aware of?

In a previous interview for magnetic magazine, I already said that I do not need inspiration to create music. This was not always the case. But for the last two years, music has just come to my mind as a revelation. This is not one track, I see  some large-scale idea from which 5-6 tracks can come out. The hardest part was learning how to produce it as sound. So if I understand what I have to do, then I can just sit and do it without waiting for inspiration. Any instant emotions do not affect the mood in the track that I make.

What role do you think music plays in a difficult collective moment like this? What role does it play for you?

From my point of view, I don’t see any strong impact of the crisis on the role of music in our lives. If you look at me as consumer’s, nothing has changed at all. From the position of a musician, I see that I have lost direct contact with the listener. In popular social networks, the audience is quite large, but access to it is limited. And as for the role of music as my craft, it also hasn’t changed. I tried to find a job, just not to starve, but nothing good came out of it.

What are your projects at the moment and what can we expect from you in the future?

In February will be released an interesting EP on Edit Select. Six very deep and dramatic tracks. It has quite deep sence about the experience and attitude to difficult situations in life. If you’ll understand the essence, you will become a completely different person. Wait for the release, maybe it will be not only good music for you 🙂

The latest Svarog’s track will be available on the Artscope’s new compilation series, which tries to focus on deep, dark techno. This series intend to investigate and express the deep down inside of human nature in this way. The first release of this series is consisted of four artists, Svarog, Yohan, Worg and Einox. [Click here to pre-order on Bandcamp]