Interview: Ant To Be (Alexander Kstenin)
Ant To Be aka Alexander Kstenin, musician from Kirov, one of the breakbeat, jungle pros, tracks whose you'll love from the first sound.
Releases on labels such as: Kniteforce Records, Jedi Recordings, Future Retro London, Parallax Recordings, Knitebreed…
A: I would add Time Tunnel Recordings (UK) to the list and the Moscow's label Okbron Records where I’ve released a solo record, by the way, today it is a powerful jungle / dnb label run by my friend Sasha DJ Gutta. In fact, there are more aliases and some things that I did earlier, but perhaps I will keep silent about them … who knows, knows -)
If you are a producer/label, I want to not give up and continue to move your topic no matter what, believe in your cause and in your music, even if other people criticize it.
- The first track that inspired you to make music?
A: The Prodigy — No Good (Start The Dance), music with a video, all these dances, flashing lights, slowmo and the atmosphere of an underground club just conquered, and the Music Creator 2000 program on Sony Playstation «said» — "dude, you can do it too!"
- What record did you start collecting rarities with?
A: Actually, the first record I've bought was a dnb release by Jerona Fruits (catalog number JF004) in 2008. If we talk about the first rarity, it’s probably The Magi & Emanation — Everybody Say Love, it was much later, when I consciously started playing and collecting vinyl.
- When did you start your activity, in what year?
A: I have been counting my creative activity since 2006, in 2007 my second or third gig.
- What did you play back then?
A: Mostly liquid funk dnb, some breakbeat hardcore classics and maybe happy hardcore
- On the same scene with Dolphin, how did it happen?
Yes, that was a fortuitous episode. It was fun night, I've played liquid funk as warm-up, then Dolphin took place and after we continued with drum and bass.
- The most memorable performance, why?
A: It's hard to remember everything, but from recent events, it was in June 2020 at the technical opening of Mojka In Space my hometown in Kirov. It was an outdoor party on the rooftop of a car wash, and a lot of people came even though there was supposed to be a quarantine. The atmosphere was incredibly cool.
- Do you remember at Kruzhok Jungle Fever you've talked about your acquaintance with NRG aka Liquid Crystal, how did your friendship started?
A: Heh, I won’t say that we have a friendship, we have never even talked to him haha. I once bought a record of Liquid Crystal — Chromatic EP, it cost a decent 70 pounds then because there was only a first press, but I really wanted to play it.
After a while Neil suddenly started re-releasing his old stuff through Kniteforce (I’m a resident of that label). Kniteforce label owner Chris Luna-C offered me to remix Liquid Crystal — You Got Me and of course I've agreed. Neil subsequently remixed my track Got That Swing. That’s all our intersections =)
- We also want to note your collaboration with Tim Reaper, Alpha Centauri is a great atmospheric track, there is a story with the track name? DIY knocking down the dance floor, running bass melody — yes man, omg! Recently there was also an advertisement for beer (UK) with your track and Tim Reaper, if we’re not mistaken? A few words about the project.
A: I've been in contact with Eden (Tim Reaper's real name) for a while now, sending him my stuff and he supported it at Blog To The Oldskool show which they do with Pete Dev/Null on Jungle Train radio.
Also he included my tune Nineteen in his mix for Resident Advisor. Little later Tim made remix on my tune Bells On The Way for Kniteforce remix series. After a while, Tim asked me to do a collab for his Future Retro London label for the Meeting Of The Minds series. He asked me to send him some demos and he chose atmospheric demo tune from 2016.
Then he sent me his modifications of my demo, I've added two light strokes and tune was ready.
Track name came from pad preset called Alpha Centauri, also sound of the white-noisy solo reminded me tune Magic Fly by Space.
Well, don't feed with the bread, let me come up with a name about space.
The track's story continues this spring when Tim was approached by London's Camden Town Brewery, who needed a backing track for their new commercial. Tim suggested that they choose any from his label, in the end the choice fell on our collab and they licensed this track.
I would never have thought that the track would sound in a beer commercial -)
- Thats great man! What are you working on now?
A: Usually I rarely plan, my creative process is always as chaotic as possible, I rely on chance, so I really can’t even say what I’m working on now …
Probably closing old debts and implementing my old silly ideas -)
- Are there any releases planned in the near future?
A: I just finished a new 4-tracker EP under Ant To Be for Knitebreed, a simple dance EP with some breakbeat hardcore / jungle hardcore stuff, hopefully out this year.
Very soon will be released my remix for New Decade on Out Of Romford. It was the first tune that I did completely on hardware, I have been waiting for the release of this since 2021, because vinyl pressing plants were then filled up, but now, apparently, the queue has disappeared.
And very soon the second 12" disc of my modest label Wax Corner will be released, where I twisting UK Garage and offshoots of this sound under the nickname Osipenko Bus Stop -)
Also coming soon the second 12" record of my modest label Wax Corner, where I twisting UK Garage and offshoots of this sound under alias Osipenko Bus Stop -)
- What would you like to say to our readers?
A: Well, first of all, since you are already here, thank you for reading the interview to the end -)
If you're a listener, thank you for supporting creativity and supporting our niche scene, that's the things that inspires creators most to keep going.
If you are a producer/label, I want to not give up and continue to move your topic no matter what, believe in your cause and in your music, even if other people criticize it.
I wish the editors of Past Future even more posts in the telegram channel -) and all sorts of new interesting things.
See you, hear us!
- Last, Four jungle-techno tracks that you consider the most outstanding?
A: It's very difficult, I'll name those that came to my mind at the moment -)
- Thank you, Ant To Be, Respect!
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