Interview with Ukrainian duo ARTBAT @ TOMORROWLAND Belgium 2022 (W1)

One of the most delicate topics about international policy in recent months is obviously the war in Ukraine. At Tomorrowland Belgium 2022 weekend 1, before their performance at the Freedom Stage, we had the chance to interview one of the most important Ukrainian representatives for electronic/underground music: ARTBAT.
Between curiosity and points of view, Artur and Batish talked about themselves, their Upperground label and future.
ARTBAT became spokesmen against the Russian aggression right from the start, not only with a long series of live streamings and real performances aimed at fundraising, but in every possible way to tell the truth about the violent Russian attack on the Ukrainian people and country and seek to spread a message of peace to people around the world so that these events won’t happen again.

● You’re one of the most representative Ukrainian projects, and after the beginning of the sad situation that’s currently…

Whoa, whoa. Russian aggression. Sad situation is not enough.

● Do you think that live streaming has been a really useful tool to reach your purpose both on with the live situation?

I think it’s not about live streaming. It depends not about when you stream or not. It depends on the whole understanding of people. It depends on the position of people. Now the world it’s like it has two sides, like black and white and no, no matter if it’s a stream or something. It’s all black or white or you want the world to be in the naturalization direction or if someone agrees with war aggression and death. So if people understand their position, the right side, they go donate, they help and we know like streaming or something doesn’t motivate them. It’s all about a life position in general. But of course, announcing of this, talking of this, posting, everything, this makes this going on top of the information field. And of course this is helping. So any step of putting this topic on information fair on field, it helps a lot to keep focus on this. Thank you.

● You opened your own record label UPPERGROUND last year, trying to give your imprint, linked to your signature sound and your idea of the music. Are there some upcoming talents we should keep an eye on? Could you spoil something for the next future?

Yes, of course, we started this label from our music, but definitely we want and we have different ways of growing. We want to release big music from big artists like talented producers and on the other side, we receive a lot of demos from new artists, like upcoming artists. We feel very grateful to have the opportunity now to select some music that we like from new artists and put them on our labels and give them a chance to, to show them, to start their career. Because like we went through this from the very beginning, from zero. But now in our position, we feel necessary to help some artists to grow and also to put some names on the table. That’s like we make the music world bigger and bigger.

● You already played here at Tomorrowland and Tomorrowland Digital Edition in 2020 (we were there!) and this year you will be finally playing in real life again one time per weekend. How was that experience? And what did you expect from this one?

Actually we played Tomorrowland before COVID like the physical event. And Yes. For the digital event, our position was to try people who also like online to keep aware of festivals, they don’t leave them in the future or in the past. Festival is alive. Just like “We need a little time to go physically”. But of course we like physical events. You cannot compare it with digital. Digital is without emotions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgM0LpYtxBf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

More and more techno artists are evolving their performances with visuals, effects and more to offer their fans an experience that goes beyond. What do you think about this evolution? And what can we expect from ARTBAT in the near future?

Yes, actually, we like this trend. Okay. But of course in our minds, the first is the music. Like people come into the music. But visuals to their side help people to go out from the real world to go on some kind of adventure. So with visuals, helping you to go deeper in music, it’s amazing. Like, of course, visuals is a kind of possibility to make some message also. We are working on this also, we have some ideas and we also put like in our future events, as part of a deep adventure side also.
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Thanks Tomorrowland for the opportunity and ARTBAT for the availability!

youBEAT interview ARTBAT at Tomorrowland Belgium 2022 (W1)

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