Artur and Batish are two friends who have risen from Kiev’s underground to become one of the most in demand acts on the international circuit. It is a pure passion for the music that has got them there, as well as their own unique sense of driving, powerful and melodic house and techno. As DJs who know how to play huge outdoor stages or intimate clubs alike, the pair has played key clubs and festivals like Awakenings, Fusion Festival in Germany, Warung in Brazil, EDC in the US and Asia, Tomorrowland, DGTL, and Loveland, as well as Hï Ibiza and DC10 Ibiza, Watergate Berlin, plus gigs at CRSSD Fest San Diego as well as many others. In a very short space of time then, ARTBAT has moved from being an underground secret to the in-demand secret ingredient underground techno has been waiting for.
EG caught up with ARTBAT to learn more about the drop of ‘Origin’, their feelings about the current state of Ukraine, their UPPERGROUND imprint, future endeavors, and much more.
EG: Hi guys! Welcome to EG! It’s a true pleasure to have you with us. How have things been going this year? How are you feeling lately? We’d like to extend our condolences to you and Ukraine.
ARTBAT: Hey guys, thanks for having us. It’s, of course, a pleasure for us as well. The past months have been hectic. We are lucky enough to represent Ukraine globally in the electronic music scene. It’s more important than ever to show our colors and support. We’re actively using our platforms to make the world aware of what’s happening on our home ground. The daily news is devastating and this has to stop with immediate effect, obviously. At the moment, we are trying to help as much as possible (foundations, family, and friends…. Help is needed everywhere).
Electronic Groove: First of all, congratulations on the release of your new release ‘Origin’! What has the reception been like?
ARTBAT: Much appreciated. The support and reactions have been overwhelming. ‘Origin’ is a collaboration with our talented friends and UPPERGROUND family members Shall Ocin and braev. Both with outstanding talent and taste in music. The record is dedicated to Ukraine (as you can tell from the cover art) and truly showcases our roots. Playing it and seeing all the Ukraine flags and support is incredible. A very emotional tune and you can tell by the reactions of the crowd.
Electronic Groove: What are you on the lookout for, generally, for UPPERGROUND?
ARTBAT: We are not looking for anything specific, to be honest. It has to have the wow effect. Something catchy and outstanding. What we are always definitely looking for is the next thing. What is the next thing you will ask now…. Well, we don’t know until we hear it, road test it and release it 🙂
Electronic Groove: Speaking about UPPERGROUND, how is the brand fairing so far? Is the concept of running your own label more or less work than you expected?
ARTBAT: It has exceeded our expectations. We had amazing showcases in Tulum NYE and Barcelona for Off Week. We’re now looking to expand, picking a few amazing cities around the world and throwing our event there. Crowds and destinations are a key element. We are extremely happy with the results so far, but we just got started and there is way more to come.
“Origin is a collaboration with our talented friends and UPPERGROUND family members Shall Ocin and braev. Both with outstanding talent and taste in music. The record is dedicated to Ukraine (as you can tell from the cover art) and truly showcases our roots”
Electronic Groove: Just at the end of the last year, you had the chance of reworking ‘Age Of Love’ with Pete Tong himself. What was that experience like? Did you have any notion of what you would do when you first got the news?
ARTBAT: Absolute amazing experience. Pete has contacted us to work on one track for his ‘Ibiza Classics’ Orchestra Album. One of the suggestions was ‘Age Of Love’. It took us no time to come up with THE idea. We road tested it a couple of months until we were happy. And well, the rest is history. It was an honor to work on this tune with our good friend Pete Tong.
Electronic Groove: The pandemic gave us all a chance to reassess, cool down, and have much-needed discussions. What would you like to see more and less of in the electronic music scene?
ARTBAT: We think the scene is in good shape. Festivals are back, clubs are full and the atmosphere is outstanding wherever we play at the moment. The only thing we would love to see is a bit more support for Ukraine. International well-known artists have such a wide reach – we have to use our platform. Everyone has a voice to use – use it for any kind of issue or to help others.
Electronic Groove: We’d like to circle back to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Are there any organizations you’d recommend donating to? Any who’s efforts you’d like to highlight?
ARTBAT: We are playing a charity event in Vilnius, Lithuania very soon. This charity event will be held on August 24th (Ukraine’s Victory Day) and will be organized by the representatives of the city Vilnius and the ‘Music Saves UA’ initiative from UAME. Funds raised will be donated to ‘Music Saves UA’ for the evacuation and humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian people. Also, we have a small fund and with it, we are sending direct help to people who were pushed to leave their homes in the east part of Ukraine. And also to mention is U24, the charity founded by our president.
“The only thing we would love to see is a bit more support for Ukraine. International well-known artists have such a wide reach – we have to use our platform. Everyone has a voice to use – use it for any kind of issue or to help others”
Electronic Groove: What else can we expect from ARTBAT and UPPERGROUND in the future? What new milestones are you looking forward to in the coming months?
ARTBAT: Plenty of new unreleased music. We’ve played a couple of IDs during our 3 sets at Tomorrowland in July. There will be super cool music by several artists. You can be excited – because we are 🙂
Electronic Groove: Thank you for your time guys! We wish you all the best for the future!
ARTBAT: All the best and we hope to see you very soon again somewhere on the dance floor!
ARTBAT’s new collaboration with Shall Ocin & braev, ‘Origin’, is out now via UPPERGROUND. Purchase your copy here.
Follow ARTBAT: Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube
Follow UPPERGROUND: Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram
