016 - MICHAEL IUS

(interview below)
For our 16th podcast episode we introduce you to the romanian DJ and producer Michael Ius who blends classical roots with a deep passion for techno.

INTERVIEW
You took classical guitar lessons for 14 years and studied music at university – what was the decisive moment or thought that led you to dedicate yourself entirely to techno production?

All my life I performed other people’s music, whether it was classical or pop. Later I was a guitarist in multiple cover bands. In 2012, I attended a music festival in Bucharest where Luciano was playing. It was melodic techno and it was also the first time I connected with myself on a deeper level. My musical synapses suddenly opened and I instantly fell in love with synthetic sounds. Loved the lowend and the punch! I started producing electronic music in 2016, step by step, and in 2023 I found my current sound and stayed consistent with it.

You're part of the Techno Diatom collective in Bucharest – how would you describe the collective's musical vision and vibe, and what makes your approach different compared to the international scene?

Me, together with Techno Diatom, wanted to bring something different to the local techno scene on a bigger scale. We wanted to actively promote it (via social media ads) to reach more people who like techno and let them know that a “new” subgenre is now present in Bucharest through Techno Diatom. Here in Bucharest and Romania in general, most techno events are focused on Rominimal (which is really good) with slow BPM, Tech House (very commercial), and Hardcore Techno (very fast). Nothing in between.
Compared to the international scene, there’s no real comparison – we’re basically inspired by the international Deep Raw Hypnotic Techno scene, and we’re grateful for that. Western Europe’s electronic music has been going on for generations, and here in Romania we’re just starting to scratch the surface.

In classical music, you work a lot with sheet notes, but these days you probably work more with software and sounds – how has your creative process changed since switching from sheet notes to electronic music production?

Having strong music theory behind me, plus jazz harmony and colorful chords, helped me understand a lot of things faster. I used that knowledge a lot when producing melodic techno in the beginning. But when I went deeper into the real underground minimal techno sound, the theory became useless. Techno has a lot of tension, and if you stay in key, it often sounds too static or melodic. Now the only thing I really use is the octaves. If you “play” the “lead” or “stabs” in the right octave, it works. Everyone can do this by analyzing techno tracks with a frequency analyzer, hovering the mouse on the frequencies when you hear something, and you’ll see in which octave it was played.

@michael-ius-techno
Artwork by Janu Krohm

6D. Podcast 016 - Michael Ius

Techno event & podcast series made in Hamburg.

New podcast episode every 6th of the month. 
No likes, no plays, just music. 

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Soundcloud artworks by Janu Krohm

Est. 2019

Sound shapes perception 

Hamburg raised, Vilnius based
Instagram: @brunus.hz