Redspace [Interview]

Hailing from Russia, Redspace first emerged in 2020 with a series of self-released projects. Immediately recognized for his club-friendly sound, the fast-rising phenom would go on to land releases via Area Verde, Freegrant Music and more, in turn earning the praise of Ferry Corsten, John Digweed and Paul Van Dyk. The last two calendar years have seen Redspace operate at his most prolific to date, with projects for Mango Alley, PURRFECTION, RKP, Univack and Yomo Records highlighting what has been a strong creative stretch. Fresh of a new project for UV Noir to begin 2025, Redspace finds his way back to Forty Cats' PURRECTION imprint for his artist EP 'Sertraline'.

Progressive Astronaut caught up with Redspace to learn more about the release of 'Sertraline', 2024 highlights, growing up in Russia, DJing, and much more. Enjoy.

Hi Stanislav, thanks for talking to us today. 

Hello, Progressive Astronaut Team! Thank you for inviting me to participate in this interview. I appreciate it!

Let’s look back on the year, what gig of yours has stood out the most and why?

In fact, each performance is a separate story, with which many emotions and memories are associated. But perhaps the strongest emotions I experienced in Pakistan. Thanks to Blackcode and Comet Records for this amazing organization! I was surprised by everything, from the hospitality of the organizers to the incredible energy at the performance. I miss Pakistan, and I can't wait to return to you soon!

Now let’s look at tracks, what is a track or tracks which have come out this year that has impressed you the most and why?

Honestly, I have to listen to a lot of music, so I am very cold to any track that comes out, with all due respect to the artists, because there are a lot of really powerful works coming out. But I can’t name a single track that would have amazed me as much as Guy J unreleases. I encountered this phenomenon only this year and it inspired me a lot and left a big mark.

What is a song/track you’ve never stopped listening to since childhood? And why has it stuck with you this long?

Since childhood I have been through many musical trends, but if we talk about electronic music, perhaps trance will always remain in my heart and when I want to get a dose of dopamine, I listen to artists such as Ilan Bluestone or Andrew Bayer. It is difficult to single out one track, but probably Ilan Bluestone - Frozen Ground will forever be in my heart. Many happy moments in my life are associated with this track.

For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you?

Oh, I have a long way to go, I constantly came across shitty teachers and I can be considered a dinosaur that became noticeable despite all the laws of the universe :D Even if I wanted to copy someone, I would not be able to do it. And at that moment, when I already began to understand what I was doing, the music began to turn out by itself, regardless of whether I want to write in this mood or not, the hand itself sets the tone of the track

For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you?

Honestly, I was a rapper most of my life, but one day something changed in me and I realized that I was not interested in this style of music, I wanted to create something really big and I accidentally came across a video with Tomorrowland, at that moment I realized what I wanted to do. Having gone through many styles such as Big Room, Trance, Techno, Deep House, Melodic Techno, Indie Dance, I ended up in progressive house, which remained in my heart and I understand that other styles are no longer interesting to me.

Who from your country inspired you the most early on and why were they inspirational for you?

To be honest, I didn't suspect that so many producers were Russian, and I didn't know about it for a long time. Probably, at the very beginning, Tali Muss had the greatest influence on my music, thanks to his dynamics and energy, but I also remember how Ewan Rill, K Lovesky, Forty Cats hypnotized me with their depth. Bondarev also played a special role in my development, it was he who gave me the impetus for development and opened my eyes to many things in sound. The most amazing thing is that we are now friends with almost everyone from this list, and sometimes it is hard to believe.

What are some of your best memories from first going to clubs? Were there specific nights or sets that really made you feel you wanted to pursue electronic music?

Honestly, the biggest influence on me was raving at home and watching videos on a big screen. That's what inspired me for many years. I come from a small town where the club culture is dead, the clubs only play popular music, which I never liked. So I was raised by YouTube :D

You’re one of the progressive scene’s most prolific artists, there are very few others who have the volume and consistency of releases that you do, Kamilo Sanclemente also comes to mind in this regard, so where does this creative output stem from? What is it that fuels all these tracks?

It's always nice to hear such words. Honestly, it's hard for me to find an answer. I just love what I do, I have iron discipline, and when choosing between some meaningless thing and writing music, I choose music, I think that's the whole secret. In recent years, I've been completely alone, which allows me not to waste time on anything other than music.

You’re not just a producer and DJ, you also provide teaching, mixing, mastering and more. Please tell us about what you do outside of your own productions and how people can contact you.

Yes, at the end of last year I opened my online school for producers, but at the moment it is only available to Russian-speaking audiences, since I don’t know English well. At the moment my main focus is on teaching, but I also actively provide mixing and mastering services. You can contact me through any channel, I actively monitor all my social networks. Soundcloud, Instagram, email. Just type my nickname in the search and we will definitely talk.

You have a new EP ‘Sertraline’ which is out now via Forty Cats’ PURRFECTION imprint. Tell us a bit about the EP and what sort of vibe you were going for on the tracks.

The EP was recorded during a very difficult time for me, when I suffered a lot of side effects from antidepressants. There were no goals for writing the EP, I just wrote and laid out the atmosphere that was a part of me.

Let our readers inside your studio for a moment, what is your current setup and what studio tools are featured heavily in your recent productions and more specifically on the ‘Sertraline’ EP ?

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of a large number of instruments in the studio, but now I constantly use the following setup:

- Monitors KRK 4G8

- Audio card Antelope Audio Zen Q

- FM synthesizer Elektron Digitone 2

That's all :)

This is your second appearance on PURRFECTION but your first artist EP for the label, after doing a remix for the label initially what was it that made you comfortable to do an artist EP as a second project and why was PURRFECTION a good home for these three tracks?

As I said before, I have long respected Forty Cats' music, so when the offer came to write an EP for her label, I had no doubt that I would do it. I am sure that right now I am becoming a part of the great history of this label.

Shifting to DJing for a moment, you’re quite well travelled at this point, with recent gigs in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and more, so please tell us your approach to DJing and how you approach programming your sets.

Honestly, I don't consider myself some kind of cool DJ who can make an incredible effect from which people will start PTSD :D

But my advantage is that I am very meticulous in selecting tracks, I use only those tracks that I like 100% and during the week before the performance, I play the set every day, thereby checking how the tracks go together and if some tracks get boring, I immediately throw them out of the set, my task at the time of preparation is to exclude all the tracks that get boring and during the performance to enjoy together with the crowd.

What were some of the main challenges and goals when starting out as a DJ and how have they changed over time?

I am basically a producer, and I only became a party DJ when people started to like my production, I just started getting offers, that's all. There were absolutely no problems, if we talk about the technical side. There were always people nearby who helped me with all the issues. My biggest problem was psychological, I couldn't stand at the console sober, I always had to get drunk. I don't argue that it added zest to my show, but now I had to give it up, because I like to keep a sober mind better. And finally, I was able to overcome this psychological fear. I've already played 3 shows completely sober, and I like it.

What is it about DJing, compared to producing your own music, that makes it interesting for you?

DJing is a special kind of art, when you can show people your inner world from a set of other people's tracks. It's hard to describe the emotions I feel when I play music. I'll probably say it in simple words - it's a drug that doesn't need an explanation.

Can you tell me a bit about how your work as a DJ has influenced your view of music, your way of listening to tracks and perhaps also, your work as a producer?

Working as a DJ really has a big impact on the quality of production. Because during the party I see the mood of the crowd and understand what moments in the tracks people like the most, what moments make them bored, etc. In addition, a party is always a huge dose of mood and inspiration, after which the brain starts to work differently, which in turn has a great effect on creativity.

Current Top five tracks in your sets?

Will DeKeizer - Emerald. I heard this track on the set of Guy J b2b Guy Mantzur. It was still unreleased and it looked very driving. As a result, I played this track at almost every party for a year and it always worked great.

Roger Martinez - Downriver. A track that I heard recently, although it is already old, I like the mood in the track and it is great for waking up and smiling at life

Mike Isai - Exit. Cool dark stuff, played it many times at parties too and it creates a great atmosphere and is great for mixing with other tracks.

Anthony Pappa, Jamie Stevens - Here We Go. There's nothing to say about these guys, legends who make groove progressive. I study each track with special attention

Jamie Stevens - Storm Front (Mike Rish Remix). Mike Rish is also one of my favorites and almost every track of his fits into my sets. It would be easy to put 10 of his tracks on this chart and it would look cool.

If you are not DJing, producing or socializing at clubs, where do we find you? And doing what?

In recent years, I can only be found in the studio and in the forest, where I periodically gain energy.

If you could set up an event with a line-up of five artists of your choice, who would you book and what set times would you ascribe to the artists? (Do not include yourself)

Wow, that's a tough question. I don't want to offend anyone with the time of the performance, since everyone is trying to play in prime time. But if there were the same number of people from the very beginning of the event as at the end, the lineup would be as follows:

22.00 – 00.00  GMJ & Matter

00.00 – 02.00 Guy J

02.00 – 04.00 Yotto (A lightening up set, close to his sets when he was actively collaborating with Anjuna)

04.00 – 06.00 DJ Ruby

06.00 - 08.00 Hernan Cattaneo

If you were not a DJ/Producer what do you think you’d be doing with your life? (Something not music related)

If there was no music in my life, I would definitely be in business, as I was before I got very deeply involved in music.

What’s something people do not know about you?

I am a very open person, and I probably don't have any huge secrets that no one knows about. Usually, my friendliness, simplicity and openness become a huge surprise for people.

What TV series have you been enjoying recently and what are some of your all time favourites?

I haven't watched TV, movies or series for many years. But what really stuck in my mind and what I really recommend everyone to watch is Breaking Bad

Apart from music, what makes you happiest?

Besides music, the thing that makes me happy is knowing that I am making a difference to people. This is one of the biggest reasons why I started an online production school, I am amazed at how much I can make a difference in the lives of thousands of people.

What can we look forward to from you in 2025? Any releases or gigs you are looking forward to?

I'm not sure that 2025 will be a year with a lot of concerts, since I'm completely focused on the online school, but what is really worth waiting for is new tracks in quality and ideas, I'm actively working on this and I think that 2025 will put an end to my endless experiment and my creativity will take the form that I strive for.

'Sertraline' is available now via PURRFECTION: https://tinyurl.com/3v95kwwj