Apr 25, 2022
1001Tracklists Spotlight: Aiobahn Celebrates "Set You Free" On STMPD RCRDS
Today we’re joined by one of last year’s Future Of Dance artists, Aiobahn, to celebrate his new release “Set You Free.” The track marks his fourth on Martin Garrix’s STMPD RCRDS, and as you’ll learn in his interview, is totally different from the music he’s been releasing recently. We’re thrilled to be able to present his first ever live recorded DJ set, shot in South Korea and featuring an eclectic selection including tunes from ATRIP, Disclosure, DROELOE, Gemi, Salute, and more! Turn it up and enjoy!
Aiobahn, thanks so much for joining us to celebrate your live set from South Korea. We’re stoked, so let’s dive right in! Where did the idea to record the set come from and how did you turn the idea into a reality?
Thanks so much for having me! I’ve actually never had the chance to record a DJ set in real life, but luckily a friend of a friend was looking for someone who wanted to record a DJ set, and I had this upcoming release on STMPD so I thought it would be a great chance to showcase the track itself and all the music that I got inspired by lately to the 1001Tracklists community.
Take us inside your head for the Spotlight Mix. How did the vibe inside play into the track selection and how does recording an atmospheric set like this compare to a live set in a club?
I always play what I want at my gigs so I think this is the set that I would want to play if I could play at a club again. The music I fully enjoy right now is not too complex, thus simple, but still fun to listen to even if the place is small or big.
What were three stand out tracks included in your set, and why?
The first one is definitely “Set You Free.” It’s totally different from the music that I've released lately. Kinda fast and very simple.
Second one is “Ventura” by Gemi. He is one of my favorite producers at the moment and also who I’ve been inspired by lately. For me this track is definitely garage, but the energy of the track itself is like a huge festival tune. Really love the whole arrangement and the energy of the sound.
Third one is Salute's remix of Todd Edwards - “Shut the Door.” Salute is the producer I know who uses the classic roland, korg sound in the best way. His works make me super happy and gives me some motivation to make music. I can't deny that I also got inspired by his beautiful works. Simple yet melodic and have a great vibe that reminds me of footage from Todd Edwards’ 1st UK show at Romford.
Take us deeper inside “Set You Free.” What was the initial inspiration and how’d you progress from there to the final production we hear today?
I usually start a project on BPM around 126 - 128 but this time I started on 135 because the garage music I listened to was in 135. So basically the BPM itself is the inspiration for the idea of the track. I wrote simple chords first on that BPM and simply liked it, so I kept the layer stacked like all dance music producers do haha. And boom track is done.
The track marks your fourth release on STMPD! What makes the label a good home for your music and what do you enjoy about working with the team there?
For me STMPD is the only label I know and have worked with where releasing music is not purely based around trend, and they actually don’t care about the genres or style. Just releasing what they like. That's why I sent them “Set You Free” first.
If you could collaborate with two artists, who would you pick and why?
I would love to work with more Asian acts this year. Qrion was one of the artists who I really liked last year. Secondly I’d love to work with UK underground artists too because most of the music I’m really into right now comes from the UK scene. For example Duskus, salute, Gemi and more.
Can you tell us some more about the electronic music scene in South Korea. How have you seen it progress, how has it influenced you, and where would you like to see it head?
I started to learn how to make music on my old desktop when there were no EDM trends and huge festivals like Ultra, EDC, etc. Since big room started to get big and trendy, EDM itself and all the festivals started to grow and grow. So the Korean scene itself didn’t get me influenced to make music actually, I always found my own inspiration on the internet.
Do you have any other upcoming music that you can tell us about?
I have one upcoming independent Japanese EP. Aside from that, there’s no upcoming music with release dates, but definitely I’ll release more stuff than last year. Can’t wait to show what I’ve been working on!
And lastly, as we look ahead, do you have any major goals for Aiobahn?
I actually haven't traveled the world except to South Korea and Japan so I really want to go somewhere that I haven't traveled to yet and do my own gig there. Doesn’t matter how big or small it is. I just want to enjoy the music that I like with my people.
Aiobahn - "Set You Free" is available to download/stream on your platform of choice today! http://stmpd.co/AOeAft0Y
short link 1001.tl/hl9gxl
