Exron Exclusive Interview: ARTBAT at Electric Zoo

Representing Ukraine’s electronic music scene, acclaimed DJ duo ARTBAT has been touring the US and finally made their way to New York’s Electric Zoo Music Festival this past Labor Day Weekend. We got a chance to catch up with these two to discuss their humble beginnings and upcoming plans piggybacking off the launch of their new label, UPPERGROUND.

After Electric Zoo’s 2020 edition was inevitably cancelled, Artur and Batish were thrilled to finally be playing on the Hilltop Arena stage. “We’re very excited because we waited for this gig for two years,” they said. 

When asked about performing in the US, ARTBAT cited New York as one of their favorite cities, along with Miami, where they recently played a two-hour set at Club Space and Los Angeles, where they just finished up playing Day Trip Festival.

Coming from Eastern Europe, the two men have noticed a sizable difference in the dance music scene. “We started to love visiting the US more and more,” they said. “It’s really different. The level of happiness here is at the top.”

They go on to describe the US crowds as calm, chill, and communicative—compared to other crowds they’ve played for around the world. “Every visit, we go deeper into the culture,” they add. “Also, we like the dancefloor here. It’s more concentrated, so you feel it more.” 

Just as ARTBAT says they are grateful to play in the US, their fans are just as indebted to them for being here. The duo drew a massive crowd on Saturday night at the festival, proving to be a tough act to follow. 

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ARTBAT has come a long way since 2014, when the two men decided to take their chances in the studio. They had both been pursuing their own paths as DJs before joining forces. “We were both DJs in Ukraine—in Kyiv during the revolution. We met in a club, talked together, and decided to try something together in the studio. We liked the result from the first session and decided to continue with it.” 

Today, they’re touring the world, dropping heaters, and launching their very own label. Their latest track, “Flame,” was recently selected as Pete Tong’s Essential New Tune. “Flame” is something special to ARTBAT, as the men also chose it to coincide with their label launch. 

We were curious why, out of their entire catalog, “Flame” was chosen to introduce the label. ARTBAT made it sound like a simple choice when they said, “We had other tracks in consideration, but with this track, we feel like it’s one of our most emotional.”

They’re not wrong about that, “Flame” has undoubtedly put a dent in the hearts of listeners. Having just been released a little more than two weeks ago, the track has already amassed 275k+ Spotify streams and counting. 

With the launch of UPPERGROUND, ARTBAT is looking forward to having a sense of freedom with their releases. “We don’t have to depend on when someone else wants to release our track,” they said. UPPERGROUND won’t only be a positive movement for ARTBAT but also for up-and-coming talent that catches their eye. “We can now search for artists and help them. Many years ago, we were on their side, and now we feel like we can help others.”

They go on, “Of course, we can’t help everyone because it’s our label and our taste, but when we like the track, we are happy to help an artist release it. We know how important is it for these artists to make connections. We are trying to contribute something to music culture.”