Guy From Downstairs // Tzinah Podcasts // Interview // September 2012 //

Victor Ernuteanu, a.k.a. Guy From Downstairs is an electronic music producer prodigy from Eastern Europe, Romania. Claims he has been an undeniable sound enthusiast since second breath; started making beats just around that time some evil leprechons say computer began fucking up the creative proccess of music.
He discovered the imaginative freedom of expressing oneself through rhythms and different layers of underground house music after living for a few years in England.
Sound greatly influenced by (just to name a few): early 90s epocal house meeting hip hop, dubious modern four on the floor, close friends and strawberry jam.
Also, latest addition to the Tzinah Family and supported by artists like Tini, Mathias Kaden, Robert Dietz, Livio & Roby, Faster.

Let’s see what this guy has to say….

1. So how did all begin for you?

Guy From Downstairs: Haha, I will skip the first question, I’m really not a fan of my own “biography”.

2. What’s the story behind your DJ name?

Guy From Downstairs:  From a friend that I lived in the same house with during my Uni days from England; I really can’t recall the “wow” aspect of the story, only the fact that I was simply the guy from downstairs.

3. What brought you closer to house music?

Guy From Downstairs:  To house music in general – firstly, the unique energy you get from the flow of the sounds; secondly, I was stuck on hip hop for quite a while and it got to a point where major underground artists started -literally- shitting on the mic. While I was discovering the different types of “four on the floor”, I felt I needed something fresh and different than what I was used to. To underground house music – the uncommon creativity and the powerful, resonant sound.

4. What came first for you, DJ-ing or producing? Tell us about your roots.

Guy From Downstairs:  I was making beats way before I’ve started playing. And, I don’t trust that the story of “my roots” is really worth mentioning. Like with anybody else, it was that “something”, vibrating from inside, telling me I had to bring my touch at some point with my own sound.

5. What was the first important event that you played at? How did it feel?

Guy From Downstairs:  Honestly, I haven’t yet played any important, huge events, besides the usual private parties and a few clubs.

Though, I remember an event I’ve played around 3 years ago; one of the oldest local clubs in my hometown, with an amazing sound system, was going thorugh a “not-the-place-to-be-anymore” period. Despite that, we’ve managed to get around 400 people on that night and I remember feeling really good playing for them.

6. Who’s throwing the best parties in your opinion?

Guy From Downstairs:  Frankly, I don’t know. I mean,if we’re talking about promoters. For me, as a member of the public, of the underground house niche, it matters greatly who is playing that night. It can almost be anywhere and organised by anyone. Although, I can remember some amazing nights in London, trademarks of Secretsundaze or Rhytmatic.

If we’re dealing with the Romanian scene, it can happen sometimes that awesome parties are thrown by promoters I’ve never heard of; on the other side, there are also shit-parties organised by well-known, long-established promoters.

But, I know what a mammoth job it is to lay out a proper event so I really appreciate all the effort coming from the event-managing people in Romania. Although we know what pigs are some of them when they raise the price of beer with 200% on the event night, we’re still lucky to get great underground gigs here with so many various genres.

7. Which other contries have you played ?

Guy From Downstairs: England, a few times.

8. What do you think about the music scene in your contry? What is your opinion about european underground music scene , new tallents, old producers, what do you think about romanian artists?

Guy From Downstairs: To answer the first and last question, I can only say that we are definitely on the map! It’s even surprising and ridiculous sometimes!

For instance, this French guy I’ve met at a rave in London (Desolat Experience, incl. Livio & Roby); everytime we brought a Romanian artist in the discussion he went like: “Pedro? Oww…oww…oww! Rhadoo…oh my God, Rhadoo? Oh-my-God!”.

He even told me that he couldn’t afford a plane ticket at that time but would go to Sarkozy and declare himself a gipsy so the president would send him “back” to Romania. Only to attend Sunwaves.

Apart from that, there are loooaaads of good young artists, but I guess everybody knows this already. I’ll only name JBD because he’s got the sound that I support the most, but there are many more on the rise these days that deserve listening to.

About the European underground scene… I love it! A big family sharing the love for this kind of music. That’s where the REAL union is, in music. :-)

9. If you could pick one place you would like to play where would it be and why ?

Guy From Downstairs:  Japan. They eez crayzae over there. People are open-minded about all kinds of weird, out-of-this-world shit. Maybe one of the clubs in Tokyo would be the perfect place to unleash myself in musical terms.

10. Do you see yourself being a DJ all your life?

Guy From Downstairs: I really don’t know. Maybe not. Do I see myself involved in making some sort of music all my life? I hope so.

11. Out of all tunes you have made ,which one do you think ‘it never fails’?

Guy From Downstairs: I can’t really know, I think that is what listeners decide in time.

12. Which artists inspire you the most?

Guy From Downstairs: This is such an endlessly disputable matter, freaking hard question to answer. They’ve all inspired me on different layers and on distinctive moments in my life.

I can try naming just a few that really inspired me thorugh their sound, passion and just for being titans and gods of anything utterly melodic: Freddie Mercury, Prince, Michael Jackson, Lucio Dalla, Jean Michele Jarre (of course), MF Doom, DJ Premier, RZA, (some) Romanian folk artists and way too many others to add.

As long as we’re talking about house, I must admit I’m really hooked on Livio & Roby’s sound which I find to be outstanding. Besides that, an endless source of inspiration for me are: Carl Craig, Kenny Larkin, Martin Buttrich, Sneak, Theo Parrish, Moodyman, Kerri Chandler…

13. Are you focusing more on djing or on production right now?

Guy From Downstairs: Production.

14. When you’re not working, when the party is over, how do you like to chill out?

Guy From Downstairs: Reading comics or watching movies with my girlfriend, or maybe talking about history and space travel with my grandad or just general chill-time with friends…

15. What projects are you working on at the moment?

Guy From Downstairs: Besides time invested in producing, I’m working on creating a poignant platform for interviewing music artists and reporting; it’s called “Depinde” and it’s a totally different concept than any other online news/interviews magazine. That’s all I can say. Not because it’s a secret, but because I procrastinate like a motherfucker.

16. Describe your relationship with our label from your point of view.

Guy From Downstairs: It has been great! You guys are very supportive and made me really happy that, through you, I can get my tracks across many more playlists than before. I’m so glad we’ve crossed each other’s paths.

And of course, cheers for “adopting” me in the family!

And now let’s listen to his podcast!

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