Octave (Octavian Rotaru) is a DJ and Producer of House music born in Iasi, Romania some twenty years ago. He’s been around electronic music since he was a little boy, influenced by his brother’s musical path through genres from nu-metal to break-beat, techno and dark-step and ultimately combining all this experience into the deep groovy house music which he is mixing and producing today. Influenced by many artists and genres but always keeping his style personal and unique.Music is his passion and that is what his music is. Passionate. Heavy kicks, subtle percussions and eerie themes give off a minimal-like feeling but without the cold and robotic sound. The analog feeling in his tracks is given by the unique way he produces them which some may see as chaotic but as it appears, there is a method to this man’s madness.
Octave on Facebook
Tzinah Records: Could you remember when and where have you felt it for the first time that you were to become a music artist?
Octave: I felt it the first time I opened Ableton.
Tzinah Records: Why did you choose to create and play this particular type of music? Are there any artists that touched you deeply while developing your own style?
Octave: No particular reason. It was just a feeling i had when i first started listening electronic music and I knew what I was about to do. Eddie Richards is one of the artists that have inspired me the most. He has the craziest bass lines.
Tzinah Records: Please, briefly, describe for us, the current state of the underground music scene in the place you come from. Is it any good?
Octave: Lately, in Romania, electronic music has evolved a lot mostly thanks to ar:pi:ar, and the scene is overall pretty good. The bad part is that there are a lot of beginners who play music and sometimes ruin parties. But then again, we all have to start somewhere. Hopefully most of them will get better with experience.
Tzinah Records: Without giving out too much about your secret weapons, please tell us how does the magic work in your production routine. Software? Analog? What does your DJ set-up imply?
Octave: I produce all of my music using Ableton, however, I don’t believe I have what you would call a normal way of producing. It’s all very quick and the samples that I select don’t end up sounding like the original at all. I do record some samples myself. I mostly rely heavily on effects and warping and changing sounds until I feel that the sound is right. A kick can become a snare and a hat can become a bassline, you never know. I practiced DJ-ing on a pair of CDJ 100s but I don’t currently have a set up myself. I’m focusing on producing music and I am comfortable playing on any set up that the venue happens to have (once you master the CDJ 100s, everything else is a piece of cake).
Tzinah Records: Which underground house DJ or producer would you love to take out for a summer picnic? With which artist (from any music genre) would you spend 24 hours stuck in an elevator?
Octave: elevator – nina kravitz, why – i bet she smells nice
Tzinah Records: Have you already played in your most-dreamed about venue? Which one is that?
Octave: I had the pleasure to play at Studio 80 when I was 18. That was my best experience playing music at a venue so far.
Tzinah Records: What motivates you to be an active part of the underground movement?
Octave: music itself
Tzinah Records: What ís the story behind your Tzinah Family Podcast? How did you record it and are there released or unreleased tracks?
Octave: All the tracks in the set are my own productions, with quite a few unrleased tracks, of course.