Romania’s Emotional Tourist is an artist that has gone from strength to strength in the last 12 months. The Kindisch, Shanti Radio Moscow and XYZ producer has been cooking up some of the most irresistible grooves in the underground and he’s rightly winning the just plaudits. You need look no further than the lush ‘Alchimie De L’Univers’ with Ondin, which is garnering much attention far and wide at the minute.

Emotional Tourist has also been showcasing his remix chops of late with a rolling rework of ‘Noah & Luca’ from Montreal indie electronic act HOKI. This week, we caught up with the rising talent to get the lowdown on his remix process, the Romanian scene, his 2022 so far and his advice for artists seeking their own breakout year. It’s all below!

WWD: Thanks for joining us Cosmin! Where in the world are you right now and what has been on your to-do list this week?

Heya! Thank you for the invite, always a pleasure talking to you, guys! My to-do list implies a daily routine I’ve been developed and tried to stick with it, meaning going to my studio as much as possible during the week, listening to new music and stay current with what’s happening in the electronic scene, some physical activity, jogging, which is very good for our mental health, and also spending quality time with the loved one, family and friends. All of these, of course, outside the working hours, as I also have a daily job during the day and at some point it can be tricky balancing all the things from my agenda.

WWD: How has the music scene in Romania been recovering at the tale end of this pandemic?

Apparently a little better than I expected, which is encouraging! We have promoters organizing parties every weekend and people eager to have fun. I think this was a reset and now is the right time for us to start over and rebuild the community and the scene around quality music and a proper story telling.

WWD: You’ve just remixed ‘Noah & Luca’ from HOKI. What was it about the original track that appealed to you?

It was a bit hard to stick with one track to remix, because I really enjoyed Hoki’s album. The thing that made stick with Noah & Luca was actually the chill down my spine when I heard the first piano chord and also the vocal, which has a specific depth I like to work with. And this is the moment I knew.

WWD: When you approach a new remix do you tend to have an idea in mind for where you want to take it or do you dive in and see where it goes?

It depends. There can always be one sound from the original that can inspire me take a different approach, and add a really cool twist to the track. For me, those are the best ones. I have some guidelines developed after some years of producing, but they depend very much of the current events in my life and the creativity process.

WWD: Can you tell us a little bit about the creative process behind this remix?

The original track already had an emotional background so in these cases what I try to do is to build over, develop the melodics in my own style and balance them with a nice, tight groove.

WWD: Obviously every artist has their own style, but who/what do you look to for inspiration musically?

I am always inspired by music that have complex melodic themes, with different chords, of different elements combining themselves and creating that perfect harmony. These types of productions tickle my “creativity cells” in my brain, pushing me towards achieving that state of mind.

WWD: What does pushing your boundaries in the studio look like in 2022?

I am constantly trying to push my boundaries every time I am working in the studio. But I guess going the extra mile would be to start working on an album.

WWD: What are the top 3 tips you’d give to any emerging artist for promoting one’s self in current times?

Well, nowadays, even though it can make you feel a bit uncomfortable some times and it can seem a bit off to self promote, I think you should stay active and keep a certain consistency on the social media channels, make always new connections and be confident in your work and let it do the most talking.

WWD: What do you think bookers are looking for in emerging artists right now?

I think they expect the same thing an employer expects from a person who just finished college: an impressive resume.

WWD: And lastly, what’s coming next for you? What are your plans for the rest of 2022?

For me 2022 is a resetting point in which I want to decide what type of artist I want to be from now on. I am constantly working on my growth, as a DJ and producer, I am involved in some local projects with some cool people and we are trying to promote our type of sound, which is more niched than other genres. We’ll see what the future holds.