Zuma Dionys is a Russian artist whose organic style of house is a blend of sun drenched beats and intricate melody with mystic vibes. Most recently he dropped a new EP on Sabo’s label Sol Selectas which alongside the two originals also had remix versions by German Brigante and KEENE. Excited to learn more about the new release, we caught up with Zuma Dionys for a quick chat.

WWD: It’s great to be talking with you today. What part of the world are you currently based, and what’s your local lockdown situation?

Hello, I’m also pleased to be speaking with you. I live in the Russian city St. Petersburg, but often travel to Moscow. Like the rest of the world, the isolation of lockdown was not so good. However, now the government have cancelled the restriction on entertainment work. For a long time I was only allowed to work until 23:00. At first it was an opportunity to recuperate and take a break from performances. However, I quickly missed the dance floor, and decided to start online streaming my DJ sets. Luckily my live performances did not end completely, as after a while, there were some private parties with a small number of people.

WWD: How would you describe the style of your music, and what are some of your main influences?

It’s hard for me to fit my music into one genre, because I borrow a lot of techniques from many genres, ranging from techno to folklore. My best attempt at describing my style would be “downtempo electronica” with ethnic elements.

WWD: Talking of your influences, what inspired the name Zuma Dionys?

I wanted a name that would be memorable, catchy and easy to pronounce. I took my real name and surname as a basis.

WWD: I recently checked out your new release on Sabo’s label, Sol Selectas, and have to say I really loved it. Can you talk me through the concept, and some of the equipment used to produce them?

I don’t have any single specific way of writing tracks. Sometimes I only use VST’s and samplers, and other times I only write tracks using hardware. Specifically for this release, VST’s were used: Serum, Kick 2, Vacuum, Arturia Delay Tape-201 and a few more… I cannot put all the plugins in this list, as it would be too large 🙂 I also used some hardware equipment including: Roland S -10 Sampler, Alesis 3630 Compressor for when I’m bouncing down tracks, and a Korg Minilogue XD synthesizer.

WWD: How did you first make contact with Sabo, and which other labels have you worked with?

I sent out promos with tracks to my favourite labels and artists, and Sabo was near the top of this list. My other releases have been on labels including Pipe & Pochet, Bar 25, Lump Records, Cosmic Awakenings, SOUQ, LNDKHN, LOKD, Bercana Music, Wanderlust Musica, Exotic Refreshment, Baikal Nomads, Shango Records, Big Wine Freaks Records, MONADA and on many other great labels.

WWD: I know it’s still too early to know which festivals will be able to go ahead due to the COVID pandemic, but what are some of the summer events you would usually try to attend?

I always try to attend the major local events in St. Petersburg and also the ones in Moscow. I’m really looking forward to when the borders between countries will become less restricted, as once possible I plan to attend many European parties plus some ones in South America.

WWD: Breaking away from music for a second, are there any books, film or TV shows that have helped you through the last few months?

I like watching stand-up comedy on both TV and theatre. Stand-up in Russia has grown a lot, and there are many strong comedians with lots of charisma. TV series have also helped in the evenings, and I would like to recommend the series Chernobyl, which is about a nuclear disaster in the ‘80s.

WWD: Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, before we finish… is there anything else you would like to add, or any special messages for your fans?

I get a lot of nice feedback from fans, and I am very pleased to read those kind words, as it strengthens my confidence in what I do. The inspiration of my fans helps push me to conquer new heights. Thank you all, you are truly breathtaking!

His latest EP on Sol Selectas was just released on February 5th. You can buy it HERE