Odopt: The Ransom Note Mix

Please introduce yourself… ⁠

I’m Grisha, a diplomatic and artistic part of Odopt, the so-called duo of “in-betweens”. The engineering and founding part, called Ivan, is now sitting in Buenos Aires, enjoying his studio life and waiting to be able to travel again soon.

Where are you and what are you?

We are friends, on both sides of the Atlantic, who just can’t stop making music every day, I guess.

What does your music sound like? ⁠

To be honest, the minute it starts to sound like something else, I go and change it. That is considering the part that the tracks should have a kick, a hat, and a bassline, and be played in clubs, and people should be able to dance to it. But sometimes we don’t even follow that.

Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?

Probably like something Pol Taburet or Francis Bacon would paint while having insomnia.

⁠⁠⁠Where was the mix recorded?

In Paris. The main base of this half-decade.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

In a basement with a good crowd, good ventilation, and a good sound system. And no stupid wars outside the walls. That would be ideal.

What should we be wearing?

The best dresses from your Grandparents’ 1920s vintage collection.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

I kinda did that recently in Vent, Tokyo. Sometimes you’re lucky, and dreams become true. If you know a better sound system, please let me know.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

All of them! But to pick one, it will be Samo Dj’s. Besides how great it is, it also represents, at least in my mind, a shiny Kraftwerkian funeral of two of my favorite labels – Discos Capablanca and Born Free.

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Music is Not for Everyone by Andrew Weatherall. 02 Jan 2020. “Greetings, Sisters and Brothers.” Everything about this mix is beyond understanding. What a way to start a new century.

⁠⁠If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Back to backs are hard, but I’m picking between Garnier in Hacienda ‘1988, just to see what it was actually like, and Tania Vulcano in DC-10 on August 21st, 2005. I mean, man, just listen to that crowd. Best Essential Mix ever, by a mile. Everyone has their Bibles; you can’t quite choose what’s coming to you when you’re 17. This one was mine. It made me fall in love with the craft. I’m still trying to collect all the records from that hour, as I have a few missing.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

To be honest, I never owned any. The first time I touched a professional DJ setup was when I played in a club in front of 400 people. After that gig, they offered me to play again. So, I guess, that night, I also saved some money on gear.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

verything in between. It’s fine to make a mistake when you start, and it’s fine to finish with something silly — no pressure on these parts.

What were the first and last records you bought?

The last one was beautiful Begena Songs Compilation. The first one I bought, I honestly don’t remember. The city where I was born never had any legit record stores. I think my first one was a present from another DJ. The label was Soma Records, if I’m not mistaken. It had a green sticker on a white sleeve.

⁠⁠If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

A Long Macedonian dinner.

If it was an animal what would it be?

A pack of wolves on the hunt.

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

Hmmmmmmm….. you mean beatmatching?

⁠⁠Upcoming in the world of…

An EP. An EP. And an EP. And, quite literally, a Mixtape. Did I mention I’m starting a label? No? Good. It’s very important that I don’t mention that.

⁠Anything else we need to discuss?

Yes. The true history of the Great Wall is not what we’ve been taught in school. Dig that.

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