We spoke to underground DJ superstar, Kulikovsky, from Minsk, in Belarus, who has gone on to tour all over Europe and the former USSR, and is now making waves across western Europe and beyond.
Hi there, thanks for agreeing to talk to us!
What’s the electronic music scene like in Belarus?
The scene is very decent, especially in the last 12 years, as for unique and original artists it’s the same for club events and festivals.
Your latest single, ‘Burning Up’, from late last year, came with quite a mysterious music video. How did you come up with the concept?
I grew up on music television so I wanted to do a kind of MTV2 music video. I didn’t have a budget for that, but thanks to free footage from pexels.com – they have an incredible library – so I started digging and mixing; for me video production it’s almost the same as music production.
Your music has reached a wider audience outside of just Belarus – to what do you attribute your popularity, and what advice do you have for anyone else – from Belarus or other countries – hoping to get into electronic music professionally?
It’s like when you ride on a bike – the more you do it the more confident you feel behind the wheel.
Who’s been your greatest inspiration musically? What about personally?
So many but these people the most: the Deftones, Depeche Mode, Tyler The Creator.
If you could start all over again, what, if anything, would you do differently, and why?
Spend money on advertising much smarter.
What’s the music production process for you? Do you start writing on traditional instruments or is it electronic from the start?
It depends on the project. I start a lot of my sketches on my iPad using amazing Reason Compact app.
What’s the top three tracks/artists on your playlist right know, and why?
Brockhampton because they are insanely good. LXST CXNTURY – my homie from Belarus, I was so proud for him when he got platinum Spotify streams. Metallica because it’s timeless and I’m starting to work out.
What question do you wish someone would ask you in an interview, but nobody ever does? And what’s the answer to that question?
Why U so incredibly handsome?
Because of my parents.
Follow Kulikovsky online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Read our review of ‘Burning Up’ here.
