Boiler Room Alum DJ Zaltan on Staying Out of His Comfort Zone

Kyle Mullin | Nov 2, 2018 11:30 am | Add a comment | 2179 reads

Parisian DJ Zaltan’s high energy, pummeling bass, and deeply grooving instrumentals have gained him a strong following on both online platforms like Soundcloud and at the many of club sets he regularly plays, including local spots in the French capital to the internationally renowned Boiler Room. He is also a well-regarded curator, enlisting and mentoring up and comers on his own Antinote label.

Here, Zaltan tells us about all that and more ahead of his Nov 3 set at Zhao Dai.

How did you get started as a DJ?
I started to collect records when I was a teenager. I always put together music on tapes and created vibes mixing different genres. Then I bought two real turntables and a mixer and started to mix properly. I bought more records, explored genres more deeply, kept discovering music, and continued meeting new people. All that helps me enjoy my life as a DJ. I really like to party everywhere in the world.

What do you like most about the music scene in Paris? And are there any flaws or drawbacks that you'd like to see improved?
The Parisian scene is at its best now, I think. There are a lot of clubs, diverse music and an open-minded crowd, from what I see. We now have a lot of good club inside Paris and also a lot of raves going on.

For me, the thing to be improved is the quality of the sound systems in general.

I enjoyed listening to your 2017 release ATN5YEARS - FIVE YEARS OF LOVING NOTES. Were there any specifics muses that impacted it?
What I wanted to do is actually simple. I wanted to feature one track of every artist on my label Antinote. I mostly got them all. I wanted to show the wide spectrum of music Antinote can offer in one unique vibe.

Speaking of which, tell me about the founding and running Antinote.
Wow, that’s a long story! I founded Antinote seven years ago. A lot of things changed and it’s a lot of hard work. I have people working for me now, so everything is more professional. It has to be! But no matter what, I wouldn’t stop putting out such great music, it’s my life!

What song would you play to energize a club crowd that is quiet and not dancing?
Lipelis - “Children Song”.

Are any of your songs difficult or challenging to play live?
Many of them, yeah! But I’m always trying to push things and not stay in the comfort zone.

Name a song by another DJ that makes you want to try something new with your own music.
Céline Gillain; a bad woman on my new label! With her, there’s room for new experiments.

Name a song from another genre of music that you love and that you might want to borrow elements/ideas from with your own music:
Clara! y Maoupa’s “El Ratón”.