Imanbek Goes Harder Than Ever on His New Single

Known worldwide for breaking through with his Grammy-winning remix of SAINt JHN’s “Roses” and later “Belly Dancer”, the Kazakh producer is now leaning into the raw, high-energy DNA that shaped him from a young age.

“I was mainly inspired by The Prodigy and their immense energy,” he says.
“They were extremely popular when I was growing up, and I still think there’s a permanent impression hard rave music left on me.”

The result, he explains, is a track that feels “way harder” than his previous work.

“I’m not very fond of being in the center of the crowd, but I love watching people dance to my music. So I make something like this from time to time, to give them the biggest rush possible.”

For Imanbek, this release taps into the thrill of rave culture without losing his instinct for big, crowd-shaking hooks.

“The vibe? Losing your wits on a dance floor.”

Although the track carries his signature edge, Imanbek didn’t try to reinvent his process entirely. Instead, he found new ground by combining elements he had previously kept separate.

“I’ve used euro-dance kick drums before, and I’ve sampled guitars before — but this is the first track where I’ve done both at the same time.”

Still, deciding when a track is finished is never straightforward.

“It’s always hard for me to understand if it’s really the sound I seek. I usually take a walk to let my ears breathe, and if I still love it afterwards, I go with it. Step by step, I layer things in and only then decide if I like the whole picture.”

Imanbek admits that the emotional process of writing originals is different from remixing.

“It is different and it is harder. Because when I remix I already have the direction and I just follow the process already knowing I love the song. With original tracks it’s not that simple because I don’t really understand where I’m going. I might be just jamming, never using anything I recorded.”

Even so, he embraces the uncertainty.

“Writing music is sometimes hard and sometimes very pleasant instead. But I love the results the same anyway, no matter if it’s remix or an original.”

He also points out that while fans might recognize certain trademarks in his sound, he doesn’t box himself in.

“I honestly think that some of my tracks don’t have that signature sound in particular. But I always come back to my basics — it’s probably like driving a favorite car again for a race driver. Luckily, I can do it any time I want. So I think I just stay one foot in my ground and the other in experimenting and collabbing. Never forget the roots — this is what I want to point out.”

This openness to experimentation has carried him into collaborations with some of the biggest names in electronic music.

“The whole process was very chill so I think I didn’t learn through making mistakes while working with big artists like David [Guetta] or Alan [Walker],” he says.
“We were just like, ‘Yeah, it’s cool’ or ‘We should try something different.’ There was no pressure at all and I’m very happy to be given such an opportunity to work with all these great talented people that I worked with.”

It’s been five years since “Roses” catapulted Imanbek from a small town in Kazakhstan onto the global stage, and one milestone still feels surreal.

“Winning the Grammy was the biggest milestone that I can’t forget. I still look back and it seems like something completely unrealistic. At that time it came out more like a shock for me. Unbelievable.”

More recently, he says, another honor took him by surprise.

“I was pleasantly surprised a few days ago by being nominated for a Latin Grammy for my feature with Taichu. This is the second Grammy nomination of my career, and I am very happy about it. Wish me luck, hopefully everything works out.”

Now, with his latest single, he wants listeners to feel that same jolt of electricity.

“Hopefully they’ll be eager to throw a party with friends,” he says with a grin.

But when it comes to teasing what’s next, he prefers to keep the mystery alive.

“Follow my socials and I’ll let you know.”