ARTBAT Have a Beatport Number 1 with “Best of Me” (feat. Sailor & I)
We catch up with Kyiv-based techno duo ARTBAT, whose collaborative track with Sailor & I, “Best of Me,” recently hit Beatport’s overall top spot.
Congratulations on your number one on the Beatport charts! If I’m counting right, this is your third number one this year already. Do you know how many top spots on Beatport you had in total?
First and foremost, thanks for having us. It’s a pleasure as usual! We are beyond happy to have scored another Beatport number one, and words can’t describe our gratitude. “Best of Me” must be the seventh or eighth main chart number one. It’s unbelievable how loyal and supportive our fans are.
It’s been five years since you released your debut EP, and these days you are considered among the most successful artists on Beatport. Was there a particular moment when you felt that something changed and your music connected with many more people than before?
“Mandrake” was the first record that made us believe and pushed us even further. Richie Hawtin, Maceo Plex, and many more supported the tune. And of course, our EPs on Diynamic Music also played a massive part in getting us to where we are today. It’s an outstanding feeling to play your records live in front of thousands of people. The energy, vibe, and love are what keep you going and working even harder.
How did the collaboration with Alexander (AKA Sailor & I) happen? What made you want to work on this specific record?
We’ve been talking to Alex for a very long time and have tried a couple of things. It took a while until we found the perfect project to collaborate on. And finally, when he sent us the “Best Of Me” vocals, we were amazed. The feelings, the emotions, the wording, and the meaning were the perfect match. We immediately clicked with the record, and the workflow was flawless. It was fun and a pleasure working on this track together. Hopefully, there’s more to come!
You are always working together as a duo. How do you collaborate? What are some of your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to production and remixes?
The key is always to work as a team. It’s important to get constructive criticism as well. We are always mixing up tasks and have an excellent understanding of each other’s workflow, which is essential for a good collaboration.
You are from Kyiv. Is this where you’ve also spent the last months? How is the health situation in Ukraine? How are you dealing with the current crisis, and does it affect your productivity as musicians?
Yes, Kyiv has always been our home, and this is where we prefer to be based. Having family and friends around keeps us creative and motivated. They always serve as a fantastic source of inspiration.
The situation in Ukraine is pretty stable. We shouldn’t always believe what’s written in the media. We have faith in the future and hope that everything will be over soon. Luckily, we were able to play a couple of shows throughout the summer and presently. It gives us a lot of energy. Besides that, we’ve been very productive in the studio. This was the bright side of not touring every week. We can’t wait to play all the new records we’ve come up with for our fans out there.