SOVI, roughly translating to “night owl”, is a Russian actor, producer and DJ. While growing up, he idolized Kurt Cobain, Limp Bizkit, Daft Punk, and Kraftwerk. After he had moved to Moscow, Russia, he threw himself into the music world and put it upon himself to learn more about what it takes to become a producer and DJ. Check out Neon Owl’s interview with this multi-talented Vycheslav Hahalkin. To listen to the modern and creative sounds from SOVI of Gazgolder Records, check him out on iTunes, Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
When did you discover you had a love for making music?
Since childhood I was fond of dancing and after discovering that I had a good a sense of rhythm in my early teens and I seriously started street dancing. My dad played the guitar, accordion, harmonica and piano, so my childhood was immersed in a musical environment. But I generally understood that I wanted to make music when I got caught up with street dancing at age 13 as dance and music always go side by side.
What was it that made you want to become a DJ?
When I was a little kid, initially my aim was to be liked by girls; as we all know actors are always at the center of attention [laughs]. I was inspired and excited by the simple idea that I would be an object of attention being in the movie industry. But as time went on, I understood I loved acting, which I am now good at. Acting is an inalienable part of my life now. For me it’s not possible to imagine myself without it! It’s the same with music. I get pleasure in the creation of music. I guess that’s why we often see most actors going into music and vice versa. I think it’s foolish to refuse the things that inspire you.
What inspires you?
Life. And that means everything I see around me. But the strongest motivator to creating music is dance … the concept of rhythm!
How do other genres besides electronic music influence you as a DJ?
I haven’t really thought about this. In a way, yes. Apart from rock and hip- hop, I also listened to and still listen to other genres which all influence my sound and style. Nowadays, this has taught me to try to create my music on intuition. To make something of my own, avoiding replicas.
Who do you look up to for inspiration?
I respect the pioneers of electronic music, those who made impact in the development of this genre. Jean Michele Jarre, Kraftwerk, Sven Vath, Giorgio Moroder, Klaus Schulze among others.
What’s it like being an actor and trying to break it as a DJ while living in Russia?
Russia is far from the world scene because of the lack of notable names here and the scarce understanding of the electronic dance music scene. I’m not saying that we do not have talented musicians or dance music cultures but there are just a few of them. Massive festivals are held in Moscow and St. Petersburg every year, but come to think of it, Russia is not only Moscow and St. Petersburg. Touring around Russia has made me understand that we still have more horizons to reach.
What’s the most challenging part of being a young, successful actor in Russia right now?
The challenges are interesting but a lot of fun. Sleepless nights spent filming, constant flights to shoots, beautiful co-actresses, endless spectacles in theaters and so on. This however makes time planning the most difficult thing to do especially during the film shooting seasons. So I am grateful for my wonderful team and good friends who help me to stay focused and keep things together.
For more information, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/soviofficial
https://itunes.apple.com/album/city-of-gold-single/id1087379709?l=en
https://soundcloud.com/sovi-official/
https://twitter.com/Soviofficial
https://www.instagram.com/sovi_music/
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