Andrei ‘Tripmastaz’ has been a busy man over the past few years. He’s also been busy in the studio with Ricardo Villalobos, launching his own Respect the Craft label and even his own mastering service. Nightclubber was pleasantly surprised that he managed to find time in his busy schedule to serve up a killer mix. Listen to that one below and read the interview here.
Lymm.002 // Tripmastaz – Recorded live at Lymm 20.08.2022
Despite the hot summer and the arid waterways all over the world, the FUTURΣWAVES return to flow with Russian-born DJ, producer, and relentless studio head Tripmastaz. Four years in the making, Duct Tape Project is the new brainchild of Tripmastaz in the realms of trip-hop and downtempo. And it’s a project that makes perfect sense to anyone familiar with Andrei’s background (making Hip-Hop beats since his teenage years), musical capabilities and decades-long experience. Duct Tape Project joins Andrei with a troupe of stellar musicians not only from many different corners of the world but also from acutely distinct genres – Guti, Argenis Brito, Mad Dim, Denis Kaznacheev, Krussia, Damien Vandesande of DOP, Sarkis Ricci, Andrey Orenstein, and vocals by Inga.
Featuring all sorts of live instruments, drum machines, synthesizers and modular systems, Duct Tape Project brings forward a complex work brimming with musicality, creating a vibrant and fascinating ecosystem with enough sonic texture to leave one captivated, enraptured and lost at the edge of words.
This mix was recorded live at Eshk Record Store and Hair Saloon in Berlin.
The double LP is available on the main run of regular black vinyl and two limited editions of 30 copies on splatter vinyl and blue marble vinyl. Exquisitely mastered at Tripmastering and distributed worldwide by another.round, the new sub-division of BRT Distribution.
Four years in the making, Duct Tape Project is the new brainchild of Tripmastaz in the realms of Trip-hop and Downtempo. And it’s a project that makes perfect sense to anyone familiar with Andrei’s background (making Hip-Hop beats since his teenage years), musical capabilities and decades-long experience. Duct Tape Project joins Andrei with a troupe of stellar musicians not only from many different corners of the world but also from acutely distinct genres – Guti, Argenis Brito, Mad Dim, Denis Kaznacheev, Krussia, Damien Vandesande of DOP, Sarkis Ricci, Andrey Orenstein, and vocals by Inga.
Featuring all sorts of live instruments, drum machines, synthesizers and modular systems, Duct Tape Project brings forward a complex work brimming with musicality. Using Hip-Hop, not only its rhythmic structures but also its sampling techniques, as a foundation, Tripmastaz created a vibrant and fascinating ecosystem with enough sonic texture to leave one captivated, enraptured and lost at the edge of words. There are 13 musical compositions in total that explore all things Hip-Hop, Downtempo, Trip-Hop, Chill Pop and Lounge, forming a cohesive and deeply soulful album.
The double LP is available on the main run of regular black vinyl and two limited editions of 30 copies on splatter vinyl and blue marble vinyl. Exquisitely mastered at Tripmastering and distributed worldwide by another.round, the new sub-division of BRT Distribution.
About the mix, Tripmastaz says: “This mix is the final or better say focal point of my vinyl digging adventures of the last year. Most of this records are coming from early/mid nineties, some of them been digitised and then slightly edited by myself. Mix starts off with this little edit we made a few years back with Ricardo Villalobos, and along the way there’s a track from my new label’s Respect The Craft first release which will be out within a few months.”
Hey Tripmastaz! How are things, are you back to playing shows now?
Hey, if you have asked me this a few weeks ago, I’d say things are slowly getting back to normal. However in the darkness of the recent events, things are getting way way way worse than I or anybody could expect.
You’ve had some pretty big collabs over the years, Ricardo Villalobos & DJ Sneak to name a few, what’s been your favorite thing about working with these legends?
Not just one favorite to be honest though. Stories, laughs, exchanging ideas, learning, great vibes, and huge inspiration overall.
You started your own mixing and mastering service TripMastering, how did that come about? How has the experience been so far?
It came about kinda organically, when everything in life stopped almost for 2 years. But also since I started to learn more about mixing and mastering and digging deeper into the analog world and it seemed natural to start it. Sort of expansion of my own curiousity and willing to share my experience. Since then I’m working with very interesting artists and music I mix and master ranges from acoustic, jazz, folk, ambient, movie soundtracks to of course all shades of electronic and dance music and hip hop.
Established in 2018, Let Me Understand Records is the imprint run by Santos, an Italian producer & DJ based in Frosinone that requires very little introduction, especially considering his excellent career in the business since 1995. LMURWAX is the logical stepping stone for Let Me Understand, catapulting the label to the vinyl market with both style and substance.
Highly desired on wax amongst minimal house DJs, ‘Suburban Cult’ is finally pressed on wax and presented in a glorious package that couples the original Santos club weapon with Ricardo Villalobos and Tripmastaz on the remix duties as TricMast. Exquisite production values and a superb showcase of modern club music minimalism and how it should be crafted.
Tripmastaz is back, this time drenched in Summery, laid-back Sunday vibes. The main title, appropriately named ‘Sunday Mix 1,’ is steeped in rich organ arrangements, deep vocals, and funky bass stabs, the kind of combination one wishes on a laid-back Sunday afternoon. The subtle percussive variations and the thorough but discreet synth work fill up the sonic space with an infectious swag – which is even more evident on ‘Mix # 3.1.’
And whereas the main title, “Sunday,” relies on a more laid-back approach, the flip-side ‘Puppi Luv’ literally flips the gears to a scenario where the groove is the focal point, and everything is playful – but strangely hypnotic. “Partying With Illusions” is a lush, uplifting record that finds Tripmastaz once again showcasing his skills as an outstanding music producer.
Get your copy:
More summer moments are on the way, and these ones are as just unique as you can get. It may be for the music, or it may be for the exclusive location in Zanzibar for a special Zanzibiza x Pyramid event, but this 2-hours set will definitely leave you speechless. In charge of the night, Tripmastaz showed all his skills behind the decks with an incredible track selection that only featured old gems from the past (1986-1994) full of big-sounding raw grooves and contagious energy. Enough talking, let the music play!
Don’t forget to check out Tripmastaz 07 “Partying with Illusions” – released October 1st in all record stores worldwide: blackroundtwelve.com/product/tripma…ith-illusions/