For the past nine years, Bobina aka Dmitry Almazov , a DJ and producer based in Moscow, has become one of the pioneers of electronic dance music in Russia. His adventures as a DJ have brought him around the world numerous times, playing in the likes of Global Gathering, Trance Energy, Winter Conference and Gatecrasher Summer Soundsystem , just to name a few. For the last four years, Bobina has found himself among the top 50 greatest artists in the DJ Mag ranking.

“You must be remembered that if people consider themselves in the right to discuss, then I have the right to choose which discussions to read, and which ones are not necessary, to whom to listen, and to whom it does not.”

Best and worst thing about living in Moscow?

The best thing is that it is my home place where my family live and everything is open 24 hours. It’s a really special place because of this. You can easily buy a Sony Playstation or iPhone at 4:00 am – tell me another place in the world where this is possible? The worst thing – hmm… probably the traffic jams but now it’s August it is less busy on the roads as this month is the most popular for people to go on vacations. Another thing is that Moscow is for sure the most expensive city in the world…but I can’t really decide whether this is good or bad?

In my opinion, DJing is improvisation. And you have a clear schedule, all work on schedule.

Not certainly in that way. We have a script for the show, but the allowances for the artists’ outputs – plus or minus 5-10 minutes. In an hour, I usually play 12-13 tracks, then in about 4 hours – about 50. During these 4 hours there will be several artists’ appearances on the stage, so you understand that there will be more than enough time for improvisation.

You talk all the time about Bobin in the third person. Do you have a split personality?

Just because the project Bobina – it’s not me, Dmitry Almazov. In this regard, I always tried to be honest with people. Until 2008 I worked alone – I was myself a musician, myself a manager, unless I myself never took up the bookings myself. Bobina model 2009 is a brand that is built by several people. I’m only a part of the project, its creative component. Simply put, the person who writes music, plays sets and creativity of all kinds of ideas. By the way, it’s interesting that the ideas in the Again plan and Bobina: Extended were born for me for a rather long time. I remember when we released Sergey Pimenov’s first album on Uplifto, I then told him that one of the following CDs should be called “Again”. At the same time in 2004, I thought that if someday we do something like a concert, it will be fun to call it Bobina: Extended.

Have you ever played in Germany? What is your impression of Talla 2XLC? He has the legendary Technoclub, where you have never been a guest before. Maybe you will find your way to Germany this year?

No I never had a show in Germany yet. I heard a lot about Technoclub and about Talla of course. Love his productions he did in the past…

Who is the last GREAT young up and coming DJ/producer you have spotted around the world?

In Russia we have a guy called Vigel. We did a collab this year with him called “Crunch” for Protocol Recordings. I really like his music – this is the only name which came to my mind from ‘up and coming’. Wanted to mention Andrew Rayel as well but he is known enough already.

What’s your opinion about the current Trance Scene & the future of Trance?

It’s really complicated, I mean, it’s really strange you know, back in the days Trance Scene was better in my opinion because of the music. Back in the days if you listen to some old Ferry Corsten Album or Above & Beyond, it was really different music and it was all called Trance, so that was cool, nowadays the people like “Trance Family” let’s say, they call Trance only uplifting, which is not really my thing, because I think that uplifting trance, with all the respect to the DJs who play it, it all sounds the same to me, I mean it’s almost the same kick, the same drums, claps, basslines, the only thing which is different is the melody. And back in the days like 10 years ago it was different, Armin van Buuren was really different from Ferry Corsten, Ferry Corsten was different than Tiesto, and it’s all was called Trance, nowadays, Aly & Fila and all kinds of stuff all sound the same to me, with all my respect, Trance scene back in the days was better. Lots of people call Progressive House or any track which got melody Trance, in my opinion that’s not Trance, but it’s still more fresh than Uplifting and I really hope the Trance producers in future will start to make more different sounds in Trance, after that it will probably become more interesting to me.