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DJ Mag Top100 DJs
97
Umek
38

“I am currently in LA for three months,” says 37-year-old Uros Umek, who otherwise lives in his hometown of Ljubljana.

“This year big American promoters such as Insomniac have been pushing me onto the main stages at festivals so, at the moment, it makes sense to be closer to all that.”

Umek started DJing in 1993, inspired by rare imported vinyl 12s such as Royal House’s ‘Can You Party?’ and releases from German techno don Westbam. Now, 20 years later, he’s one of the few responsible for putting Eastern Europe on the global EDM map.

His Behind the Iron Curtain radio shows continue to spread the techno and tech house sound he loves across the region, and beyond. His own productions — such as his 2007-released deep, liquid, melodious tech house hit ‘Ricochet Effect’, that came out as part of his ‘Print This Story EP’ — sum up the maverick spirit of his sound.

“I love that buzz of creating music from scratch,” he says.“I produce music based on the energy I get from the dancefloor.”