First of all, thank you Yan for your time and for doing this interview.
My pleasure š
We know youāve been interested in making music from your young age, can you please tell us, did you always want to produce techno or did you experiment a bit in the beginning?
Well, in the beginning, around 2007-2008 I got really into Minimal Techno and I really didnāt know much about Techno and Electronic Music in general at the time and my first tracks, under a different alias, were Minimal Techno, at least that what I thought and then I was discovering more and more Techno, how wide and diverse it is and deeply fell in love with the whole genre, I felt like this is 100% what I wanna do and my tracks started changing and then I started to produce under Yan Cook name.
Can you tell us the story behind your own label āCookedā? Whatās the main difference between music you release for other labels and music you release on your own?
Yeah, I donāt think there is a big difference, on Cooked I usually release material that is more fresh and sometimes a bit more experimental. Itās good to have your own label for stuff like that, for experiments and also you donāt have to wait 5-6 month for a release.
When youāre not touring, DJ-ing or producing music, how do you like to spend your free time?
Iām usually home a lot, spending time with my girlfriend, doing some digital art, watching Netflix and stuff, helping my girlfriend with her clothing store, I also like driving and I love parks, when the weather is good š
Are you into film? Did you ever wish to do a soundtrack for a film? And if you could pick one thatās already made to do a soundtrack for, which film would it be?
Yeah, I really love Horror movies and Sci-Fi, Iād love to try to make a soundtrack for a movie someday in these genres.
There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you? What supports this ideal state of mind and what are distractions? Are there strategies to enter into this state more easily?
Well, everybody is different, in my case, in order to create I need to be inspired and really motivated, and there are plenty ways to get there, for example a certain label can motivate and inspire me, or an artist, or a new piece of gear, like a synth or something.
Sometimes I get so inspired, for unknown to me reasons, that I just canāt stop creating and I really cherish that moment ācause I know itāll go away and sometimes it goes away for months. And another really important thing is that I enjoy the process so much, it clears my mind and makes me feel very good. Also night time is the best time to create, for me, I can really focus on what Iām doing without anyone or anything bothering me.
Who was your biggest inspiration for starting a career in electronic music? Who influenced you the most?
A lot of artist, but biggest influence I think was from 2007-2008 Dubfire and CLR label.
Do you ever feel nervous before gigs or did you get over that long ago?
Usually I donāt feel nervous ācause over the years I got more confident in my material and my gear, and I do soundchecks. Before a gig and during I feel excited and alive, in the moment, itās a very good feeling š
Is there a club that you would like to play and you havenāt yet?
Can’t think of one right now, but I can say that Iād love to play on a big festival.
What is the most memorable gig that youāve attended as part of the audience?
What I can recall right now is Iām 17, Iām on a EDM festival and Dubfire is playing, I was dancing the whole set, it was awesome, thatās pretty memorable.
Thank you, weāre looking forward meeting you in December. āŗ
Thank You! I’m very excited about the party š