Coming from a background of early 2000’s Trance and Progressive, Sergey Tarasov’s downtempo and ambient sounds reflect the melodic and emotional music of that golden era. Years of passion for electronic music and countless hours in the studio have led him to develop his own distinct style, mixing analog and digital instruments to showcase deep and varying moods. His chill side further explores these emotions, evoking relaxation and peace with a touch of the cosmic and mystical. It’s this expression he will be exploring with his 2-hour long CHILL Featured Artist mix on FRISKY. With his Chillout Sundays set reaching over 11K, we know that Sergey Tarasov’s Featured set will be a must-listen.
Join in live on Wednesday, March 25th at 2 PM EST [convert timezone] or get FRISKY Premium to listen on-demand anytime after.
Get to know more about Sergey as we catch up before the premiere:
What first sparked your interest in electronic music?
In the year 2003, a friend of mine for the first time introduced me to the electronic music genre. It was then a local radio station that was broadcasting a 2 hour long Trance music. I found myself liking that particular type of music and showed more interest in it by getting to know the world’s popular DJ artists and producers such as Tiesto, ATB, Armin Van Buuren and Cosmic Gate.
Who were some of your influences when you first began?
When I first started, I wasn’t influenced just by the world’s popular DJ artists that everyone knew. I’ve also met less popular and talented musicians in our own country, Russia, who I had a chance to meet with. Their work also inspired me in starting my own creative journey. After getting familiar with their work, I realized how much I really wanted to try creating something of my own.
When did you know that electronic music was something you wanted to pursue further?
In the year 2004, I learned that the computer is really all you need in order to start writing music. I liked that idea and decided to buy specialized software which allowed me to compose various soundtracks from different fragments available. And at first, I thought that’s the way music was created, until my friend from DJ Famitsu at that time, showed me something new, which was the product called FL Studio. I realized that creating music is not just putting things together from available presets, but rather a complex routine that involves many aspects including joining different instruments such as drums and keyboard, as well as independently writing music. For me, it all started with Trance, then slowly transformed into Progressive House, and later into Ambient, Chillout, and Downtempo.
What is it that makes a track stand out to you? Anything, in particular, that you search for in your music?
Perhaps, many of those people who have listened to my soundtracks could have possibly noticed that they all have piano and guitar. These are my favourite music instruments. I find them sound pretty good and balanced with methods I use. For the most part, I try to express my own mood in the music I compose.
What emotions do you find yourself expressing through your music most often?
In my soundtracks, I like to share my inner state and feelings reflected on a particular moment in time. That’s why you might find my music sometimes dreamy, happy or sad. My music is strongly affected by events that I’m going through in my life.
What is important to you in a mix you create?
When I’m recording a soundtrack, I like to share a story to the target audience, that has a beginning, middle and the end. I choose when beginning is quiet or rather speaking out, showing the body of the entire soundtrack. That’s why, I always try to be very careful when recording music, so it’s matching with whatever it is I want to share with my audience.
What draws you toward ambient music?
Ambient and Chillout music genres appeal to me by their melodic atmosphere. I find these genres very quiet and relaxing. Sometimes, cosmic or mystic, if you can call it that way.
What do you most enjoy doing when it comes to your work with music?
I like to write music. It’s a whole world for me, that I’m submerging into, entirely. I could spend hours and days in my own studio without noticing the time. You won’t believe how fast the time flies by when you work in the studio. I have lots of compositions in my archive, which are waiting for their time. But only a few reach their final version, so far.
What can listeners expect on your CHILL featured mix? How will it compare to your Chillout Sundays mix?
In the new mix, I present a few pieces from musicians such as The Thrillseekers and Approaching Black. I’m also presenting my two newly created soundtracks. One of which is called «Sea Breeze», co-written with my friend, Vadim Glinsky. The second piece, «Road To The Stars», will be quite cosmic, folks.
Can you share with us any current projects or plans for this year?
Currently, I have plans to finalize work with my brand new soundtracks. Perhaps, it would be EP of 5 compositions. You could already find some of them on my FriskyRadio channel.
