When it comes to a darker techno sound, Alexander Groom is one of the most recognizable names from this area, especially the one who works under the pseudonym VacantIt was under this name that he released the new album "III" with ten original tracks, released under the Aesir Records label from London.
This is the fifth studio album by the Podgorica DJ and producer, an achievement he admits he never dreamed of when he first became interested in making music. Now, the musician points out, his most mature release is before the audience, and it is available on most online music stores, in digital and CD format.
"Honestly, I had no plans to release a new album soon, but in the meantime the owner of Aesir Records got in touch with me and suggested that we realize the release with quality mastering and complete production and promotion of the album in the right way, and that maybe it was a good opportunity for my next album, which I liked and I started working on it. 'III' contains 10 tracks, some of which are over five years old. So this album is made up of tracks that were created in various periods of my life and when I finally made the final selection for the album, I liked how it sounded and that was it. The idea behind the album for the audience was that the tracks from it could be listened to in any environment, and also mixed in DJ sets," explains Groom for "Vijesti".
On the new release, the Podgorica-based author brings a hard, stripped-down and raw sound, compositions in which the focused listener will notice that great attention has been paid to every detail. Groom says that in recent years, he has been devoting most of his time to sound design in production, and it comes across.
"With good design, with a few sounds, you can get magic. After all, that's the definition of minimalist art - subtract to gain. Almost all tracks start from a simple 'jam' and through play and experimentation you come to something, which I usually turn into a 'loop' that I develop over time...", says the Podgorica musician.
He says that in his free time he likes to "dig" music and finds inspiration in that wealth.
"I listen to almost all musical genres and I always hear something new that inspires me, and fortunately we live in a time when, with the help of software, it is possible to shape sound in ways that I could only dream of before. When you add hardware to all of that, creativity soars to the sky," points out the "Vijesti" interviewee.
It has been a decade since the first edition published by Groom under the pseudonym Redial Tone, and the musician says that the project is currently on "standby".
"I did two remixes under that project a few years ago, but they still haven't been released. If I were to release something under that name in the future, I'd like it to be an album, and for Redial Tone to get back into the game in the right way," he adds.
When it comes to plans for 2025, Groom says that he already finished one issue last October, and it could be released in March.
"In addition, I have a lot of open projects that I would like to finish and eventually release. There is also a large amount of finished music that I would like to release, my goal is always to have as much music released on physical media as possible, so that carries over into this year," he concluded.
Greater interest abroad
When the electronic scene was booming in Montenegro about ten years ago, Groom was one of the leaders of the new generation. Today, he is an established veteran, recognized as one of the most valuable authors in his genre, with numerous releases under his belt. The musician from Podgorica has a lot to be proud of when he looks back.
"For me, music production and research is a kind of valve, like a kind of food for the soul, and I hope that music will continue to drive me in that direction for a long time to come, and that I will therefore maintain my productivity. If I were to single out a release that makes me the most proud, it would probably be the 'Siren' EP that I released on Marcelus's Singular Records label, which also marked the beginning of the Vakat project. As for performances, I think I would single out the PULS event, which took place in the joint organization of Click2Dream and Obscure events, and where we hosted Dimi Angelis and Insolate. I warmed up the stage for Dimi and the atmosphere that night, as well as the event itself, was definitely on another level. Maybe that was the reason, because I was satisfied with my release that evening," he pointed out.
Groom says that when it comes to performances and music releases, there is much greater interest in his work beyond these regions.
"In addition to the album, in 2024 I released a new vinyl release on the London label Crescent Records, and almost all of my music so far has been released on foreign labels. Perhaps the lack of clubs and record companies in our region has contributed to the electronic music scene not developing too much," the musician said.
The Covid pandemic halted the development of the scene
Groom believes that a lot has changed after the Covid pandemic, in a bad direction, and that this is the case globally, not just with the electronic scene in Montenegro.
"I haven't visited an event here in a long time, so I can't say much about it, but I think the music scene develops best through clubs. Big events are mostly business projects and when it comes to music, it's all about the 'zicer'. Clubs here are almost non-existent, festivals too. But it's not just a problem here. I know that in many European cities some clubs have closed, in Germany and England the state would sometimes stand behind them so that they could survive," says Groom.
In Montenegro, something like that is almost unthinkable.
"People who wonder about culture in our country have never given much space to electronic music, even when there were festivals, performances were mostly done through acquaintances, not because someone deserved it with their work. All of these are things that negatively affect the development of the music scene. Some labels that released quality music have stopped working because they could not financially sustain themselves. Underground culture does not bring in a lot of money and it takes a lot of time and effort to maintain and develop it, but I think it is necessary for every society and that it needs to be maintained," the musician believes.
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