Black Circle is, at this moment and with a lot of probability, one of the artists who most must be rubbing his eyes in the tech scene. After just one year of his solo project, he has just released “What For”, a track he has produced with Rony Seikaly -yes, the legendary NBA player-, signed to his friend Sabb’s Radiant label, started collaborating with two tech-house giants like Nic Fanciulli and Matthias Tanzmann, and his track “Foolish” has been remixed by another electronic legend: Oxia. Agim (Black Circle’s real name) is 33 years old and from Zurich, Switzerland. He has been producing music for big acts in recent years, but in January 2019 he decided to embark on a new solo path.
What happened in 2019? What made you give birth to Black Circle?
I was not really sure about it. I was tired of sending demos to labels without getting any answers. It took me to much energy and motivation to finish my tracks. Until my long-time friend Sabb offered me to manage the project… and Black Circle was born. The main target of this project is just to make music and do what I love.
Oxia reworked your “Foolish” and you reworked Eli & Fur’s “Into The Night”, which sees the light on the prestigious Anjunadeep imprint. Which result are you happier with?
I could not really believe it, me getting a remix from Oxia, which made the super hit “Domino” back in the days. That is exactly what I appreciate: when musicians support each other in every condition. We are all in the same industry, for me, it is a giving and taking. I have remixed many tracks in the past, but when it comes to your own project, it is totally different, kind of a more personal, but I loved it. About “Into The Night”, I was really happy when Eli asked me to do a remix, but also worried with pressure, asking myself if they will like it or not. In the end, they loved it and they included in the label Anjunadeep, so everyone was happy!
You also worked on some collabs with Circoloco’s resident Matthias Tanzmann and Nic Fanciulli.
Yes, I always liked the music taste of Nic Fanciulli and Matthias Tanzmann, and I saw that both played my tracks, so I decided to email both of them for a collaboration, which I never expected that was going to happen. I think everything was at the right time. We connected super-fast together and became good friends.
You got the likes of giants like Black Coffee, Âme or Super Flu, and you signed with Sabb’s Radiant imprint. Big eyes are looking at you…
I am a perfectionist and super picky with music. It is ok to have pressure, but it can be also dangerous. Their attention was driving my motivation even more.
Let’s talk about your collaboration with Rony Seikaly. Not everybody becomes an NBA player’s job mate… How was that?!
Man, we are talking about the legend Rony Seikaly, not just because of his NBA career, but also because of how he produces his groovy tracks. I heard from my manager that Rony liked my music, and he arranged a collaboration between us, which I am super happy about. I love to work fast and not being complicated. It was a big pleasure for me to work with this legend.
What about the release itself?
It is a single with upcoming remixes. It has nice driving chords and a big vocal to help you get through the difficult times at home or wherever you are. We also got a remix from Luciano, which will be released by the middle of June.
Would you say this track represents your musical personality?
To be honest, I just do music and don’t go after genre. Sometimes, I get the afro mood, tech house, melodic, and everything that makes me dance in the studio. The most important thing when I do music is to put my signature in it, so the people recognize where it comes from. For example, the piano or my fill-ins and white noises before the drop kicks in.
Probably, 2020 was looking like one of the most intense and demanding years of your career so far, just before everything went down. How are you facing these lockdown times?
Yes, this is something I never expected in my life, but everything happens for a reason. I feel sad about those people that got really affected by this situation, but the most important thing is to stay home and stay safe. I am mostly in the studio working on new tracks, and I also started to work on my first album.
We will be back soon…
For sure. We will all get through these tough times and dance together. Better times are coming with loads of new music. I promise! See you on the dancefloor! #staysafe
(Cover Image: © Jukebox PR)
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