SE62 on eaSEy Street

“I heard a sound that I fell in love with when I was 14 – it was a famous rap band… I couldn’t understand what the hell was going on but that beat in the background was something unreal. I started looking for that sound everywhere… back then it was 2003, I didn’t have a computer but there was a small call centre near my house where there were just a few computers. I’d head there, pick up my headphones, and say sorry to my friends calling me to play football...” Kyiv-born Yura Khlop, also known as SE62,  recounts one of his first memories with music.By day, a slick Computer Graphics Artist and Interior Designer (sometimes by weekend too), the Closer resident has a multitude of life inputs as one creativity feeds into another. His very first gig took place on campus at Kiev’s Polytechnic University – he was invited to play by a resident DJ at student club Vatra. “I mixed in a track with a remix of that same track, when he heard it he kicked me out of the club. Like this he said that I’d never be a DJ - probably I broke his rules that night.” This rebellious streak, the will for independence, creating a separate identity “self expressed” comes as no surprise as we learn that his teenage years were set-off by break-dancing, hip hop and graffiti. Such childhood indulgences being equally associated to fear, a reaction to protests of political authority.

It’s an evolution of sub-culture that dance music became the accompaniment to the world of rebellious art. Embracing the role of DJ seems a natural development for an individual whose roots stem from the underground, the nurturing of rebellion if you like. Other than Yura’s home in Kiev, where he's played for festivals such as Strichka and Brave!, he’s been invited to various clubs (Robert Johnson included) by HardWorkSoftDrink, Melliflow and Slapfunk.

There’s many hours behind the scenes though, even in the lead-up to Strichka bedridden with the flu, his approach doesn’t vary “I am in flu with 37.6 now, but I’m preparing to the weekend. And I take a week for it, that’s how I do it.”

Chatting to Yura online, I wanted to dig a little deeper into his sub-cultures, his stimulation and motivations. Why? His online presence is somewhat non-existent. I wanted to understand the DJ coming from Kiev - the energy surrounding these artists seems to be of a different kind, perhaps due to the country’s political context or the one set by Closer, yet both share an underlying notion.

Did you win any competitions at school?

Once I win a printer lol. It was architectural competition. I was second.

What did you do with your printer?

I gifted it to my mother just after I received it. So if I need to print something I go to her and do it. I know I can do it in the nearest printing office but it's a chance to see her.

So you like drawing…

I did 4 hours every day drawing in the university. I studied art, I learned sculpture.

You're a Computer Graphics Artist by day, designing interiors too, and then it's behind the decks in the weekends. 

Life has taught me to find balance and set priorities. I thought about full-time gigs but design takes 80% of my time, sometimes weekends too and honestly, I love to be busy with it. But you know, graffiti is the way I started to study art actually...

Your DJ name comes from your graffiti tag in fact.

Yes it sounds like when you pronounce it in Russian - eaSEy like 'easy', nothing special but abbreviated to SE. And 62 it’s my parent’s address - house, str. 6, apt. 2 to where I am still ordering records.

What was it like to grow up in Kiev? Such a different context to what it is now.

I grow up in Otradniy, back then the district was a little rough but now it’s pretty quiet. I am not a 2pac ha but I look to everything more prejudiced. Back then I didn’t care. Things have changed but then again not much... (now I look like an old guy).

Is there a film that reminds you of your childhood.

‘Men In Black - EWC BSE ’ - it’s a graffiti documentary. Russian Roulette also. I saw all these films on VHS. For me it was like something special, so inspiring... good memories.

I guess it was fear, dunno why... graffiti makes you feel fear. And when you’re young you need this. I chose this way. Kids always need to do some bad things and that’s how it was here.

But after graduating university of construction and architecture I looked differently to graffiti. I'm respecting what is around of me, everybody should - it’s timeless.  But if someone told me back then that I could study history of design I would never have believed it.

When the war broke out, do you remember the energy in the city?

Fear, but everybody was like brothers.

Do you think it's this solidarity that brings the unique energy of the dancefloor in Kiev?

In the early beginning of the war yes it was strong solidarity, now it is calm - less news. But the war is still coming, even if it takes a very small part of Ukraine. I hope it ends in the near future. I believe when people feel fear they do some unexpected things. You just want to not believe it happen with you your family or friends.

Did Closer add another dimension?

Closer is the place you can meet people who can listen – they listening music - that’s what Closer did. It’s not the place for beer girls... And it’s a place that developed its own atmosphere you could not meet anywhere in the world.

Absolutely.

Its own (c\) like a dj style or production style. I am really happy to be living this period. It’s like the Paradise Garage (but in 2019).Before artists scared to come here in the first months of the war...now it’s super calm and I want to invite all the people who reading this to come and enjoy the city and parties. It’s safe here.

You see the club with an “inside” perspective - what gives it its “x-factor”.

People who run it and carry of it, people who work there, people who come there and respect the simple rules of clubbing, the space the sound-system everything... my feeling it’s like I am somewhere at friends’ place, not the club.

A track that reminds you of Closer…

Back when I became a resident - Narcotic Syntax - Muff Diver.

We have a Residents’ track that was made at Closer Record Studio (every resident did a touch to it). Hopefully it will be released one day. All residents have their own sign, which is cool. And the people know who they want to listen and they make their favourites. On the Residents' club night, the atmosphere it feels like home with all the faces you know.

Each time that you step into the club (Closer)…

It starts actually at the entrance to the main building - the moment I cross it I feel all the nerves inside of me because I know I have to play in a bit.

You play the guitar right?

I do play the guitar, and some folk stuff. I love sampling. And my grandfather was the conductor of an orchestra. Talking about my inspirations, the open-minded and motivated people who can do a million of things on one time - that's my biggest inspiration and motivation to do more.

Can you introduce your podcast?

I tried to make a party mood and compress 9 hours to 1 hour. Some new, some old tracks, something was released on vinyl, something from CD’s only.