Nowadays if you wanna hear melodic proggie, you should search on the East. We’ve also been there, and now we got straight to Russia. This week you can read about Mango, alias Alexey Golovanov. So just sit back and during listening his mix, read this interview! Enjoy both of them!

We had the chance to do interviews with a couple of producers from your country earlier, how did you become so wrapped up in music?

Ever since i remember myself i listened to electronic music. My first step was Robert Miles and his „Dreamland” album. So i got into dream house, constantly bought records, different compilations and so on. Then i heard Nalin & Kane’s „Beachball” track and i totally fell in love with it, i still love the original, it’s a masterpiece! And then i finally came across Sasha’s „Expander” and that was the beginning of my passion to progressive music. Then around 2003 i discovered Fruityloops and decided to try myself in musicmaking. So by 2006 i had some skill and experience in it and also a couple of really good works. And in winter me and my friend decided to try the luck and we sent some of my tunes on a few labels. I got a positive response and a lot of support from Stefan Anion, and Retroid signed my „Lollipop girl” on his label and invited me as an artist. So that’s how it all started.

Who were the people that helped you to get better and better, who were there to support you?

My friends and my girlfriend of course. I can say that they encouraged me totally all the way. Because you know when you pass your new work to a close friend and hear like „wow mate that’s a great stuff, i think i’m gonna have it on my ipod” that’s really inspiring! Makes you to continue creating, to become better. Besides i am always very strict to myself when making music, and that also makes me to improve my sound. To be honest i’m quite a lazy person, but when it comes to music i always work hard and try to make my works very detailed, catching and unique.

Do you think that your succes and you carrier depends on your connections and who you know?

I think it only depends of your talent and your will to work hard. If you have it you will be noticed! Anyway „success” can have different meanings for different people. From my point of view „success” means being known, understood and loved. If people love my music and they’re interested in what i do that’s a true success for me. And it doesn’t matter if i signed to some major labels or not – the only thing that matters is music. Well.. but still good connections can always come in handy lol ;}

What's the progressive house and breakbeat scene like in Russia and Westwards from Russia? How would you rate it?

Actually i was very surprised to find out how many great progressive artists Russia has. Here in Russia progressive music is still rare and that’s sad, because we have a lot of good talented musicians, who have been recognized and appreciated in Europe already. Silent Brothers, Lokitas, Arthur Deep, iFrolov, i think you know the names. In Europe progressive culture is more mature, lots of record labels, lots of great artists, lots of internet radios offering this kind of music, different internet sites, etc. Lots of names who’re known all over the world. Anyway maybe Russians do have less experience in all that, but we also have tons of creativity and huge potential, so i think we’re moving the right way now and soon there will be no boundaries. Music should unite people.

Do you think that there exists some sort of a division between the producers who write and play emotional music and those who rather represent the techy-er, more minimal type.

The answer is – NO. Definitely no. I try to make emotional progressive, but sometimes i enjoy experimenting with more techy and minimal sounding. I love to spend my free time listening not only to prog but to minimal and tech also, and i love guys like pig & dan, deadmau5, adam johnson, petter and lots of others. In fact tech and minimal can also be melodic and emotional. Why not? It just depends on the mood i think or on inspiration. I’m sure everyone remembers petter’s „these days”. Or the recent deadmau5’s „jaded” – pure positive mood ;}

As far as I know you have quite a lot of Hungarian aquaintances, how did you meet them?

My first aquaintance was with Retroid, Adam Huszár. I sent some of my demos to him, he liked my stuff and so we got aquainted. I am signed on Retroid’s Morphosis records now, but i think you know. On the label i also met East Cafe. And then in may i got aquainted with Snake Sedrick, who loved my music a lot, and included 4 of my works in his latest promo mix which was on your site. And in june i met Dynamic Illusion, who made a great remix for my Kisses EP. And i should say that all of them are great guys! ;}

Do you have somebody you really look up to? Who are the producers and djs you really respect?

I respect lots and lots of people. Of course all the people i worked with and the people i’m working with at the moment. As for the big names i would like to mention BT, Quivver, Sasha, James Zabiela. And especially Chris Micali – i just love everything this guy does! He’s 100% my sort of sound. And also i would like to mention a brilliant project – Blackwatch. It suddenly disappeared in 2005 or 2004 i don’t know for sure, and i don’t know why it happened. But the works of Blackwatch are still the ones i listen to and try to sound like.

There are an incredibly great amount of talented young producers in Russia whom we only got to know in the last few years. What do you think could be the reason of this breakthrough?

I think that previous generation was not so interested in progressive music. And also there was a stereotype that an ordinary guy can’t make it to the big scenes. I’m glad we finally understood that this is wrong. As i said if you have talent and you’re ready to work hard - just take your chance! By the way it’s really great to see new talented names because unfortunately all the „big heroes” of the past like quivver, dousk, sultan, bart van wissen and loooots of others are now moved from their incredible melodic progressive and house sound to more techy and electro sounding. That’s sad, because they had their own unique styles of sound and now they’re like starting all over. Anyway i think with the help of newcommers, including artists from Russia, the progressive we love will live on! ;}

What tools or softwares do you use for song writing? Do you compose them on your own or do you have some help sometimes?

I use FruityLoops and lots of different VST’s. I always do everything on my own, except collaboration works of course. By the way i’m thinking about making something together with Lokitas and probably with Kintar. I suppose it’ll be cool! ;}

I see your carrier as a really productive one and you seem to take music production serious. Do you have a solo album in mind or is that only the distant future?

Yep, for the last 5 months I made quite a number of tunes. Honestly now i feel like having a small vacations ;} As for an album i really don’t have any plans. I don’t know why but i just don’t want to have my own solo album. I like the thought that people make their impression of my sound from the separate tracks collecting them into one complete picture. Maybe an unmixed compilation of my remixes would be interesting someday.

Do you play any instruments?

No. I can try but i’m sure you don’t want to listen ;}

Can you imagine to use real instruments instead of some VST-s ? :)

Actually i was always fascinated about adding some real guitar lines to my tracks. Nevertheless i prefer 100% electronic sound. I think electronic instruments always sound your own way and represent your unique style and vision of sound.

And last but not least, how do you imagine your relationship to music in 20 years?

Oh that’s a tough one. Didn’t really thought about it. I hope I’ll always have time for music. Anyway i never look that far in the future. In these cases i always say „we’ll see” ;)

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theroyalfruitmango

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