Argy talks inspiration behind ‘Pantheon’ and signature sound [Q&A]Argy Diane Bettis

Argy talks inspiration behind ‘Pantheon’ and signature sound [Q&A]

After producing “Tataki” at the start of 2022, Argy has been on a non-stop tear with his unique melodic cuts. While Argy’s music career dates back to 2005, the British DJ has finally secured widespread prominence. Following the release of “Tataki,” Argy teamed up with ARTBAT for his first-ever release on the Upperground label, “Tibet.” Encompassing a tribal vocal into his proprietary sound, Argy wasted no time and turned in one of the top melodic techno tunes of the early year in “Pantheon.”

Teaming up with one of Dancing Astronaut’s Artists to Watch in 2023, Goom Gum, “Pantheon” marked Argy’s first return to the Afterlife label in over a year. With Miami Music Week on the horizon, Argy will certainly be an artist to catch. Dancing Astronaut sat down with Argy for a wide-spanning conversation of what’s to come.

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In January of 2022, you released at the time—the biggest song of your career with “Tataki.” How did you decide on a vocal sample for that single, and what prompted a tribal-inspired melodic techno track?

Argy: “Just before COVID, I spent a lot of time in Israel. At the time it was my biggest market but it was also a place of inspiration. The emerging sound that was coming out of Tel Aviv, as well as my fascination with psy-trance and its catchy vocals, I am pretty sure pushed me in that direction. I already had a smaller hit with “Ketuvim,” which in essence is similar, so I guess that was also a factor.”

Following the worldwide success from “Pantheon” and “Tataki,” do you have any plans for future Afterlife releases or any upcoming collaborations with Afterlife artists?

Argy: “I absolutely intend to release more on Afterlife, however I haven’t started any studio experiments with any of the label’s artists as of now. Touring is very time-consuming at the moment and I am also looking for new inspiration on the road, as I need to feel the pulse of the audience and take that into consideration next time I hit the studio. But yeah, I do love collaborating.”

In addition to your work on Afterlife, you recently collaborated with ARTBAT on “Tibet”—one of the biggest melodic techno tunes of 2022. How did your production style mix with Artur and Batish—as the vocals and bassline resonated strongly with your sound from the last year?

Argy: “Well, exactly, I worked on the vocal idea with Zafrif from Israel and I thought this would have been a really nice fit for a collaboration with Artur and Batish. I really love what ARTBAT brought to the table, they absolutely smashed the mix and created a massive wall of sound with it. It happened quite naturally as every party brought their specialty to the job, so we ended up getting the best results from every perspective. But certainly, the boys have a magic touch and I love the ambition in their music.”

Now a household name in Europe and one of the most established names in melodic techno, what has the American crowd been missing?

Argy: “I actually think that melodic techno is bigger in some US states than in some European countries nowadays. In any case, last time I played the East Coast, I was playing a completely different sound, so even after 17 years of touring, I feel like this is the debut of my new era somehow. First thing I am doing is going to an old school Miami diner, regardless how nice the hotel is. Miami is always a movie… last time I was there I met one of my favorite artists on the beach, the R&B singer Maxwell, and we had some really nice conversations about life and music.”

Featured image: Diane Betties

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