We had a chat with the Slovakian drum & bass sensation about her first single of 2023, how she honed her craft, the DnB scene in her country, and more.
Growing up in a family of musicians and incorporating them in her sonic excursions, it’s no surprise witnessing the depth in Patrícia Buj?áková aka C:rcle’s forward-thinking drum & bass material. Hailing from Slovakia, a country that has given the scene some incredible names like B-Complex, Subtension and Changing Faces to name a few, Patrícia was never short of influences while honing her craft as a producer.
C:rcle’s gateway into the scene was through her sublime skills behind the decks, which saw the Slovak deliver enthralling DJ sets sprinkled across the various sub-genres of drum & bass. Her penchant for experimentation then translated into her debut release last year which landed on the Dutch drum & bass label, Korsakov Music.
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Nearly a year after her debut release, C:rcle has now returned to the Korsakov for a powerful dancefloor-driven single called ‘Oscillate’ with Gid Sedgwick. Following the release, we wanted to dig deeper into C:rcle’s thoughts on her latest release, so we sat down with her for a candid chat with the Slovakian drum & bass sensation, and here is what she had to say:
TFword: Coming from a small town in Slovakia to winning multiple awards and now a return to Korsakov; your journey is inspirational. How do you look back at it?
C:RCLE: It’s crazy. I’ve gone from being a drum and bass fan who was front row at every possible party as a fan, through a local DJ, to someone who can make their own music and play for huge crowds. But I’ve always just followed the feeling of passion to do something I enjoy so much. However, if someone had told me in 2016 that this was going to happen, I wouldn’t have believed them.
I’m proud of myself because there was a lot of work behind it, but also a lot of luck. Success after all is made up of hard work, family and friends who support you, consistency and networking, and sometimes being in the right place at the right time. The covid period also had its upsides, I had more time to devote to production.
TF: We love the festival feel your latest tune ‘Oscillate’ has. How was the experience while working on the tune with Gid Sedgwick?
C:RCLE: To begin with, I have to say that I personally prefer male vocals or singing in the lower octaves. I was looking for someone who could fulfill my idea because I had a very specific one. The original title of Oscillate was Unconscious. I sent Gid examples of vocals that I liked and he sent me my idea fulfilled beyond measure for me. I had goosebumps. He even used the word “unconscious” in the lyrics and changed the title, which I absolutely love. I would be honored to make new music with this artist in the future.
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TF: Who are the artists that inspired you to make drum & bass music?
C:RCLE: My heart belongs to dancefloor/mainstream drum and bass, although I like to listen to and play all subgenres. That’s why I have to say that my absolute inspirations are Dimension, Sub Focus, Metrik, Culture Shock and Lexurus, who also teaches me music production. I’m currently on a journey of finding my unique sound, in which I want to take inspiration not only from these names.
TF: Your DJing side of things is equally fascinating as well. How has the feeling been playing at venues across Europe?
C:RCLE: I love travelling, getting to know new places and people. The drum and bass community is strong and wherever a DJ arrives, they feel as welcome as if they’re visiting distant family. It’s an absolute privilege to have the chance to play abroad and get incredible energy from the crowd. I will look forward to the other opportunities and destinations that await me. I will always remember playing at Printworks in London, it’s at the top of my list of achievements so far.
TF: How is the drum & bass scene in Slovakia like?
C:RCLE: The genre itself is very popular and has a strong community. Each country has its preferred sub genre. In Czech Republic the most popular is neurofunk, in UK it’s rollers or Belgian jump up, in our country it’s definitely mainstream and energetic dancefloor. People prefer big indoor events over smaller club events. Last time I had the privilege to be on the line up where the headliners were Sub Focus, Friction and Goddard. There were about 2k people. It was unreal.
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TF: What are the other styles or genres C:rcle likes exploring other than drum & bass?
C:RCLE: My musical journey is diverse. I grew up on classical music, as my father plays the double bass in the orchestra. I played violin myself for 6 years and sang in a choir. However, in my teens I was hooked on drum and bass, followed by a dubstep phase. However, drum and bass absolutely trumped all genres. In 2020, I came to like techno, trance and progressive house. Last year, hardstyle was added to the list. Since I work in radio and play electronic music news to listeners every week, I come across different tracks and I have to say that my playlist is very rich.
TF: What are C:rcle’s plans for the rest of 2023?
C:RCLE: I’m spending a lot of time at home at the moment, working and mainly finishing tracks. You can definitely look forward to more music this year. It will be collaborations but also singles. I’m looking forward to the summer, especially the festivals. I have to highlight Korsakov in Germany, where I’m on the line up with the top names of the scene. It’s a surreal feeling, so if you can, I recommend coming.
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