After the release hiatus, veteran DJ and producer Ruben Karapetyan stopped by to talk about his music, life, and plans.
Ruben Karapetyan is a proud Armenian born in Yerevan & raised in LA, California.
He was influenced by the ’90s rave culture, as well as top-notch pioneers of the Electronic Music industry such as Sasha, John Digweed, and Nick Warren, among others.
Hello Ruben, thank you for joining us here today. How are you? How was your holiday season?
Hey House Nest Family, thank you for the invitation! I am doing well, thanks for asking. Holidays were good yet a little different this year. Usually, my whole family comes together about sixty of us if not more. New Year’s Eve is a pretty big deal for our family unfortunately due to some family members coming down with COVID we didn’t do much and ended up having a quiet dinner with my mom and son. Always nice being around loved ones.
Congratulations on your new EP ‘Evening in Yerevan’ that landed last Thursday on Mango Alley. How did you come up with this EP?
Thank you, it’s my first release of the year. I’ve been a big fan of MA and it’s an honor to join the label. At first, we submitted “Venus” to Mango Alley, Alex liked the track and signed it as a single. It was around the same time I was adding final touches to “Evening in Yerevan”. While going back and forth with Alex, I asked for his opinion of the track and he thought we should make this one Side A instead of just releasing “Venus” as a single. Since we already had the remix of “Venus” from Fabri, we contacted Jerome Isma-Ae to see if he would like to remix “Evening in Yerevan”. He liked the track and at that point, it was a done deal with us having originals and remixes for both tracks. I had a great time working on these with Alex Mango who is not only a great businessman but also a talented producer himself.
‘Evening in Yerevan’ is an easy-going and dreamy track compared to ‘Venus’ is darker. How were you feeling when producing these gems? Was there any specific place or time?
In Yerevan, there is a street called “Hyusesaen Poxota” (The Northern Street) which is in the center of the city. Every evening during summer, hundreds of people get out for walks. It’s amazing seeing kids running around, couples holding hands, people just enjoying a worry-free walk. While looking at people, it’s easy to see how they escape their daily problems and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
Considering the fact that I have lived in the US most of my life, I realize we don’t really get to have the time to experience anything like that. Our life here is very fast-paced, we have constantly busy schedules to live by. I guess “Evening in Yerevan” was inspired by those moments I have witnessed. “Venus” just kind of came together while I was jogging ideas down.
The EP also features two amazing remixes by Jerome Isma – Ae and Fabri Lopez. What do you think is the most important when remixing a track?
When a legend like Jerome remixes your track, what’s there to think about or to say? Making music is a very personal thing that involves feelings and emotions. These feelings go into making music and getting someone to pick up your ideas, feelings, and emotions and add their musical touch to it is amazing. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity and thank Jerome and Fabri for their outstanding work!
We know that you are from Armenia but currently living in the United States, California. What do you miss the most in your hometown?
I moved to the US with my family when I was a kid. Life is very different here in the US compared to Armenia. There is so much that I’ve missed out on as a child growing up away from what we knew to be an unforgettable childhood. I miss the people and how welcoming they are, I miss the culture and the food. The food in Armenia is out of this world. If anyone has been to Armenia during summer they know there is nowhere else like it in the world.
You started 2022 well with 2 EPs already in your bag. The second EP on Movement Recordings opens up with ‘Sooner Or Later’. It is a really deep track, what’s so special about this one?
“Sooner or Later” has a deep meaning. The vocals on this track are about the lands that were taken from us (Armenians) during The Armenian Genocide in 1915. Over 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Our lands were taken from us and the song is about how we will get our lands back sooner or later. This is a sensitive subject in every Armenian’s heart regardless of where they live around the world. This track is released on Movement makes it so much more special. I released my first single on Movement Recordings after a 13-year break from music. Tash, the man behind Movement Recordings is one of my good friends and has been there with me since day one with advice and ideas, so releasing it on Movement feels like “Home”. I’ve been saying that so much that I started calling Movement Recordings my “Home label”.
Your music translates many feelings and emotions. Where do you get all the ideas for your music?
It depends. Sometimes I hear or see things that give me ideas, the motivation I need to sit down and put my feelings out via notes, other times I am just in the studio playing keyboard, and for a moment something “clicks” and I pick up that Click and just build a full track around it. Like I mentioned earlier making music is a very personal thing. To me, my music represents my mood, my feelings, my emotions at that moment as I’m working on a track.
How much time do you spend listening to music?
I hold a CEO position to a few major Health Care corporations in the US and I’m also very involved in real estate around the world. I do spend a good amount of time staying on top of my businesses, but as a DJ I always have to keep up with the new releases, upcoming tracks, and promos so I try to put as much time as I possibly can to stay on top of new music for my upcoming sets.
What makes you feel good?
Being surrounded by the people I love, good music, and good food on the table, that’s pretty much what it takes for me to be the happiest man alive.
Finally, what are your plans and goals for 2022?
I have a super busy year ahead of me. At this point, I believe I have about 10 EP’s signed with various Labels I’ve got a few remixes confirmed and the big news of the year is, I am starting my record label, it’s called “Tear Drop Recordings” with my good friend Pedro Moreira, we will be releasing music by very well known producers I have worked with this past year. I also have 3 EP’s of my original music to be released on Tear Drop this year. Other than that waiting for COVID to go away so I can start touring again, I miss playing at clubs and festivals, and can’t wait to get out and play again.
Thank you so much for your time, Ruben! All the best to you!
Thanks, House Nest for the invitation again, it was a pleasure chatting with you!
Stream Ruben Karapetyan – Evening In Yerevan / Venus on Spotify:
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