Alaaf and Kickin’ Mixtape 043 is here! The man Marat Beltser gives an insight on how his life sounds at the moment and also spoke to us about music, arts and hummus!
What was your initial idea or roadmap for the mixtape?
I haven’t done a mix for some time and actually you approached me to do a mix more then a year ago, so I guess the road map was to be able to make a mix, that would sound some how as my life does, which is always my main road map in making a mix, sort of a self portrait.
Can you tell us a little more about certain tracks you selected?
Well, I think most of the tracks I’ve choosen are my soundtrack at the moment, I’m obsessed with 5 Gate Temple (John T Gast’s label) and anything Seekersinternatonal does. And UV (Young Druid) is the main theme for me, a summer, but a one that burns and leaves marks on your skin, that’s my summer, I wonder how’s yours..
You’ve done a great series of mixtapes in the past called „Uganda Mixes“ with about 40 episodes. What was the Idea behind it?
Uganda was a shop that opened for around a decade in Jerusalem (now it’s located in Tel Aviv) , it was a home for me and many of my friends. At the end of 2009 me and the owner (Itamar Weiner) wanted to bring Hype Williams for some shows over, but realized no one really knows them, so the Uganda mixtape was a way to feature stuff that was sold in the store (vinyls, cd’s and special editions) and some other stuff that was soundtracking our lives.. after I moved here I continued to do them while knowing what’s in store, at some point I lost it, at times I feel like making the 41 …
You’ve studied Photography in London, Fine Arts in Jerusalem and also went to the Kunsthochschule für Medien in Cologne. What are you doing now?
I believe I’m done with studies, I actually still take photos and being romantic about the things I do, but I’m happy to be out of the otopic structures of art studies, at some point it didn’t feet real anymore. I guess I do the same things I’ve been doing beforehand, just in berlin, and focusing on hummus…
We heard you started a small Hummus-Business in Berlin. How is that going?
Actually today I will take part in a hummus face-off taking place in o tannenbaum, I hope to win! Besides we (Vanunu) had a small popup running here in march. It was great to be open and to create a home in a very short time, now working hard to re-open in order to have a permanent location, good news coming soon. Hummus 4 eva!
Thank you Marat!