Originally from Odesa, in what ways does your Ukrainian heritage influence your creative process and the selection of music?

The most significant thing that still hiddenly influences my creativity is the environment where I was growing up as a kid, on the seashore of the Black Sea. All those seascapes, merging into endless weedy steppes, instilled some kind of longing and melancholia that inspires me and often reflects in my selection of music.

From the melancholic echoes of the Black Sea shaping his artistry to the hurdles of finding a place in Polish society, Gravity’s 

 offers a profound take on the cultural and economic divides within electronic music. In the next episode of 

, he reflects on life in Poland, the unique evolution of Eastern rave culture, the pervasive dominance of the West, and the steps needed to nurture greater diversity and equality in the industry.

Beyond the Booth with bijū: The Struggle for Unity

What does the concept of a club mean to you?

A club is characterised by its relationship with the community and the possibility for its people to feel safe and connected to the place over time. My favourite club is a place where people know what they come for, while having enough space to discover and get surprised. Honesty might be the most important pillar to facilitate all this.

What defines a good club in your perspective, and how should you feel inside it?

For me a good club doesn’t need much in terms of materialistic things. A good sound system is key, and a smoke machine to get lost on the dancefloor. I am not someone who gets very excited about big lights/lasers or visuals. Enough space to dwell, to chill and I am personally a big fan of compact dancefloors. No need for big warehouses.

One of Garage Noord's core employees and DJ known as cccore discusses his vision of a good club and more for our Beyond the Booth interview series.

Beyond the Booth with cccore: A Space Out of Time

What memories come to mind when you think about your early days in the Berlin music scene?

When I first moved to Berlin it was all very exciting to me. I was discovering what seemed like a neverending offer of music and parties to go to, as well as weekend-long club nights, and daytime club parties. I think I must have visited most of the Berlin clubs in my first 3 months. I also remember going to some of the very first Boiler Rooms in Berlin and asking to work at the door as a way to attend the events, which I did for quite a while and was a fun way to get more into the scene.

In our latest Beyond the Booth interview the French-born, Berlin-based DJ and Refuge Worldwide resident 

, shares her journey through Berlin’s music scene and the political roots of club culture. From early days working the door at Boiler Rooms to residencies at Therapy Dog and Refuge, in her sets, she creates deep, emotive journeys that blend melancholy with hope, joy, and resilience, all while rooted in a deep sense of community and connection.

Beyond the Booth with ophélie: The Activism Embedded in Club Culture

For the second edition of Gravity Podcast series we’ve invited 

, the resident and booking manager of Jasna 1, to step outside his comfort zone. To hear how far he went, listen to the podcast on our Soundcloud and read the short interview with the artist to learn more about his approach or the current situation in Poland.

You have taken a non-traditional approach to the Gravity podcast, as you've mentioned yourself, it's 'the strangest podcast you've ever recorded’. Why do you think it's so strange and how does it differ from your less strange mixes?

I used to record almost only club mixes, with a huge range of speed, but still with club music. This one is a mixture of ambient and very diverse selection of my favourite experimental, downtempo stuff. Definitely a mix for listening at home, laying on a sofa, not for dancing.

Has the previous year changed how and what kind of music you listen to? Or have you always listened to a more diverse mix of music without having chances to play it for an audience?

Last year I was finally able to buy a proper hifi setup for home listening. I bought nice old speakers from my good friend and a Yaqin chinese tube amp. It is the perfect combination to listen to instrumental music, which cannot be said about my studio monitors, which were my only sound system for a really long time. I used to listen to very diverse music for years, but right now I'm doing it even more.

It seems club life is quickly awakening in Poland. How does it feel to be back in the DJ booth after such a long time? Has anything changed for you?

According to law all clubs in Poland still work as bars, but frankly speaking it's kind of bullshit. Nothing really changed, but for sure I'm enjoying every minute in the DJ booth even more, after such a long break.

Which events from before the pandemic stayed vivid in your memory and which ones do you look forward to the most?

Definitely the memory of all our K.O.D. parties before the pandemic remain very vivid, especially the italo edition with Franz Scala, Charlie’s live debut and Kinzo Chromef. Also our 3rd bday party with Willikens & Ivkovic, Chino live and Jealo was kind of a special night for me.

I'm really looking forward to return to normal booking policy at Jasna with international artists. I really miss meeting new people before the party, etc. Right now I'm booking almost only Polish artists, it's time to support the local scene.

As a booker and art director of Jasna 1, can you tell us something about your plans? You did some renovations of the space right?

As I mentioned in a previous question, in the next summer months I'm planning to book primarily artists from the local scene. I don't think of it as a problem, the Polish scene is getting better and better and that allows me to make interesting, diverse lineups. I hope to begin with more international programming in September.

In spite of the difficulties during the pandemic, we were doing our best to improve our space. Finally we’ve managed to correct the acoustics on our smaller bar floor, enlarge the number of toilets and arrange a new bigger smoking area.

Which track have you been playing on repeat recently?

There is an interesting story behind this mysterious track released on Offen Music, a label run by Vladimir Ivkovic: Lena Willikens played it for the very first time at our K.O.D. bday party at Jasna in Warsaw. I used the instrumental version as the outro of my mix. : )