For the 44th chapter of the ECLYPSE INVITES Podcast Series we are thrilled to announce a true legend of our scene. He is one of the most influential artists in the Industrial and bochka genres, contributing with various works that have made him an established artist.
It’s safe to say that without him we wouldn’t exist as his vision and his tracks deeply influenced and inspired this project. Immerse yourself in the deepest Russian grooves and metallic kicks with this 3-hour hybrid set recorded in Saint Petersburg. Welcome to the one and only CEKTA!
ECLYPSE: We are very grateful to have you here. Since you are one of the biggest names in the scene, many people know you, but please introduce yourself. What is your name, age and where are you from?
Hello, my name is Alexander, I’m 27 years old, originally from Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East.
How did it all began, in terms of music? For how long have you been producing and DJing? How did it start and did you ever think you would have such a big influence on the Industrial genre?
My journey with techno began in 2017 when I graduated as a programmer in Vladivostok and moved to Saint Petersburg. It all started with a Påraleł party at Mosaique club. That night completely changed my perspective and taste in music (do you remember the feelings you had during that special night?). For the next three years, I went to techno events every week — sometimes even twice a week. I was fully immersed in the culture, exploring the genre, discovering artists, and learning its history. Eventually, I realized I wanted to become a DJ and producer myself.
But in 2020, life brought me back to my hometown. COVID hit, and I believe that the techno scene in Saint Petersburg that I had known collapsed — and a new one was born. The era of Bochka began. While a new subculture was emerging in St. Petersburg, I was back in Vladivostok, realizing I couldn’t imagine my life without techno. I quickly found like-minded people, and we started organizing some of the first hard techno events in the city. That’s also when I started learning to DJ. For the first few events, I played on a controller, but a few months later I switched to CDJs. To learn how to use them, I had to go to an old forgotten rock club with open decks.
Six months into DJing, I realized it was time to start producing music. Around that time, I uploaded a podcast to my SoundCloud — I had maybe 50 followers back then — and it caught the attention of the head of the label 96NOISIA – User-474271262. He liked my selection and invited me to record a set and an EP for a brand-new Saint Petersburg label.
I dived into YouTube, watching every Ableton tutorial I could find — whether in English or Russian, it didn’t matter. I didn’t speak English back then, but I just kept watching and memorizing. First, I learned how the DAW worked, and then the basics of mixing while working on my first EP — The Sin.
After that EP, every new project became a level-up in production, mixing, and mastering. I made it a rule to watch at least one tutorial a day and to release a track every two weeks. By the fall of 2021, I had released around ten projects and realized that to grow further, I needed to move back to Saint Petersburg — this time, as an artist and resident of 96NOISIA.
My “baptism by fire” with the label was a big debut show in Saint Petersburg — a 4-hour closing set from 6 to 10 AM. That’s how my professional journey as an artist and musician began.
ECLYPSE: Could you please tell us more about your beginning? Since you were born in Vladivostok, how was your journey so far as an artist? We’ve been seeing you live in different parts of the world, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Cyprus and Kazakhstan. Do you like to travel a lot?
I’ve been moving my entire life — I never stay in one place for more than three years. It’s not a principle, just how my life works. That’s part of why the role of a musician resonated with me so deeply. As a DJ, I can travel, explore new cultures, and stay in motion.
ECLYPSE: Who were your biggest influences, or artists you took inspiration from? And how did you come up with the idea of putting Orthodox and Religious influences ideas into your music? We consider that you created the Orthodox Industrial genre.
The artists who influenced me the most are KYK, DRAAG, and UH. Back when I was just a raver, I went to see them regularly, dancing to their sets in different clubs for three years straight. I think I was one of the first people at RAF25 who truly listened to and felt the birth of the “Bochka” subgenre.
That club had a huge influence on me as well — I was there from the very beginning, when they brought in artists like AIROD and Ayarcana, and right up to its final night, with riot police dancing on the speakers (those who know, know). That’s also where I first heard genres like tekno and tribe. I think the music of Occultativa also had an impact on me.
I never really thought about what kind of influence I might have — but I definitely thought about what I could bring to the scene, to the genre. I’ve always had a vision and my own ideas.
Religion, or religious people, have been present in my life since childhood. There was a time when I went to church almost every week — between the ages of 19 and 21. When I returned to Vladivostok, I realized I also couldn’t imagine life without God. Around that time, the techno scene was full of demonic and dark themes — I decided to create a contrast. It’s also just something that speaks to my soul. I love religion and everything around it, so it didn’t take long to decide what my music would be about.
ECLYPSE: What are your plans for the future as an artist?
My current plans include releasing an album and two EPs — one with Wilter, and one with Aarsland (?). The coming months will be very intense as we will have a lot of international gigs: in June, I have a tour planned across Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria. In August and September, we’re going to perform in Japan and Australia. And at the end of the year, there’ll be another tour across 4–5 countries.
I also finished building my first music studio this year, which means I’ll have more time for production. I plan to release more singles through my own channels — most likely starting in June or July.
In parallel, I’m working on developing as a teacher of electronic music production and learning to be a sound engineer. In the future, I want to offer mixing services and dive deeper into sound design — hopefully, one day creating music for games and movies.
ECLYPSE: What is your opinion of the current state of the Industrial genre? Do you think it is evolving or not so much right now?
Right now, I believe the genre is stagnating. It has become mainstream. The barrier to entry is so low that people can make music without learning anything — AI tools do everything for them. This has definitely impacted the quality. Techno has become too repetitive and lacks originality. People don’t seem to push themselves anymore. Most tracks these days are not just unplayable — they’re unlistenable due to awful mixing quality. To prepare a 1.5-hour set, I need to spend a month digging. Out of 100 tracks I listen to, maybe 3–5 make it into my collection. That’s not what growth looks like.
Promoters and DJs are saying the same — there’s a decline in hard techno, bochka, and industrial. People are tired of the same formula. But I believe a rebirth is coming soon. We can either sit back and watch it change, or be part of that change ourselves
Thank you so much for accepting ECLYPSE’s invite, we are looking forward to promoting your music in the future on our label, we are honored to have you here!
Listen to 𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐒𝐄 INVITES: CEKTA on SoundCloud now!
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