⋆˚࿔ untitled 909 podcast 226: konalgad ⋆˚࿔
twisted and tripped out rhythms from the ever-evolving artist, konalgad.
konalgad is the new alias by ahmad qatramiz who is better known for his alias quatri. when looking at the story behind the word konalgad in arabic, it means: the universe of tomorrow, referring to a constructive, enchanting, yet light and floating ascent.these are all themes and ideas that relate to konalgad’s work as he leans towards the healing low end frequencies and vibrations. this is shown in full through his latest album, ‘club dream’, which was released last month via new york’s dance data label. the album ebbs and flows like a mix, seamlessly flowing through konalgad’s influences whilst ‘the record imparts it’s own kind of dance floor dream logic onto the listener, inviting us to let go of making sense of things and trust in its fuzzy logic.’
hey konalgad! how are you doing? what have you been up to lately?
hey. i am doing great, thank you. just jamming and working on teeth :) i am a part time passionate dentist and living a double life between my small home studio and the lovely new dental office i work in. the balance of both lives is starting to really shape up and it’s been great.
let's start from the very beginning, what was your first introduction to music in general and then more specifically electronic music?
my first introduction to a musical piece, is an islamic song sung to us in class by our teacher in damascus, syria. i was about 9 years old, and the melody and her voice truly touched me and made me cry instantly. i didn’t understand the lyrics at that time but i was very sensitive to it. thinking back about it, i understand i have had something with music since my childhood.
then a couple years later, i was introduced to electronic music through the internet and i fell in love with progressive trance. i was about 12 years old. a year later, around 13 years old i wanted to create electronic music and specifically trance music. this is when i started producing. i listened to trance music for quite a long time.
who was the first artist or band that you were a fan of?
oum kalthoum, a legendary egyptian singer.
in electronic music, it was ferry corsten, an old school trance music artist.
was there a formative moment growing up, whether that’s seeing your favourite band live or an incredible dj set, that led you to this path?
there really isn’t any specific concert, club night or festival that truly shifted me, they all did and influenced me in some way, and in different ways throughout the years. we’re ever growing human beings and never cease to change. but i have to say what truly enlightened things for me is being indulged and taking part in a strongly social aspect of music, that shares strong political values and principles. benevolence, kindness, tenderness, social justice, questioning.
where do you look for sources of inspiration outside of music?
in the nature that surrounds us, in the sociology and physiology of the senses, in the human connections made in my dentist job, and in the political situation of the world. i hope to vocalize more in my project poetry that denounces, and also that shares love.
what has been your most recent musical discovery that you’re obsessed with?
a hidden album released by a uk artist, skink, called “six hundred and seventy-two, jerk.” released in 2011. it consists of 30 tracks made throughout the month of february, and it has so many different styles and moods, it's great. and reminds me that so much great music is out there that is yet undiscovered. here is the link to check it out :
you’ve just released your debut album, ‘club dream’, via dance data, how did this album come about? what was the process behind making it?
it’s an album that consists of works that go back to 2022 till late 2024, picturing this period of time. very hard part of my life, with different difficult events and challenges, but also beautiful moments. it has seen different tracklists and different works in and out while keeping core tracks like “subzero experiment”, “voltage”, “rem”...
were there any specific stories or concepts you were trying to tell through this project?
it depicts a sensation i was constantly seeking of anesthesia, dream-like state, escapism. it’s very deep. a certain aesthetic and mixing method was used on all the pieces to tell this story.
how did the relationship with dance data come about?
with a close friend of mine, léonard (mosleo), we made a 4 track ep collaboration in 2023 and we were searching for a nice label to release on. i had just discovered dance data with dreams’ ep “paraxotica”. i loved the energy the label was giving and felt like it would be a great match. i suggested sending the demo to them to léo, which he was up for. so we sent a nice email and jesse (dance data’s founder) was so great to us, he liked the ep and the attention to details and hospitality was truly great. honoured to be part of the story of this label.
you’ve also contributed a mix for the 909 series, what’s the concept behind this one?
its aim was building a dance oriented mix based around unreleased material and tracks of my album. i was influenced by so many different genres and styles throughout my musical career, and i think this comes out nicely in the mix either in my tracks or the other great tracks accompanying them. shoutout to the great artists that created them.
how does your approach to dj sets differ from studio mixes and radio shows? is there a narrative in mind that you’re always trying to tell through your sets?
i wish i was playing enough to tell you how they truly differ. i haven’t been djing much lately although i really miss it. but i’ve been planning to mix on 3 to 4 decks soon and my djing i think will be more focused on multi layer intricate fuckery. i’d say studio mixes and radio shows would be focused more on showcasing the full tracks and songs. although experimentations are always fun.
when was the last time you were on the dance floor?
two weekends ago seeing upsammy play in la machine du moulin rouge in paris and she blew my mind. <3
what are you most excited about right now?
the new label i am building with friends, called sensory cells. it’s based around sensory exploration of the subjective of each artist around specific topics. it will be an audio - visual - zine label, sharing scientific topics around senses either in their sociological aspect or physiological one. more to come very soon. it will be showcasing new microscopic art i’ve been developing lately.
also, i just started working in a new dental office and it's been great!
what’s on your vision board at the moment?
lots of musical projects are coming, and scientific ones too. and a new lp is in the making. ;)
thanks for having me :)
‘club dream’ by konalgad is out now via dance data - buy here.
tracklist:
Interviews & FR Fels - 3 Years
Stefan Goldmann - Oyotung
Konalgad - ID
Loxy & Resound - Rainman
Command D and Gillielove - L’s
Konalgad - IELS
Nether - Sunset Dub
DJ QGB - Animal Type Beat
Konalgad - ID
Glue Boy - big vaysion ft. garlic man
Pseudo500 - Overpoising
Konalgad - ID
Konalgad - Voltage
Tilman Ehrhorn - Court
NLXLB - Dirty Vision
Konalgad & Will You - ID
FFT - abstract5
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