In conversation with Gassan and Rvckhimov

From their early inspirations in trance to the hypnotic world of Afro House, Gassan and Rvckhimov have shaped a musical journey built on passion, exploration, and cultural fusion.

Hailing from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan—two neighboring countries rich in heritage—the duo has transformed their individual paths into a fruitful collaboration that bridges tradition and modern electronic sound. Their single “VORON”, created together with G3RA, quickly caught the attention of the international scene with its powerful blend of Afro, Tech, and Tribal elements, driven by intense percussion and distinctive vocals.

In this interview, Gassan and Rvckhimov share the roots of their artistry, the influences that inspire them, the meaning behind their live sets, and their upcoming projects that continue to push their music into new territories, balancing oriental flavors with global electronic trends.

How did you start your journey in electronic music and Afro House?

My acquaintance with electronic music began more than 15 years ago, with Armin Van Buuren, with his radio show A State Of Trance, and a little later I came to the world of DJing, I played Trance music, then there was a golden era of this style.

By the way, by the way, this coming weekend Armin performed in Kazakhstan, in my hometown Almaty with his new show The Orb, I was at the performance, it was a fantastic and incredible show.

I came to Afro House a couple of years ago, when I began to listen closely to this style, and we began fruitful work with my friend and colleague, the talented producer Rvckhimov, we truly had a successful and fruitful cooperation, which I am very happy about.

Which artists or experiences have influenced you the most as producers and DJs?

As I said at the time, Armin, Tiesto, ATB, Paul Van Dyk, now Rvckhimov and I like many different artists, from Anyma and Adam Port to Mestiza, Aaron Sevilla, Shimza and RBOR, we listen to different dance music, and it’s hard to choose individual artists.

How did the idea for “VORON” come about, and what was the most exciting part of collaborating with G3RA?

The track “VORON” became our successful collaboration with G3RA, now many artists actively play it in their sets, the idea was to create something new, a mix of styles, we mixed Afro with Tech and Tribal sound, put an emphasis on powerful percussion and dense bass, which is accompanied by original vocals.

What do you aim to communicate to the audience through your music and live sets?

Each set is always improvisation, the main thing is that people feel good on the dance floor, we are pleased to see people’s smiles and their real emotions, this is the most important thing for us as DJs and producers.

In your opinion, what elements make an Afro House track truly engaging and hypnotic?

Good question! The main drive is given by African drums (djembe, conga, bongo, shakers) and I think ethnic vocal samples, mantras, shamanic cries or choirs, I think you understand what I mean 😉

How do your backgrounds, in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, influence your musical approach?

Yes, Rvckhimov and I live in different countries, but in neighboring and friendly ones, I live in Kazakhstan, he lives in Uzbekistan, life in both countries is great, we like it, since both countries have an oriental flavor, we try to bring this into our tracks and sound.

What future projects or collaborations are you planning, and what new sounds are you looking to explore?

We are currently working on a lot of music from Afro House and Afro Melodic to House and Tech House, we have a couple of big releases planned ahead, one of them on the Mestiza label. We try to follow musical trends, but at the same time not to make template tracks, but to write something unique.