Renowned as one of his country’s most respected purveyors of quality-fuelled house and techno, Alexander Malyutin aka Spieltape, is a man on the rise. A native of Arkhangelsk, Russia, he started his career back in 2005, with his early tracks perking the ears of none other than owners of Global Underground, who immediately snapped him up for their scene-shaping label. The intervening years have proved just as fruitful, as Spieltape has turned in cuts for the likes of Sasse’s Moodmusic, Kruse & Nuernberg’s Save Room, Acumen’s Time Has Changed, Solee’s Parquet Recordings as well as the mighty Get Physical Music. Added to all this is the not-so-small matter of Alexander’s very own label, Highway Records, which he co-runs with compatriot, Mike Spirit. Partly responsible for ushering in a whole new era of Russian electronic music fans, the label’s agenda spans far and wide — a fact that’s indicative of a roster that’s includes the likes of Adriatique, Alex Niggemann, Hector, Gui Boratto and Gorge over the years. And it’s far from just the aforementioned names that can get down with Spieltape’s grooves. Indeed, many of his tracks have picked up plaudits from some of the scene’s most reputable international names, with Richie Hawtin, John Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo, Marco Carola, M.A.N.D.Y., Hot Since 82, Lee Burridge, DJ T., Eats Everything, Subb-an and Pleasurekraft among those who’ve voiced their approval. Further proof of the man’s production appeal lies in the fact that both Nick Warren and Luca Bacchetti have included his music on their compilations, with Spieltape’s tracks playing pertinent roles in both Balance 018 and Arkitekt 02 respectively. In 2015 Spieltape remixed the classic track “Sunset (Bird of Prey)” by none other that Fatboy Slim for a special 15th anniversary edition of his platinum album “Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars”. In addition to his production credits, Spieltape is also a relentlessly busy touring DJ. A star-turn at Red Bull Music Academy’s ‘Bass Camp’, he’s also plied his trade at the likes of the legendary Kazantip Festival and the Sochi Winter Music Conference. Some of the scene’s most respected clubs have come under his spell too, with Arma 17 and Propaganda in Moscow, Suicide Circus in Berlin, Supermarket in Zurich, and Volar in Hong Kong all getting the Spieltape treatment. With his best days ahead of him, these are heady times indeed for one of Russia’s most talented electronic music artists.