​Canadian Stefan Z Trades One Rainy City for Another

Stefan Z has been on the fast track to success after acclaim for his No Words EP on My Favorite Robot Records in 2013. Since then, the Rhombus label-head has been hiding out in his London studio and is finally ready to release his newest creation, the Removed EP—featuring three original productions including, "Disappearing" and "Believe."

The Toronto-born, Vancouver-raised Canadian recently relocated to the UK with his girlfriend after a short stint in Berlin in 2010. However, it wasn't in Europe where Stefan Z discovered electronic music.

"Initially, it was after high school, some friends of mine were going to raves and I was always into music," Stefan Z tells THUMP. "That was when they were throwing these big raves in the country outside Vancouver," he says. "In 2000, I went to a big party out there and it was crazy and I had such a good time—I just kept going and going and that was it for me."

Not long after Y2K, Stefan invested in his first turntables, a set of Technics 1200s. "At that time I was playing breakbeats and working at record stores selling breakbeat vinyls and purchasing for the stores," he says. "Then I switched to house—breakbeats got kind of shitty, awful music started coming out, and I lost interest in it."

Although vinyls were draining funds from his bank account, Stefan Z says it was his day-job that was draining his energy. "I was working at a retail music store and thinking that being around music stuff would be inspiring," he says. "But it just became more draining than anything. So I basically went full-time music closer to the end of 2013."

Trying to follow up his first great release wasn't easy though. "No Words did really well and it's kind of the main thing that people know me for—it was a lot bigger than I ever expected it to be. Even to this day, people still talk about it and say, 'Oh my god, it's such a crazy track,'" says Stefan Z.

His latest work, the Removed EP, is set to be released on June 8 through My Favorite Robot Records. "I must have started working on [the Removed EP] in February or March of 2014," he says. "I guess I wanted to make something that was special, something that really resonated with me. It took way longer than I thought it was going to take but, I'm pretty happy with it."

Stefan Z may live in the heart of London's cultural and musical hotbed, but he says his work doesn't involve outside influences. "I don't actually listen to that much music at all—it's not that I don't like the stuff that's out there, it's just that after working on music for 10 hours, the last thing I want to do is listen to more music."

That's not to say that he doesn't get inspired. "I get influences from everything that's around me and my location," he explains. "The ideas for all of three tracks and their sounds, were done in our little flat in London with headphones just on the coffee table—it doesn't always have to be a technical thing, you know?"

Stefan Z says his music relies on a balancing act. "If one sound in the track is really techno and aggressive I always try and contrast it with something housey to even it out," he says. "That's what I like about other people's music—something that has a really nice balance that a lot of people can relate to but is not poppy or cheesy or overdone."

Although Stefan Z has risen quite quickly on MFR, he has also released countless singles on his own Vancouver-based label, Rhombus—which he founded and runs with his long-time friend and partner, Oliver Nickels.

The hometown crowd might have to wait a little longer before Stefan Z throws any more parties in Vancouver—Stefan is among other artists falling victim to strict immigration laws in the Europe and is relocating because of it. "The UK customs have been getting a little sick of me coming in and out without a proper visa," he says. "So, I'm moving to Berlin to get my two-year freelancer visa."

The Canadian won't forget about his hometown anytime soon though. "I would say the best specific times I've ever had have been in Vancouver—when the vibe is right, there's the right amount of people, the music is dialed in and the sound system is working," he says. "I have my best memories of DJing parties and listening to headliners in Vancouver."

Stefan Z is on Facebook // Twitter // SoundCloud