Not just a drum tool EP, Ketiov’s upcoming ‘Rhythm Trainx Vol. 4’ is a Swiss Army knife designed to break the monotony, shake the staleness disease, and maybe even help you discover that long-lost dance move from 2003. True to form, Ketiov – one half of prolific house outfit Catz ‘n Dogz and co-founder of CARBS – goes above and beyond the call of percussion, with real drum sounds recorded live and sprinkled with a touch of his own playing. We spoke to the Polish-born producer about his upcoming release on Gerd Janson and Thorsten Scheu’s Running Back label, the popular queer party he runs in Madrid with his partner, and what else he has on the horizon.
WWD: Hey Ketiov! How are you? Your ‘Rhythm Trainx Vol. 4’ EP is due for release later this month. What can we expect from it?
Well, Firtable is basically a collection of DJ tools. I love incorporating more organic, rhythmic tracks into my sets, especially when playing open-to-close sets – these are the tracks you need. I’ve always been fascinated by different rhythms, and from the beginning my biggest strength as a producer has been making beats. I’m not really great at toplines or melodies, so I decided to focus on my strongest skill. This collection includes everything from slow disco and tribal house to a ballroom beat and a big festival track infused with Brazilian carnival sounds.
WWD: It’s coming out via Gerd Janson and Thorsten Scheu’s Running Back. Is it your first release on the label and how did that come about?
It’s a funny story. Greg from Catz ’n Dogz and I had met Gerd a few times before, but we became really good friends in Amsterdam when our flights were delayed. I think we ended up in the lounge together for about six hours, just talking about everything, and we instantly clicked. We’ve been friends with Gerd for quite some time now and have already worked on a few projects together, including releasing a pretty big record with Catz ’n Dogz. I really liked the Rhythm Trainx series they were putting out, and it was my idea to make an EP in that style. There are a lot of releases where these kinds of tracks end up as B2 cuts, so I wanted to create a full record dedicated to them. My friend Reyco from Madrid helped me a lot with recording live drums and introduced me to different rhythm patterns, which really opened up my approach.
WWD: You wanted the first single ‘FT’ to stand out as a festival anthem with the energy of Brazilian carnival drums. How did you achieve that sound in the studio? Were they recorded manually by a real drummer, or did you play them yourself?
Fun fact: This is the only track on the record made entirely from samples. It was a challenge I set for myself – to create a track using only drums while still making it suitable for peak-time festival play. It was my way of proving that rhythm is the most important element in dance music.
WWD: We know ‘FT’ stands for festival and can’t help but notice the rest of the EP is made up of 2 letter abbreviations. Can you tell us what they stand for?
The idea behind ‘Rhythm Trainx’ is to include only the BPM of the track, but I also wanted to add a personal touch, like “FT” for Festival, “BA” for Ballroom, and so on. I just wanted to make the names feel more personal since each track is inspired by a different genre. Even though it might seem a bit silly, these rhythm tracks are actually well thought out – it took me a few years to collect ones that I was 100% happy with. With so many releases out right now, I try to make music that, even if it seems basic, has unique elements that stand out and retain a human touch. I know it’s just functional dance music, but I love diving deep into it and studying how the elements work. Sometimes, just a small change in the mixdown can completely transform a track – how accents hit or how you move on the dancefloor.
WWD: The EP offers a variety of BPMs and a pretty diverse sound palette. Was that intentional?
Totally! Back when I had only 30 records in my collection and played my first party, I didn’t care that they were different BPMs. I had a three-hour set, and I had to make it work—without CDJs, cue points, or sync – so I had to find a way to transition between them. I love opening sets, and at my party CARBS, I always play the opening slot, sometimes starting as low as 90 BPM and gradually building up to around 125 BPM before the headliner comes on. Nowadays, there’s a lot of organic house music for lounges, but I feel like there aren’t many proper old-school DJ tools for those who play at slower BPMs. I know this because I always have to dig deep to find good warm-up records that don’t just sound like background music in a coffee shop.
WWD:How do your production processes differ between your solo stuff and your Catz ‘n Dogz releases?
I honestly don’t worry too much about trying to keep things different. I used to be super orthodox about it, but not so much anymore. My music, whether for Catz ’n Dogz or my solo projects, always comes from the heart. I love collaborating, but sometimes I also enjoy working solo. As Ketiov, I’m trying to focus more on parties and a deeper, more underground scene. There’s no pressure because people don’t really have expectations. My productions as Ketiov are mostly played by friends who know and support me, so I like making music that my friends would want to play. Another thing I love abou Ketiov – especially with my own label and edits – is having full creative control, including the artwork, which is done by my husband. That’s also a really cool part of the process.
WWD: You’re quite prolific with your output, have you got any other releases in the pipeline to tell us about?
Just before summer, I have an EP coming out on OnLoop, the label of my good friend Moxie. I’ve been a huge fan of her NTS show for a long time, so it’s a real pleasure to work with her. The EP will be more focused on the early 2000s tech-house sound, which I’ve been really into lately, plus one festival track – you know I always like to include that one track that stands out, haha. I also have a collaboration coming out on STEP, the sublabel of PETS, with my good friend from Madrid, Fernanda Arrau. She’s an amazing DJ – if you don’t know her, definitely check her out!
WWD: You were born in Poland and now reside in Madrid via Berlin. What attracted you to the city and are you there to stay?
The answer is simple – I make these decisions to prioritise my personal growth and happiness. I grew up in Szczecin, just two hours from Berlin, and my first boyfriend was in Berlin, so I moved there. Plus, it was around 2006, which was an incredible time for the city – before the commercialisation of the club scene. It was the era of Bar 25 opening, the golden years of Watergate, and we could get into Berghain for free when our friends were playing, without having to wait in line. I’m not saying it was better – just that it was my time, my party years, so of course, I’ll always look back on it fondly. As for Madrid, I simply got tired of the grey skies. Funny enough, after I moved out of Berlin, I actually started making more music. We launched our party night, and I developed my solo career even further – so I guess I’m pretty good at making these decisions.
WWD: You’ve mentioned the queer party you run with your partner David Rigote called CARBS, so can you tell us a little more about it, and what it’s store for the coming months.
We learned as we went with each party. In the beginning, it was just like, “Let’s throw the kind of party we’d want to go to.” At first, it was literally just random people and a few of our gay friends. Then we started including more queer performers and working with Glenda, our drag queen, who runs the door. Over time, we put a lot more focus on making sure everyone felt good in the club. We had a lot of conversations with the venue, the staff, and each other – educating ourselves, listening to our friends’ feedback, and constantly improving. The one thing that never changed from the start was the sound quality – that was always the most important thing for us.
We wanted to make sure that people who came were really there to listen to the music. Now, the event has been selling out every time for the past three years, with people traveling from all over Europe to attend. It’s a small event with a big heart, and past guests include and past guests include FKA.m4a, Massimiliano Pagliara, Jackie House, Louise Chen, Moxie, Cormac, Gideon, Honcho, Prosumer and Midland. Before summer, we’re doing two more editions – one with Joshua James, and another with just our residents to close out the season. It’s important to support the local scene and not just focus on booking the most expensive DJs. Café Berlin has a capacity of only 250 people, which gives us the privilege – and the freedom – to book artists we truly believe in, without pressure to only go for “big names.”
WWD: Sounds amazing! Thanks for the chat 
‘Rhythm Trainx Vol.4’ is available here