The world’s most in-demand tech house maestros, the Ukrainian ARTBAT, are making their way to the sixth edition of the Sea Star festival. This marks their first performance in the Stella Maris lagoon, promising to be a highlight of the summer festival scene along the Adriatic coast. In less than a decade of active presence, this DJ duo has skyrocketed to the pinnacle of the global music scene.
As one of this year’s Sea Star Festival headliners, ARTBAT will join the powerful lineup of the Tesla Main Stage from May 23 to 26. The stage will also feature performances by John Newman (Hybrid DJ set), Ofenbach, Ian Asher, INIKO, Deborah De Luca, Hot Since 82, Joker Out, and Buč Kesidi. Fans can snag early bird tickets for €44, a 40% discount, available only until March 5 through the Entrio system!
Artur Kryvenko and Vitalii (Batish) Limarenko built their production skills and reputation at various parties within Kyiv’s underground club scene. After meeting in a nightclub in 2015, Artur and Batish decided to form the DJ duo ARTBAT, not realizing that night would mark the beginning of their historic rise. They quickly released their debut EP, “Mandrake,” on the Definition:Music label, which stayed on Beatport’s Top 100 chart for an entire month. Just a year later, they found themselves behind the DJ booth at Destino Ibiza. It wasn’t long before ARTBAT received support from numerous renowned names on the dance scene, so hearing tracks from this top-notch Ukrainian duo in sets by stars like Solomun, Maceo Plex, and Richie Hawtin became a common occurrence.
Their brilliance and mastery lie in their quality, creativity, and moderation, blending hypnotic and melodic techno with house. Key to their success is their ability to perform both on intimate dance floors and in large dance arenas, always adapting to the ambiance and atmosphere while carefully balancing groove and melody, with a particular focus on rhythm. ARTBAT has also garnered numerous titles that have solidified their position in the electronic music scene. Their career skyrocketed in 2019 when they were named Mixmag’s Stars of the Year and Beatport’s Best Sellers and received the Breakthrough Artist of the Year title at the Ibiza DJ Awards. That same year, ARTBAT debuted on BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix and performed an exclusive live DJ set at the majestic peak of Pão de Açúcar in Rio de Janeiro for the livestream platform Cercle.
In 2021, the dynamic duo took a significant leap by founding an independent electronic music label, UPPERGROUND. Initially envisioned as a platform for their own releases, it quickly became a cornerstone of the Ukrainian and global electronic music scene. Young talents soon began regularly submitting their demo tracks, prompting Artur and Batish to offer a launching pad for new producers and DJs. Their event organization efforts were met with outstanding reception from audiences, turning this into one of the label’s most critical activities. Just last year, UPPERGROUND released a series of records featuring globally renowned electro and dance stars, and the label continues to evolve, grow, and innovate.
Beyond their enchanting dance tracks, ARTBAT are celebrated for their productivity, creativity, and collaborations with numerous well-known artists. At the end of January, they unveiled their second collaboration with the promising young artist Another Life, the track “In Your Arms,” following the hit single “Breathe In,” released in June 2023. A few weeks later, in early February, they dropped what has been hailed as the biggest club hit of the year, a dream collaboration with trance giant and pioneer Armin van Buuren. “Take Off” represents a significant genre crossover and a major innovation on the club scene. ARTBAT’s catalog also boasts collaborations with producers and musicians such as Sailor & I, David Guetta, Idris Elba, and Camelphat, while they have also remixed tracks of bands like Foals.
ARTBAT particularly wowed audiences with their closing set at the EXIT festival two years ago and at last year’s No Sleep festival in Belgrade. They kicked off 2024 with a tour across the Americas, performing on major stages in Argentina, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia during January and February.
With their masterful DJ skills and irresistible dance sets, they’re set to dazzle the audience at this year’s Sea Star Festival, joining major international and regional stars on the main stage. Alongside ARTBAT, confirmed performers include INIKO, Hot Since 82, Deborah De Luca, Buč Kesidi, Joker Out, John Newman (Hybrid DJ set), Ofenbach, and Ian Asher. Sea Star Festival’s sixth edition will take place from May 23 to 26, 2024, across numerous well-established and new stages within the Stella Maris lagoon in Umag. As in previous years, the main festival days will be Friday, May 24, and Saturday, May 25, with Thursday and Sunday reserved for the Welcome Day and After Party.
Ticket prices are set until March 5 at the latest!
Festival tickets at a promotional price of €44, a 40% discount, can be purchased here.
