Denis Sulta—real name Hector Barbour—has rapidly emerged as one of the most exciting new prospects from the ever-fertile Glasgow scene. His unique sound has been carefully crafted having earned his stripes and a large part of his musical education and knowledge through working at the internationally renowned Rubadub record store, whilst holding down regular and ongoing sets at the world famous Sub Club, and releasing records on influential labels Dixon Avenue Basement Jams, Numbers and his own Sulta Selects. Now aligning with Ninja Tune, his latest release—“Aye Spoake Te Sumwuhn & They Listenhd”—is some of his rawest and deeply personal music to date. Inspired by the people and places who have guided and nurtured him on the path to where he is now.

In 2011, at the age of 18—following a stint as a successful freestyle ski competitor—Hector took up a weekend job at Rubadub in Glasgow and it was here that his love for electronic music really began to solidify. He spent the next 18 months balancing his weekend work with his studies at Edinburgh’s Napier University, before dropping out to concentrate on music full time. It was also in this period that he acquired his first pair of turntables, and began playing and hosting parties in Glasgow, honing his craft under the guidance of some of the most respected local selectors, DJs and producers. He began producing music, with early experiments under aliases ‘Conrad Hart’ and ‘Atlas’. In contrast to the disco-flecked music he would begin releasing under his Denis Sulta alias, he describes these early tracks in an interview for Mixmag’s cover-feature as “angry... pissed off”, a reflection of his struggles with depression and substances, which would continue to bear an influence on his life in the coming years.

It was the beginning of what would soon become a rapid advance in his career both as a producer and DJ. In 2014 Barbour released “Sulta Selects Vol. 1”—his first record as alter-ego Denis Sulta—on the influential Glasgow label Dixon Avenue Basement Jams (DABJ). This was soon followed by 2015’s “It's Only Real” on Numbers, a track that won support from the likes of Ben UFO, Four Tet and Bicep, and saw Sulta gain widespread notoriety. Two more releases followed on DABJ—2015’s “L.A Ruffgarden EP” and ‘Time 4 Prayer’ on the “DABJ Allstars Vol. 2” compilartion—before he took the step of creating his own Sulta Selects imprint in 2017. Releasing his “Nein Fortiate EP”, 12” single “Our World (With A Boy On Its Shoulders)” and the “Sulta Selects Vol. 3” EP that same year, his most recent 12” arrived in 2018 on his new Sulta Selects Silver Service imprint.

Denis Sulta’s meticulous and diverse approach to dance music has seen his stand out capabilities reach incredible heights for someone still so young. Now residing back in his hometown of Glasgow, after a long stint in Berlin, the prodigal producer has successfully graduated from the Red Bull Music Academy in Montreal, was a recent Mixmag cover-star, he has recently joined BBC Radio 1’s Residency show alongside Jayda G, HAAi, Charlotte de Witte and Saoirse. His revered Sulta Selects shows have taken place across the globe, in huge and prestigious venues such as Manchester’s Warehouse Project and The Telegraph Building in Belfast, as well as hosting the inaugural electronic music event at Edinburgh’s opulent concert space, The Usher Hall, where he played in the Scottish national orchestra as a teenager. 

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