Hailing from Eastern Romania, we first came across the talented Gojnea76 with his new release Punisher Braila. It’s been a little while since we did a studio tour, so we asked him to show us around.
Gojnea76 creates music with serious drive – high-energy grooves shaped by minimal aesthetics and a sharp, percussive edge. Fiercely independent, he self-releases most of his work for free on Bandcamp.
His style weaves together the pulse of Bucharest’s minimal scene with the grit of Memphis rap. It’s hypnotic, unconventional, and always full of movement a sense of motion that runs deep. A lifelong love for extreme sports and motorcycles has led to multiple serious accidents — including a spinal injury in 2022 that nearly left him paralyzed. After years of rehabilitation, he changed his name from G76 to Gojnea76.
The next part of his story continues with FUEL, his event series and label. Having just selected released Punisher Braila the EP balances chunky house with gritty minimal tech, blending warm pads and chopped vocals with a raw, dancefloor-ready sound. A run of FUEL events will follow, with stops in Barcelona, Bucharest, Los Angeles, and Berlin.
Acoustic treatment
Ekustik Panels – Woody Queen
I don’t know the guys personally, but the owner was super professional. I sent him the room dimensions, photos, and videos. A couple of emails later, the panels showed up at my door. They sound great, they look great and I’m really happy with them.
Monitors
ATC SCM25A Pro MK2
In the old studio, I was using Quested V3110s. Amazing speakers, but too much for my home setup. I kept them for a year, then downsized. The new ATCs had just come out and they were the obvious choice. If I ever need bigger monitors again, I’ll stick with ATC. There’s a reason everyone calls them some of the best in the game.
Drum machines
DinSync RE-909 + Roland TR-808
This RE-909 is my main drum machine, though I still use the 808 too. They sound very different — sometimes even weird together, but I love that contrast. I used to have a Steda clone built locally in Bucharest, but I sold it and got the DinSync unit. Built by a proper engineer. Can’t get enough of it.
A 909 running through hot preamps is my kind of thing. Banger.
Listen to the 909 on my track “Tornada” – the closing track at the last Sunwaves Festival to see what I mean.
Sampler / sequencer
Elektron Octatrack Mk2
This is the brain of my studio. I use it mostly as a sequencer as it runs all the drum machines and synths.
There are so many great sequencers out there, but Octatrack fits my workflow perfectly. I can’t see anything else taking its place.
I love sampling. The 64GB card is a bit of a pain. I’m always loading new stuff and deleting old stuff — but that’s part of the fun. All of my Everybody Ruins Music, Not Just Me edits were made on the Octatrack.
Synths
Waldorf Q
Even though I love everything Moog, especially the Voyager and Minitaur, my go-to these days is the Waldorf Q. The Q community is super active. New presets show up all the time. Just when you think you’ve heard it all, a fresh sound changes everything.
Also, that yellow casing hits different. Visually and sonically, it inspires me.
My album Level UP was made entirely on the Waldorf Q.
Random bits of inspiration
Eurofighter Typhoon
I’m obsessed with aviation. My place is full of framed aircraft posters, models, and patches.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is my favourite jet. My girlfriend gifted me a model that now sits proudly on one of the ATCs. I don’t support the purpose of military aircraft, but airshows and engineering? All in.
Speedway Motorcycle
Not many people know about Speedway, but in my hometown of Brăila, it still exists. I grew up attending races every year. These bikes are wild. There’s no brakes. Just raw speed and ethanol. Still gives me chills.
The Carpet
I could talk about every piece of gear in this room. Even the Boards of Canada sticker. Even the Twin Peaks prints on the wall. But if there’s one thing I couldn’t live without, it’s the carpet. As soon as I see it, I’m in a creative headspace. No piece of gear does that.
On the Road
Not everything starts in the studio. A lot of my ideas come together while I’m traveling in hotel rooms, trains, planes. Especially planes.
There’s something about that limbo mid-air that clears my head. I usually work on edits or new tracks with just headphones and a laptop. Then I bring the sketches back to the studio, run them through gear, reshape them. It’s not a compromise, it’s just different. And I like that shift. It keeps the process alive.
“Punisher Braila” EP is out now.
Find Gojnea76 on Instagram.
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