One could argue that there are several definitive “sounds of Moscow”: the screech of metro trains as they brake into a station; the slam of heavy podyezd doors; the soft consonants of Russian conversation floating in and out of earshot. Above all, there’s the sound of constant movement, something that Vladivostok transplant Alexander Kholenko has managed to hint at in his massive output of music.

“I really like the rhythm that this city exists in. Despite the rawness and the closed nature of people, I feel really comfortable here,” explained Kholenko, a 25-year-old hip-hop artist, musician and performer. “I expend a lot of energy and emotion just occupied with my everyday routine here, and I think this is reflected in my music.”

In addition to releasing terse, bass-heavy beat sketches under the moniker DZA, Kholenko also runs a Moscow-based label called How2Make and is half of the self-described “classic rave” duo Cut2Kill. This Friday, he’ll be performing at 16 Tons with several American underground hip-hop acts, bringing his humorous blend of scratchy vinyl samples and arcade game sounds from a formidable archive of recordings.

“I’ve got about 200 files’ worth of sketches, all music that I’ve recorded in the last 7 or 8 months,” he said, noting that he rarely uses a computer, instead relying on older technology. “My main instruments are an old Akai MPC sampler and a pair of synthesizers — a Soviet-era Polyvox and the legendary Moog Prodigy.”

Born and raised in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, Kholenko was exposed to hip-hop culture when he discovered break dancing, skateboarding and graffiti. Trying his own hand at writing music, he managed to record some “silly hip-hop compositions” with like-minded friends, but “it wasn’t based on anything serious. … I started to devote a lot more time to music when I bought turntables.”

It was this desire for a more serious foray into composition that led Kholenko to Moscow. While the world of musical and visual distractions was accessible from Vladivostok, there were certain limitations to be found in the cultural infrastructure there.

“I really love Vladivostok, but the information blackout that was in place there really hindered any sort of creative development,” he explained when describing his move to Moscow in 2003. “With the appearance of high-speed Internet, there’s a more relaxed atmosphere now, but still, if you’re a musician from Vladivostok, you can forget about European tours.”

Since landing in Moscow, Kholenko has surrounded himself with like-minded musicians, some of whom he has provided a platform for in the form of his How2Make label. Larik Surapov, a tongue-in-cheek MC and electronic artist, released an album called “Bud Dobrym,” or “Be Kind,” last year on the label, and other beat makers like Ol generate hazy, wobbly instrumentals. The web site, How2Make.ru, has plenty of exclusive tracks and mixtapes that visitors can stream along with videos and links to all the artists’ respective pages.

Kholenko’s newest project, Cut2Kill, is a collaboration with Moscow graphic designer and glitch-pop musician Roma Litvinov, who records under the name Mujuice. Much darker than the solo output of either musician, the group takes its cues from music they enjoyed in childhood: “There’s a link to our favorite group, The Prodigy, and ‘b-boy funk’ rhythms — music that I listened to in my break dance days,” Kholenko said. “Roma and I have spent a lot of time together on tour in Russia and Europe, and in that time it became clear that we have a lot in common. When we write music together, we basically almost never argue over how something should sound — we both understand exactly how it should turn out.”

And that’s what surrounds Kholenko, whether it’s his own music or the opportunity for his friends’ creativity to see the light of day: In a city that, in his own words, can be a difficult place to exist in, he’s found a community whose members have the good fortune to be able to inspire and provide sounding boards for one another.

“It’s these people that it’s important for me to hear criticism from,” he said. “And it doesn’t affect only creativity. In general, we’re really close friends.”

DZA plays at midnight Friday, Feb. 19, at 16 Tons with Blu, Exile, Fashawn and others. 6/1 Presnensky Val. Metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda. 253-1550, www.16tons.ru.