Hannah! So amazing to have you back at Mahico after a couple of years. What have you been getting up to since we last saw you?
Yeeey! I can’t wait to be back in a couple of weeks! The last time was already two years ago, and I’ve been craving the Australian ease ever since. Right now I’m in Mexico, which is the place I’m gravitating more and more towards. At the same time, I got a new job in Berlin in the social sector, working with a really sweet person who just didn’t get lucky at the body lottery at birth, which brought a beautiful balance between hedonism and altruism into my life and also got me more excited about playing again, since I’m not depending on playing gigs anymore after 12 years of full-time DJing.
I’m in my mid-30s now and can see how I’m finding more comfort in not being on the road all the time, which definitely was a big motivation for me over the last years, because I always wanted and loved to travel. That has been slowly changing into enjoying more home and community time, family and dog time, and I’m very happy to have found a new hybrid work model that feels right and satisfying right now, which also makes me look even more forward to travelling again to distant lands.
You’ve played Australia a bunch of times now — what’s your favourite thing about performing here?
As I said, I think what’s unique about Australia is a certain ease and lightness that I crave even more in these heavy times we are in right now. It seems like it makes it easier for people to be present in each moment and to let go and just dance together, share whatever is there, and be genuinely interested.
Also, I feel there’s a strong community sense in the Australian scene, and I really appreciate how people are very conscious about whose land they are celebrating on. Most events I’ve played so far make sure to point out the Aboriginal names of the lands, which I think is an important step in decolonising our minds.
This time it’s outdoors at Mahico Open Air — under the sky, on the grass… how does that vibe influence the way you play?
That’s definitely my preferred scenario to play music. I love when people can dance barefoot in the daytime, sunset, or sunrise — I feel that’s when we can acknowledge and celebrate the beautiful world we live in the most.
I love when I don’t feel the need to get clubby or more technoid, which I definitely do when I play a club gig at night. So I can say it influences me to play in the most free and joyful way, bringing a lot of different rhythms and samples from all over the world, and everything but four-to-the-floor.
You split your time between Mexico and Berlin — that must be quite the lifestyle! How does living in two worlds shape your sound?
Since my childhood, Latin America was always the place I wanted to experience the most, apart from India. I’m not living half here and half there yet, but still I’ve found a sense of home in Mexico, because here I don’t feel like a weirdo when I’m in a good mood for no reason, when I talk to strangers, or smile at them. Here I finally feel normal being in my essence.
Nonetheless, German techno culture impacted me a lot from an early age, and the way I mix tracks, the love for a solid, strong bassline, and the idea of creating a collective trance moment are definitely rooted in those experiences.
I also feel that visiting many different DIY festivals at a young age shaped my way of thinking about what’s possible within our society — how we care for each other, how we share what we have, and how we approach strangers. So I’d say the way I play is German-influenced, while the mood is more on the Mexican side!
And for your three-hour sunset set on March 21st, what can we look forward to? Any hints for the journey?
The last two years I’ve been digging more uptempo music, inspired by baile funk culture from Brazil and Afro bass, and I’ve obviously rediscovered my love for reggaeton in Mexico, which definitely comes in handy when I’m here.
You can look forward to an eclectic journey all around the world — maybe a bit more tempo changes than usual, but anyway, sunny sounds and big basslines.
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