I would say I am the Creative Head. And sometimes it's good because I am not there every day. I can see where they are going wrong and tell them. Sometimes they don't see it because they are there every day, and I can offer insight because I am more removed. But it's all about how we can give good energy to each other. And I am doing a lot of art graphics with them too.
But I am not like this chief that goes in and shouts at people in the office. I see it as a business but it's more about just how we can present our music in lots of countries, it's music for music lovers. It doesn't feel like hard business and if we have to do hard business, we give it to our lawyer. It feels more like a game. You put something in, you move this or that about, and you get something out.
So do you see yourself as a DJ first?
I'm a person who needs different things. I'm a DJ, I run BPitch Control, I make music with my producer, I make clothes, and this keeps me alive. If I make only one thing I get so tired.
What other artists do you like, apart from ones on your label?
I like Ricardo Villalobos, Miss Kitten, Acid Maria – many, many more.
What is the relationship like between record labels in Berlin? Is there much competition between BPitch and say, Kitty Yo?
No. I don't see this. Because for us it's not like this. If they want to be like this we just don't feel it. Maybe there are some people like this but after a while they learn that you can't be like this in Berlin. If you try and work against people then people will start laughing about you. Then you are out. They have to exchange and if you are not nice then you are out. People will start talking against you, and if you are not social, then that is not a Berlin thing and then you are out. It's not important to be in the group or something, it's more important to work with people.
Has that happened with any labels here?
Yes, but I can't say who. They learned after a while it's not good for them. Now they are nice but before when they first arrived they were talking a lot of shit. After a while they learned this is not the Berlin way. I hate it if I go somewhere and people start bitching to me about other people, I just say stop talking to me please. I don't want to hear it.
You spend a lot of time travelling – when do you get to come to Berlin?
I play in every country; I travel everywhere, America, Japan, all over. I have residencies in different countries. Then I come back to Berlin on weekends and whenever else I can. But I don't have much time for relaxing. Actually I'm really tired at the moment.
Has travelling influenced your musical style? Do you absorb a lot of the culture?
From every culture I get something. I listen to different DJs and get a feeling for the people in the clubs. I learn a lot and it's very interesting. If you travel a lot you see how small your own work is and how you are not so important. There are many, many people that are making it the same as you are.
What do you feel you are communicating with your music?
I'm a DJ; I have to communicate with my music. If I don't do that, everybody leaves. If I play my selfish music then no one can dance any more. I don't like selfish DJs, and there are a lot of them, trust me. My feelings of my life come out with technical equipment. This makes my music. It's a process of choosing the right equipment. You don't use the programmes, the programmes use you. And I work with this equipment to reflect my emotions.
You have a new mix CD out now called My Parade. Is it is easier to make mix CDs than it is to make a proper album of your own music?
I have thousands of records and choosing which ones to use is a long process. Some people say 'oh, she's making this mix CD to make money' but it's not like that. Making a mix CD is about keeping time on the format – to hold time like you do in a club. It's a reflection of the time, of now, and I hold it, and then I put those records away and I won't play them anymore.
How many records do you reckon you have?
God, I don't know. Thousands. Maybe 10,000.
What are you going to do today, after this interview?
Sleep!
Originally published in September 2004.
Latest Comments