Clash tookatrip to Paris justrecently, soaking up the merger of NFTs, modern-day tech, and club-leaning electronicdevices at VISIV.
Helena Hauff caught our attention with a heavy-hitting set, certainly one of the real highlights of the occasion. Shortly lateron, we sat down with Helena Hauff to checkout her increase, as she endsupbeing one of the most popular DJs in Europe; we tap into her affects and the development of her special sound, all while looking at females in the market, and what’s out there in the future for techno artists.
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How did growing up in Germany influence a love of music and a enthusiasm to pursue carryingout?
Honestly I have no concept since I wear’t understand what it’s like growing up anywhere else. However, we had techno on the tv, and I keepinmind I saw Electric Indie Girl DJ with vinyl on a channel called Viva, which they played so much techno on, and I was constantly actually into it. Germany does have a abundant history when it comes to techno – not as much in Hamburg where I grew up as opposed to Berlin – and I didn’t have lotsof buddies at school who desired to go to raves or huge techno occasions, so I got presented to the club scene rather late, around 18/19.
I enjoyed electronic music however I didn’t actually come into the club scene behind it till lateron in life. I’m not sure growing up in Germany had a big preliminary effect, it wasn’t till I went to my veryfirst club when I was 18 that I was blown away by the energy behind it, and instantly I was like “oh wow I desire to be a part of this. I wanna be the cool one on phase.”
What about the raving scene influences you most and what do you discover most remarkable about that whole club culture?
When I was moreyouthful it was how dark it was, how mystical it might be. It had this mystique about it, something about walking into this dark, strange club where everybody was so much older and dressed so incredibly, well mostlikely not so much in hindsight, however at the time it was so brand-new and amazing. That was interesting to me – and alittle dark and somewhat melancholic music had so much energy behind it, and I constantly liked rather rougher music as well. I believe that’s why I desired to endedupbeing a DJ, it appeared like a tool to actually reveal myself and a variety of feelings. It was what I desired to usage to inform my story.
I can see there’s a lot of aspects of grunge and dark commercial, gothic in your techno. I grew up going to a lot of punk reveals and that strangely brought me into the techno world. What about that specificniche of a category, for you, is so cool for you?
I truthfully simply choose that noise over other sounds as a individual choice. It speaks to me in a method that others doesn’t. For me, the happy-happy and more pop things doesn’t speak to me at all when I hear it, unlike a more darker, melancholic category which has constantly stuck out to me.
How do you believe you discovered your person noise int he larger landscape of techno? Are there any motivations of individuals who triggered you to follow a specific specificniche of the category?
I grew up in a club called Golden Poodle in Hamburg and it wasn’t like a typical techno club. It was really little, and there was a huge variety of categories carriedout, from jazz to hypnotictrance to 110 BPM sluggish commercial blended with italo-disco – it was simply so diverse. I actually enjoyed that and it was my musical education, and what’s left of that is I puton’t simply play one particular sound, I like to mix a lot of things and I discovered my own method of doing that and gravitating towards specific sounds from this. I discovered my own design from this, and that’s the most essential thing when DJing – to discover a specific design you’re enthusiastic about. This comes with time and commitment.
What’s the most amazing part about playing the VISIV occasion tonight?
Well veryfirst of all I’ve neverever gone B2B with Blawan, so that’s something I’m truly looking forward to. Secondly it’s HUGE, frighteningly substantial. It looks great with the banner with our names and whatever, and the production is simply so cool. I’m so f*cking ecstatic to see the NFT avatar things tonight, I’ve neverever seen anything like it priorto so it oughtto be ill. I likewise have no concept what’s takingplace with the NFTs and what that’s gonna appearance like, so it’ll be interesting to see how that comes about and where it goes.
Thinking about the style of the VISIV occasion with NFTs and the Metaverse, I puton’t understand how into it you are, however do you there’s a location for them to start to straight advantage artists economically?
Hmm, I wear’t understand, mostlikely not. There’s cool things we can do with them, however when it comes to selling a track or production as an NFT and you get the signature like that’s the initial, I dunno. It’s still rather a specificniche thing and I’m not sure how the techno thing would fit in that, if it has to fit into that, truly? I’m not sure! I am truly thrilled to see how it’s going to appearance like tonight, I guess it’s about waiting and seeing.
Out of the cities you’ve played in, exterior of the significant centers of Berlin or London, do you believe there are any cities with amazing scenes emerging?
Well, Georgia comes to mind rightaway, that’s a huge one. Ukraine, yeah. That’s really unfortunate. There was loads occurring in Ukraine and a really lively scene that’s been really shut down.
India, really, comes to mind. I’ve been a coupleof times, besides the Goa Trance thing that’s been going on for a long time, they have a truly intriguing scene based around a really strong electro scene, so there’s a excellent scene emerging and they’re getting actually cool skill over.
DJing is rather a huge staple of the international sound, do you have any recommendations to artists beginning out now in such a hectic genre?
Don’t do it for the popularity, just do it if you’re definitely consumed with it. There’s a truly little opportunity of making it, and you have to invest so much time and energy on it, that I would state do it since you truly genuinely, deeply love it. If you puton’t love it to death, then do something else or wear’t get consumed with the popularity element of it.
Don’t follow the buzz things or patterns of music, shot and discover the thing that you love. Be sincere to yourself in what kind of music do you truly love, what do you desire to make.
Work difficult – clearly, haha! Socialise offline, it’s essential to go to clubs and satisfy individuals and talk to them. Build a little group of similar pals. Create your own little scene!
We can see now that females are no longer simply emerging in the field of DJing, however I would state they’re controling now. There’s been an huge increase to it. Do you believe the category is endingupbeing a bit more welcoming to underrepresented groups, or do you believe there’s still a long method to go?
Yeah it’s takingplace – we’re here. It’s a tough concern duetothefactthat there are a lot of ladies doing this now, however there’s still loads of sexism within the scene. Is this a techno particular issue? Not truly. I believe it’s terrific we’re talking about it, and how more females are endingupbeing noticeable, however there’s still loads more work to do when it comes to equality in the music scene. It’s certainly not best, and I’m not sure what best would appearance like, however on a favorable note I believe it’s getting muchbetter.
I feel like we’re at an age where techno is growing, possibly due to availability or basic interest. What do you believe the future is going to appearance like for it, do you believe it’ll keep getting larger?
I think there will be an arm going one method where techno gets more business, and another arm going a various method where techno will start to diverge and get more intriguing and wild. It’s absolutely more available with DJing digitally, as opposed to vinyl (which takes a LOT of time, effort, cash, and possibly an compulsive character). It makes the category more simple to gainaccessto, so I believe it’ll be cool to see it getting. Bit more decentralised, with things takingplace all over the world exterior of simply the centers of London and Berlin. I believe a lot of actually cool, special scenes will pop up all around the world, which now we can all see more quickly and is endingupbeing mucheasier to discover.
What’s next!?
I’m going to release a solo EP this year, ideally. I’m likewise going to release an album with 2 buddies from Hamburg.
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Words: Ruby Carter
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