Cassy Talks

Music

Cassy aka Catherine Britton was born in England but spent her childhood and youth in Austria. Later returning to Great Britain her musical mandate reflects this wide range of cultural and musical influences. It's Cassy’s voice tho that gives her productions that personal touch…

A move to Berlin in 2003 saw her gaining notoreity and enter the studio with the likes Villalobos, Mathew Jonson, Steve Bug & Luciano to name just a very small few. With releases on renowned labels like Cocoon, Perlon, Mental Groove, Ostgut-ton, Beatstreet and her own label 'Cassy', her star is most certainly on the ascent. With a residency at Panoramabar she produced the Club’s first mix CD and since 2009 has been part of the Cocoon extended travelling family… With appearances at both mulletover Halloween on on 3rd November and Cocoon @ The Warehouse Project in the next few weeks we caught up with the rather great Cassy for some thoughts on Chaka Khan, Zappa, Gema, vinyl and why she's proper techno.

Hi Cassy, where are you and what are you up to?

I just got to Rome today, where i'm gonna be living for the next two months. just got back from ibiza, DC10 closing…

You'll be appearing at both Mulletover's Halloween Party in London and alongside your companions at Cocoon at Manchester's Warehouse Project this year, which are both fairly large events. Do you prefer these major 'main-room' sets or more intimate affairs? Do you feel any pressure to adjust what you play to cater to either audience?

I like both to be honest. Both can be hit or miss. It always depends on the technical standards crowd form etc.

Your roots lie in Britain, although the vast majority of your life has been spent on the continent. Does playing gigs like the ones I’ve mentioned in the UK feel like a homecoming, or more like a visit to a foreign country?

More like a homecoming.

As a DJ, you're not afraid to dip into the rich history of house and techno music and blend it with the modern. How important do you think an in-depth knowledge of the past is to being successful in a contemporary context?
The more you know the better, the wider your horizon, the more you have to offer.

I know you as an advocate of vinyl, what are your opinions about the rise of the laptop-DJing and the ever-increasing emphasis on digital formats? I know this is a question you may have answered a million times before but with vinyl sales on the increase up 47% last year it seems that the wax advocates might be winning!

I will be playing vinyl as long as I can… I think it's more practical and sexy to play vinyl. I don't mind the bags… it keeps you fit…

What was the music of your teenage rebellion?

There was no rebellion needed. i was listening to everything possible… the very first record i ever bought myself was One Step Beyond by Madness when i was 6 years old…

Your status as a female in a largely male-dominated scene is a trait that's often commented on within event descriptions and the like. Can it be frustrating to sometimes be defined by a characteristic that is essentially irrelevant to your skills as a producer and DJ?

I do my best to not be a woman DJ and just a woman. of course i am happy to be a woman in this profession gives me a different point of view… even if it's extremely annoying sometimes having to deal with latent misogynism and chauvinism… it occurs time and again… but in the end it's the men's shortcoming… their loss not mine. i will make my way, can't be bothered to get turned off or demotivated.

GEMA is a huge issue in the German clubbing scene at the moment. As a Berlin resident with affiliations to the landmark club Panoramabar, you must have some pretty strong feelings about it?

Don't have any feelings about this at the moment. Don't think that Gema will be able to achieve what they are trying… it's completely nonsensical and irrational from their part. They would definitely regret going through with such utter nonsense. Let's see… I am not a fan of unnecessary panic.

I think it's fair to say you've been focusing more on live appearances than producing at the moment (at least in terms of what is publicly available). Are we likely to hear more productions from you in the near future?

Yes finally. I am starting to work on a project or have started to work on a project for planet e together with Kirk De Giorgio. So i will be taking the the beginning of next year off to focus on producing and recording music.

Big question: Zapp or Zappa?

I would say both

What are you obsessed with at the moment?

I am always obsessed with Chaka Khan

Is music an all-consuming element of your life or do you have any other passions which maybe aren't so well known?

Fashion, films, architecture, food, wine…

And finally the questions we ask everyone when interviewing them for R$N.

Complete the sentence: I'm proper techno because…..

It's fucking sexy

Do you know Deadmaus, has a mouse's head, for a head?

He does…

What's the most techno thing you've ever done?

Play a techno stage at a festival

Are you a kick drum, hi hat or a snare? And why?

Hi hat… can be extremely sexy especially open hihats… 909 ones can be extremely good

What's your answer to everything?

Two tears in a bucket, motherfuck it!!!

And there we leave it… Cassy plays mulletover on 3rd November and Cocoon @ The Warehouse Project over the coming weeks. Click the links for full info and tickets.

Patrick Henderson