Mira Talks

Music

Having been enthusing her front row followers for over a decade Mira, the darling of Bar25 and in recent years its successor (of sorts) Katerholzig has taken over Berlins finest clubs with her warm precision led vinyl-only sets.

Ahead of her setting foot on London’s streets for the first time this weekend, we managed to have a catch up with Mira and talked everything from her influences to the gentrification of Berlin, via fans turned stalkers and mobiles in clubs.

Where are you from, where are you now?

Im from the east part of Germany, my hometown is Halle/Saale, its close to Leipzig and to the south of Berlin. I moved to Berlin in 2006 and now I live in Kreuzberg.

First and last record bought?

My first record: Nightmares on Wax – Smokers Delight 1995
My last record: Im playing with Traktor and time code vinyls since 2011 so I dont really buy records actually, just important albums and records of my friends to collect them.

Who in Berlin has influenced or inspired you the most over the past 10 years?

It’s hard to mention just one name. There were a lot 😉
I think it was a combination of the lifestyle, the clubs and the audience over the last few years.
Maybe I can say the Bar25 and these many amazing after hours on Sunday/Monday with the crazy people and decoration are the most important influence for me and my sound.

We enjoyed a lot your partnership with Nico Stojan on URSL. How much of a focus is production for you now and what you have planned for the year in terms of releases?

Thank you 🙂 I enjoyed it too…
My focus has changed over the last year but I’m planning on doing much more in the future. Until now I cant produce completely on my own and spend a lot of time together with my partner in crime Chris Schwarzwalder. You know about our remixes from the last year on Katermukke and Heinz Music and now our first EP is ready and will come out on URS (the new digital sublabel of URSL) this year. Also another remix for Jacob Groening on Underyourskin will come out in March.

What does an average weekday look like for you when you’re in Berlin and you don’t have a gig to play?

At first I try to find new amazing sounds and tracks. I also worked for the booking office at Katerholzig last year and I do normal things like meet my friends, go to my yoga class or whatever.

Is the gentrification of Berlin meaning it’s becoming too expensive for an artist to live in now?

It changed a lot in the last years, the rents are quite high (for sure its still quite cheap for people from other capital citys of Europe) and Im worried about the future because I think it might become impossible to live or run a club in the centre of the city in ten years if you dont have enough money. Berlins politicians are kind of shortsighted because they kill all the special things of our city with this sell out.

Your name has become synonymous with Katerholzig and Bar25, tell us about your love affair with these clubs and your experience as a DJ there. How did you make your way to get a gig in such a special place ?

I’ve known the owner for many years and I started working there in 2010 so it was quite normal to play there too. We are really close friends and its kind of a family business.
The feeling inside was kind of magic – it was like a playground for adults, you felt totally free. This is reflected in my sound and im pretty sure I played my best sets there, especially the long ones when you stopped thinking and just felt like you had this special communication with your audience. It was really unique to play there because you could do anything with your sound. The mixture of Berlin based people together with tourists is very special and nobody wants to hear a definite song, just the sounds of Berlin – what I see as totally deep and slow.

Why are there no spaces between the words in Katerholzig and Bar25?

No comment…

How has Kater evolved musically over the short time its been open?

Kater was a very huge and perfect space for really long weekends with the typical Berlin sound from the residents of Bar 25/SaSoMo, combined with an international booking.
Furthermore, the decoration and things which brought new life to the old soap factory, and for sure the attitude of not thinking about tomorrow and for example, to build 3 new floors just for our closing. Kind of crazy, isnt it?

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

None of these three. Im a warm and groovy bassline 🙂 Because of my favourite style of music, its all about deepness and warm basslines which are going directly into your ass and hip.

What are you obsessed with at the moment?

At the moment, Im really looking forward to my yearly vacation.

Strangest Display of Affection from a Fan

Stalking me for months…

Should clubs ban mobiles? They’re not as much of a problem as they are over here are they?

Taking pictures is prohibited in every good club in Berlin, so we dont have big problems with mobiles over here.

What’s the best thing you’ve done so far this year?

My detox period since January 7th 😉

What’s the best piece of music you’ve ever heard?

Boah… Thats quite difficult… There are so many pieces.

What’s your favourite place on earth?

For playing music, Berlin for sure. For travelling, I prefer Asia.