mad miran: The ‘Wednesday Alternative’ Mix

Expect the unexpected. That's the philosophy Rotterdam-based DJ mad miran promotes in her DJ sets. A regular on the city's mainstay Red Light Radio and a face behind the counter at the infamous Clone record shop, Miran has fast become one of the country's most promising DJs. 

Although she only played her first DJ set in a cluba couple of years ago, she's already landed a residency at Trouw successor De School and become part of the Strange Sounds From Beyond family, seeing her name spread like wildfire and lead to a string of gigs across Europe.

We invited her to dive into her record bag for us and the result is 80 minutes of leftfield electro, raw breaks and introspective electronica. Enter into the crazy world of mad miran…

Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you?

I'm Miran, a (just turned) 23 year old girl located in Rotterdam. I'm a hyperactive person but also sensitive to stimuli in this big world. The biggest stimuli that effects me are sounds.

What does your music sound like? Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?

Expect the unexpected but in an aligned way.

Where was the mix recorded?

In my new room in Rotterdam. I finally set up a proper booth in this house and finished this mix after a long (missed) bedroom session. 

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

The ideal setting would be any setting maybe. This set is mostly high bpms where you can focus on, but you can also fixate on the melodies and fade away. Whenever you feel like it’s the right moment for these 80 minutes of my selections. A good soundsystem would be good to hear the different breaks of all the different tracks.

What should we be wearing?

Whatever is most comfortable and makes you feel most comfortable – that's a tip for this question I always apply.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

That would be somewhere alone, where no one can randomly surprise me or come in. Where it’s just me and the music. Then the magic can happen and I can fully control it. Actually I already have my dream setting which is a bunker deep down in the hague where I go to when I can to hide and be alone with my music.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

There are many favourites shared in this mix, but if I had to choose one I'd go for Aleksi Perala – UK74R1517050 or the latest release from Cristopher Joseph. It really got me and I love to play it on the dancefloors aswell. Cristopher Joseph – The Fear. A fucking good techno track! The Syncom Data track released on bunker is also an all-time classic for me.

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Simo Cell's Crack mix is the MOST RECENT favourite of mine. Mostly about the concept he has and the way he blends music with his idea of society now. The subject has been very interesting to me lately and I loved to hear how he, as Simo Cell, created this own ‘speech’ in music, even using others speeches.

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

I honestly can't answer this one since there are many DJs throughout the 90s, but also legends arising now. I can name a big list! If I had to choose now now, it’d be Luke Vibert back in the days, somewhere at a crazy small rave in the UK.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

Midi controller and Traktor when I was 16 years old, then two CDJ350s, a Xone92 mixer and a turntable without mixing possibilities at 18 years old. I remember trying to investigate what the best combo was before buying my real first set up. I've had my mixer for many years now and the Xone92 for me is the perfect mixer. It's my baby haha. Now I have two XDJs, still the Xone92 and one turntable. Whenever I want to play more records I go to The Hague.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

In the club, the beginning. In a mix recorded for the webz, the last one.

What were the first and last records you bought?

The last one I bought together at Clone was the VA EP of Furthur Electronix x Libertine Records, mega tracks and mega labels! A collegue at Clone recommended it to me and damn! The first record I ever bought is hard to recall, could be a crazy trance classic, or one of the Journey Of The Deep Sea Sweller LPs.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

Maybe like those sour candy strips. I like them alot, to reset my mouth vibe/taste. It always asks for more aswell.

If it was an animal what would it be?

Axolotl, a type of salamander – somehow a bit unearthy, alien weird like, but sweet in a way.

Upcoming in the world of mad miran…

Lots of adventures in different worlds upcoming these months. Many exciting festivals I'm dreaming of since they got confirmed starting off this month. Many different countries I'm travelling to to make you dance. I'm ready steady!

Anything else we need to discuss?

Enjoy the mix and listen to it as one whole. I tried to go up and down and even played two remixes of one track to connect the set for you. I think you can trigger someone's mind doing things like that.

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