Soundwall interviews: Daria

Daria Mechkat, or simply Daria is one of the most interesting artists of the Cadenza crew. The Swiss artist besides being a talented DJ, has established herself as producer in 2009 with the EP “Les Gourmandises”.

Hello Daria! Welcome to Soundwall, your productions are certainly those that just appear in the catalog, but why so few works? Do you prefer to release only best things or you prefer to dedicate djiing?

It’s two different processes djing and producing, even if it’s connected to growing up a carrier. I love both, i am lucky. Actually i was making music for a long time, trying to find a good sound quality, and having fun. I am graphic designer also, and my time is a bit shared by all these activities.

But i think that’s important to keep the music studio sessions for the period i feel inspired, i try to follow myself and not the kind of music we are playing in clubs and for this, i need to be far away from my routine, i need to be in front of myself to start to feel something personal, without pressure.

For my last ep, the “Santeria” on Cadenza, i made a kind of decication for saints of the popular pagan beliefs in Argentina. I prefer to do music with soul, than a dancefloor hit which dies in 3 months.

How was your cooperation with Alejandro Mosso? Is it an experiment or is something that will go ahead? But about you, do you have some future projects, collaborations, remixes or EP?

Well, Alejandro Mosso is my boyfriend and he is one of the most talented producer’s of the moment. When we feel the desire, we make some “jam sessions” if i can say. We connect our 2 laptops and we start to invent something, adding some loops, etc… It’s very funny for both of us, because we are making something different together than separate.

We feel without limits or complexes. On the track “Falcon” on Organic Lomidhigh, i remember when we were working on the break. We were so histeric! I am sure we would’ve never doing this one in a solo project, just because we are shy to do something so exaggerated.

Collaborate with someone else, why not? It’s cool to do this experience, it opens your mind. But for the moment, i am focus on my solo projects.

What do you think of women dj? Do you think there is a facilitation or they are less considered? Is there a problem of sex in your job?

Both side i guess, it can be easier to be a women because we are not so much in the scene compared to the guys.

But all of us (i hope) are very perfectionist and it’s very important to make this work by a powerfull way, to make it strong, i mean maybe stronger than if we were a man. We always have to show that we are here not because we have tits, but because the music.

You live in Switzerland, a nation that is exporting a some talents in these yaers: is this a special moment, or perhaps a club culture is developing?

In Geneva, the city i grew up, we have something very special, because our background is coming from a really underground culture.

Since 1990, we were living, making music or visual arts, organizing parties on squats (around 1995, there were 80 squats in the city!). We delevoped a different kind of system to be independent. It was an auto-managed system out of the commercial way. We were not needing money from inverstors, and this was making the difference. All of us were sincere about what we were doing.

Luciano is also coming from this culture, and many other artists.

Exactly these days Geneva’s citizens are fighting against the politicians who are closing the last underground clubs in Geneva. We are trying to save them.

What are the records that never missed this summer in your bag?

My answer will not be about just “the” record, because i support many artists or labels. Like “Mr Raoul K” and his “Baobab” label. I love Cassy’s music, the good surprise this year was the Vakant recent complilation “Family Value”, just amazing! I am forward Fenou records, Giegling, Samuvar, Retreat, Sandwell District.

Always talking about this summer, how about Cadenza @ Pacha? Some clubbers who call themselves “purists” have had to disagree with the choice of a residence in a club that mistakenly is called “commercial”.

I dont care Pacha or not Pacha! I am not an integrist not at all. I think you can play everywhere if you still play on smaller and less commercial clubs beside this, and if you still play your own selection of good music. The day you will loose this two rules, you will start to sell your ass.

In top of this there are problems graver than that at the moment. I mean about the globalisation of the music the djs are playing! it’s a debate much more interesting than Pacha, no? 



You played often in recent years in Rome and Italy, comparing the Roman and Italian public what you think of our clubbing?

I would like to say something to the italian promoters: Please, let us to play more than 1 hours 15!!! Hahhaha…

As always, the last question: What advice to those who want to start?

Please, don’t play beatport’s charts you bough the week before! Go deep inside the music and “say” something clever, different.