Sonic treats for your eardrums today courtesy of rising Polish star Mia Twin. The Warsaw based producer provides the latest salvo for our Select Cuts series and doesn’t disappoint with a barnstorming mix coming in just over an hour in duration. We also caught a few minutes with the woman herself to find out a little bit more about her own background and the burgeoning scene in Poland right now…
1) For anyone who might not know, can you tell us a little bit how you became Mia Twin and your musical background?
MIA TWIN: I was a very musical child, I used to sing in a choir, I played piano and then guitar. I love to express myself through art, also through participation in a theater group with which I had the opportunity to visit half of Europe. It may be one of the reason why I feel so comfortable behind the DJ booth. The beginning of DJing for me started with my friends from two DJs collectives. They organized parties with electronic music – from house music, techno to drum & bass. When I watched my fellows I wanted to share my music with other people. They supported me in my first steps. Then I bought turntables and mixer and a lot of vinyls – I love vinyls! Then I joined female DJs collective – we were event promoters and DJs. Everything went at its own pace, I grew up musically which resulted in good bookings abroad, mainly in Germany. Next came the time for music production, I released with KASP my first EP on vinyl – it gave me a lot of satisfaction. Shortly after there was remix for the Berlin duo Manhooker, also released on vinyl by the Japanese label Mule Musiq, and further releases which I’m delighted about.
2) You have released quite a diverse range of records in the past few months, do you have a defined sound or is this still something you’re working on?
MIA TWIN: In fact, I’m still working on defining my sound. My musical adventure started with drum&bass music, then came my love to techno and house music. I can say that I‘m currently balancing between techno and house music.
3) What is your process for making music? Can you let us know a little about where you get inspiration from and what your aim is when you get into the studio?
MIA TWIN: I take inspiration from everything that surrounds me, from traveling, collaborating with other musicians – eg KASP (Kacper Bogacz) – we are soulmates, also from things completely outside of the music space. When I’m in the studio I usually start with some characteristic element that is the heart of the whole track. I develop it and build the track arrangement. I try to make a tune that is kind of special and will be memorable. I often go back to the old ideas for tracks and I experiment a lot in the studio, eg. using my instruments: guitar, maschine, piano and my voice 🙂
4) How is the underground scene in Poland at the moment, who are the artists making an impact?
MIA TWIN:Unfortunately, some of the legendary clubs have been closed and now Institute and Smolna Club is leading the way – there are really good gigs there every weekend. Many artists are making impact of the Polish underground scene, eg artists from Otake Records, which (under the leadership of Piotr Bejnar) is a record label – Piotr created a group of friends and recognized producers, who are mutually supportive. Me and KASP will release our new EP on this label next month
5) If one of our readers was making a trip to Warsaw for the weekend, what would you advise to really understand the city (seeing some music and culture)?
MIA TWIN: I would advise The Old Town, which tells you everything about the history of Warsaw, Center for Contemporary Art, the Copernicus Science Centre, The National Museum. During night you should visit Smolna Club – this is a new place which (because of gigs) can be matched with the best berlin clubs. During summer, you can visit the boulevards on the Vistula River (there are many open-air clubs) and the Night Market – because of the atmosphere and food.
6) Thank you so much for putting together a mix for our Select Cuts series. Can you give us a little insight into the mix and some of the records you have chosen?
MIA TWIN: I used in the mix tracks that have recently appeared in my sets, tracks that I love. I also included my three unreleased tracks (Cementary Of The Forsaken, Anthem and Come Back). The dominating music genre in the mix is techno, it‘s more hypnotizing in the beginning, then it goes darker.
7) Finally, what can we expect next from Mia Twin, what are the big milestones coming up?
MIA TWIN: I’m looking forward to the premiere of my new EP – in October, which I produced together with KASP. I have tracks ready for another EP in the techno genre and I am currently looking for a record label to release my tunes. I am working on new tracks every day – I hope I can share the results very soon. I have another surprise that I can not even tell you about it yet.
Stay tuned! 😉
Follow Mia Twin: Facebook // Soundcloud