Aloha music friends! I'm so excited to introduce this week's tastemaker; the colourful DJ & drummer Annie O! If you get the chance to see her live in full action, you should definitely do it.
You seem to do so many cool and fun things with your life. Tell us in a few sentences who you are and what you’re doing.
Hello! Well, I’m just a young curly woman of little virtue that somehow got into DJing. On the weekends I usually get lost in Berlin’s or London’s nightlife, and during the week I’m leading a fairly healthy and balanced life.
You’re both a DJ and a drummer, and all round musician really, how did you get into all this and what made you fall in love with it in the first place?
I played the piano from the age of 5 (Mozart, Bach and the like) which probably laid the tracks – then I got distracted with boring things like studying business and thinking I want to follow a professional career in banking – which I quickly gave up on :) Then once I had moved to London and started regularly going to small gigs I caught myself always watching the drummer – so I was like: alright! I’m gonna learn drums! Which I did, and 5 months later I found myself playing my first gig; then I played in a band for 5 years and now I’m DJing.
You’re currently switching between London and Berlin, is there any difference you have noticed between playing music in these places? Which one do you prefer? (hint hint, Berlin, hint!)
The music I play is the same (electro and electro swing), but the parties and people are very different! The nights I play at in London are very flamboyant and creative, people dress up like crazy and the events offer a lot more interactive entertainment than just music. In Berlin it’s more about the music, people here are very particular about it, and it’s a little more about being seen and being part of a certain scene. In turn, Berliners have more stamina when it comes to partying :)
I love it both and wouldn’t want to miss either! London makes me feel crazy and colourful, Berlin makes me feel cool and uninhibited.
You’re also one half of the electro duo Rotkäppchen. Tell us about this project and how it all came about.
Ha – that’s a long story. One night in 2006 I met a lovely guy named Ian in a pub in London – I had just started playing drums and he played in a band, so I joined his band. We became a couple, the other band members quit (not because of that!), so we reorganized ourselves and started doing an electronic White Stripes-esque two-piece with me on drums and him on laptop, keyboard, and vocals. We played the East London electro scene for about 5 years, but at the moment we’re taking a break.
If you could give the younger you one single advice, that you’ve learned by building your career, playing music and going after your passion?
Don’t worry too much about what others think. Be yourself, be original, have faith and have fun.
And then on to our standard ’Tastemaker of The Week’ questions:
First live music show of your life?
Oh dear. I think it was Take That in my hometown Dortmund in the late nineties. (If you can call that ‘live’ anyway.)
What about the last one?
That was an amazing surprise: a couple of weeks back I went to the China Drifting Festival in Berlin and saw a Chinese live electro band called Pet Conspiracy. They were amazing!!
Best music event attended?
I think this has to be Burning Man Festival in the US.
Track of the week? If it’s a live track, we’ll love it even more.
Hm, with regards to electronic music I’ve recently been listening to Opiuo’s new album ‘Meraki’ – bloody awesome! Regarding a live track: I’ve recently discovered the band ‘Best Youth’ and have been listening to their song ‘Hang Out’ – it’s not new though!
What band would you recommend Berliners to go and see live if they get the chance?
The Electronic Swing Orchestra!
Thank you so much for your time Annie O!