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Bodies

An exclusive conversation and photoshoot with Dj Rebekah.

In conversation with Rebekah, a prominent figure in the global techno scene, known for her intense sound and dedication to her craft on the occasion of her latest release “Bodies” on Elements. Her sets go beyond music, incorporating lights and visuals to create a cohesive experience. Additionally, her #ForTheMusic initiative addresses important issues, aiming to foster a safer and more supportive environment for female artists.

How did the idea for your label, Elements, founded in 2014, come about? Is the name connected to the four elements: air, water, earth, and fire? What is the most important element you try to convey to your audience through your music?

It started as a concept of 4 Eps to use as a creative tool of what each element represented. This moved in to creating events and a full-blown label. Elements representing the whole experience of a night; music, visuals, lights, people, not one part is bigger than the other, it’s a sum of all.

Listening to your first studio album “Fear Paralysis” (2017) again, I had forgotten how powerful and evocative it is. You open up to us listeners by narrating a dark period of your life. The arrangement of the tracks is in itself a cyclical story, with an ending marked by “Anxiety” which is also a beginning. A fierce sound fluctuating from techno to electronic with interrupted rhythms and organic melodies. Was it cathartic? How do you balance personal life and your music career?

The album came in a period where I was unsure where I was headed, prior to this I was signed to CLR and had the security of being included in a DJ collective and label, this was my main dream at the time. So, when it abruptly ended it was like someone took off the stabilisers. All the fear of being “the only girl” in the collective and being a token/gimmick, as well as fear imposter thoughts was still strong within me. I lacked a lot of confidence and was sensitive to people’s opinions, but I just threw my soul in to the studio and channelled it all through that album, exploring ambient influences and enjoying unconventional time signature.

“I just threw my soul in to the studio and channelled it all through that album”

You mentioned that Berlin gave you the freedom to be more creative. How can moving to another city influence your musical style? Have you managed to maintain the balance between musical innovation and keeping your distinctive style?

The inspiration and energy from new cities can definitely have an impact on you creatively. Berlin is unique in the fact many artists are based here; painters, writers, photographers etc which means the lifestyle and energy of the city is different to say the energy blocked cities where it’s primarily 9-5 working conditions. When I first moved here I struggled to sleep early as it was such a unique city where it sleeps in late, even the shops opening times can be from 12-8. Musically there is freedom in bigger cities where you have access to listen to so many different genres but also having freedom around fashion and a more punk vibe can be inspirational too. I find the decay of the buildings and industrial brutalism also helps when making harder techno, it seems the city is breathing dark techno.

Is there something you miss about Birmingham that you haven’t found in Berlin?

I miss my friends, family, Asda and Marks and Spencer’s Food! There are friends I have made in Berlin and are close to and I know everyone back home is a text and a call away but having people in your life that are not connected to you musically and need nothing from you is a true blessing and a true friend. As for Asda and M&S, the convenience of one store that has everything is lost in Berlin, and the quality of Marks food cannot be found either. I literally cry when I go home and go food shopping.

Once you finished school, your hands not only touched a console but were also employed in something equally creative. You trained as a chef for about a year. Considering now the long hours and frequent travels, do you still manage to cultivate this little pleasure? What’s your signature dish in the kitchen?

Training to be a chef was a really wonderful experience, the creativity and thrill of being in the kitchen for service is actually similar to DJ’ing, as you truly access the flow state. Nowadays those moments of joy have been replaced by eating out and convenience recipes for my stressed lifestyle. I do still enjoy making Indian food like a warming dahl and chapatis but are few and far between now when I have the time.

“I find the decay of the buildings and industrial brutalism also helps when making harder techno, it seems the city is breathing dark techno.”

In 2019, you released the EP “Murder in Birmingham” on Soma Records. Is it connected to an actual crime event? How would you describe your creative process when working on a new EP like this?

This track was multi-faceted in the fact it came from creativity from working with the Novation Peak hybrid synthesiser and the happy accidents when jamming with it and sourcing the vocal sample from a news piece on the riots in Birmingham, Alabama from the 60’s, whilst also giving a nod to Birmingham Techno and the city I am from. This is still my process whilst making music; vocal samples from films and tv shows or my own recorded vocals and maybe one machine from my studio and then in the box for sequencing and everything else.

A common stereotype often associated with DJs is their lack of sobriety, especially given the hectic lifestyle they lead. It’s been fourteen years now that you primarily perform sober; before that, it was a downward spiral. Can you describe your perceptions, and if there are any similarities or differences, regarding your sets before and after your maturation?

Getting sober effected all areas of my life but with DJ’ing it was learning to do this sober, dig deep for confidence and fall back in love with music being the primary source of energy and inspiration. The mental game with DJ’ing whilst taking drugs was more tied up in ego; having to be perfect and better technically, whereas after it’s more about having fun and sharing energy through music, a deeper acceptance of my flaws and when mistakes happen, as they often do and how equipped am I to correct them. The film Black Swan with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis is a really good example of this and which many creatives/artists struggle with. Freedom is the end goal in all pursuits, but you have to be ok with your failures.

You have been open about your experiences of abuse and sexism in the music industry. You’ve talked about the need to change your appearance to be taken seriously in the sector. Your #ForTheMusic campaign has had a significant global impact. Do you think the industry has improved in better supporting female artists? What advice would you give to young DJs facing similar pressures today?

Realistically we have come on leaps and bounds only in the awareness area, there is still so much work to do as there are still so many survivors out there in silence. The space that has been created for female artists is incredible but with this we do need to create the space for abuse to be reported, across all sectors, we are very aware that the corporate side is where the most silence is happening right now with HR being the least likely place for incidents to be reported to. The campaign was really born from hearing stories from up-and-coming DJs and very young people who were and are still encountering abuse and knowing not much had changed over the years. My advice would be to still stay vigilant as unfortunately we are fully immersed in an industry where the men (and some women) are still abusing their power, to have good strong mentors, with many women now across the industry it’s easy to find and who will be able to guide you. If you have been abused, seek help, report officially when safe to do so and if you can use your voice to help others please do so, 30 years of near silence and putting up with things because that’s how it always been, must change and we can only do this if we stand together. A few areas we are now looking in to is how we can educate more people on becoming upstanders so as a community we all take responsibility for one another and a separate area is to be able to have funds where we can allocate money for survivors to be able to prosecute their abusers, most times when it comes to legal matters it’s who has the most money wins and that why things stay in silence or not believed.

Is there something about your musical future that you want to reveal exclusively to us?

Musically I have lots coming up, my collab track Bodies with Cancel is out in a few weeks and will be followed up with my first solo EP of 2024; Desire and then following that Go Hard Or Go Hardcore Vol.2 Various Artist ep will be coming in September. More to come and share and feeling excited for the future J

Bodies

Credits:

Artist: Rebekah / @djrebekah
Interview: Gianmaria Garofalo / @gianmaria.garofalo
Editor: Anca Macavei / @ancamacavei
Photos: Gianluca Vitelli / @gianluca_vitelli

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