Sinchi & Friends 36 – upsammy . We were only recently introduced to her music but were instantly won over. Get to know Thessa a little better through this 1hr meander through her musical collection and interview below.
When asked to tell us about the mix, her answer was…
‘Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen’ a quote from one of her favourite philosophers, which for the non German speakers (us included) can be roughly translated to;
‘What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence’
Introducing
1) Who are you?
I’m Thessa, I DJ and produce under the name upsammy. I am currently living in Utrecht, where I study video & media art. I also co-organize parties called Verdwaald in and around Amsterdam.
2) What have been your highlights from the last 12 months?
Throwing two awesome parties in a tunnel, receiving support from strangers with regard to my music, making my track To The Ocean Floor.
https://soundcloud.com/upsammy/to-the-ocean-floor
Also, working on an interactive dance performance called The future devouring the past during my internship at LUSTlab. In general I just really enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone, which gives me a lot of freedom.
3) What do you have lined up for the coming year?
I have a lot of music on the shelve that I still want to put out there. We are also planning another exciting Verdwaald party somewhere on an abandoned road. Furthermore, just diving into exciting stuff that I come across.
Music
4) Which track in the mix is your favourite right now?
Magick Machine (strawb edit) – Rolando Simmons
5) What is your favourite track of the last 12 months?
Untitled 17 by Low Tape, emotional and rough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5FOExEiOSg
6) What is the last record you bought?
Giegling’s Mind Over Matter compilation
7) Who or what are your biggest musical influences?
This is a hard one as I actually listen to a lot of different genres and unconsciously incorporate that into my sets and tracks. But if I have to pinpoint it, it would be the cd’s at my parents house or the music my dad played in his car. For example Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, the Who etc. But also a lot of classical music and that’s where I found Steve Reich’s Tehillim/Three Movements and Music For 18 Musicians to be the most intriguing and inspiring of all. This is the music I danced to as a 4 year old and where I found out about the strength of repetition and the kind of mysterious continueous development within a piece of music. After that I found the same kind of traits in the trance of Tiesto’s Forbidden Paradise that my father used to listen to. This is really when my interest in electronic music started. After that I found a broader sound in the MTV Lounge cd’s, where I discovered a combination of electronic music and samples of real instruments such as Moby’s Another Woman and Papua New Guinea by The Future Sound Of London.
Currently I try to keep the same open mind as I had as a kid, just listening to all the different and inspiring music out there. After all, the emotion and feeling generated by the music is the most influential for me.
8) Do you have a ritual before you start playing or straight after?
I like to listen to a pre-gig playlist if I’m nervous, but usually I just enjoy the party while checking out what the flow of the crowd is.
9) Who is your favourite DJ? Not including yourself 😉
For a long time it was Kim Ann Foxman, but nowadays my musical interest has shifted away from NY house a bit. I still think she is a great DJ. But for now I would say DJ Metatron.
10) Tell us about 3 DJ’s / Producer’s we may not know but should be looking out for?
Paleolithic Game. I don’t know much about this guy/girl, but he/she made a mesmerizing track called Loving You, it made me kind of emotional. Although it is kind of stompy, the synths and vocal samples are very mysterious and elevating.
Bob Verhoeven, he played a very nice set before me on StrandedFM through which I discovered the awesomeness of Kate Bush.
And lastly A.V. He has his own radio show on StrandedFM, called Impossible Island, with lots of different DJ’s. He always has an awesome broad track selection and a lot of insight in new artists and music.
Quickfire
11) Favourite art besides music? So difficult, I’d have to go for a combination of video and spatial art.
12) Favourite writer / scientist / painter / philospher? Johan Daisne / Antoni van Leeuwenhoek / Carel Willink / Wittgenstein
13) Favourite out of genre music? Postpunk
14) Favourite film score? The ‘Me And You And Everyone We Know’ score by Michael Andrews
15) Favourite bit of kit? Smackos 808
16) Secret studio / DJ trick? The right reverb at the right time. Having no fear. Don’t let other people decide what works or doesn’t, just make a bold move if you feel like it. Maybe it fails, maybe it works, but in the end you have at least explored your abilities.
17) Guilty Pleasure(s)? Instant Noodles & Madonna
18) One piece of music you can’t stand? I Got A Hangover by Taio Cruz
19) Favourite way to unwind? Walking trough the city or nature with a nice piece of music on.
20) If to live in a lost civilization or culture, which one would it be? I would be Nefertiti in Ancient Egypt.
21) Blissful ignorance or harsh reality? Blissful ignorance
22) What makes you smile? Anything that’s incredibly random.
23) Ultimate aspiration in life? Connecting and creating an understanding with people through art in it’s many forms.