Your House-Music Extravaganza. Your Disco Queer. When Laura steps up to the decks, she dares you not to dance!
Brazilian based in Berlin, Laura has been playing her trademark brand of house-classics, raw and energetic sets she has become synonymous with. In her carefully curated vinyl-collection and in her ability to fuse rock and disco to a bassline-driven house and techno, her sound is unmistakable, her dance-floor is always sensual, fierce and fun!
Can you tell us a little bit about the idea behind your mix?
Well, I’m from that old school, a clubber in the 90’s, so I am really thrilled about the 90’s renaissance. We can (once again) shamelessly listen to the dance-music from back then haha. I want to give clubbers of today a glimpse of it.
Tell us a little bit about your history and background as a Dj?
I have always been drawn to music from an early age. First playing my parents’ records. Then, as I grew up and developed my own taste, my father fixed four speakers, one in each corner of my room. He gave me a turntable, vinyl-records and cassettes. CDs were not yet a thing, only 1 or 2 rich kids in town would have them at that time. And my mother enrolled me in the music conservatory to learn piano. Sadly, I cannot play it anymore, but I always want to go back to it. However, as a teenager I was DJing quite a lot at my friends’ parties and some small events in town. I had an older friend working at the only radio station in town so I’d often go to hangout there and help him with the music selection that was still played mostly with vinyl, but also cassette. It was nice to share with the whole town the music I chose to listen. Professionally, my career took off only after I moved to Berlin in 2007. In 2013, I was admitted to a music school here in Berlin at the Deutsche Pop Akademie, and let me tell you that learning physics and music software in German was “kein Ponyhof ”. I did enjoy the studio classes a lot, though.
Where are you based now, do you feel it has had a big impact on your sound?
I’m based in Berlin, Germany, which is a daunting metropolis, with its unique and rich urban atmosphere. Many get overpowered by it and it may even seem a bit hostile. I was captured by the city in an unexpected, warmer way. I want to fire that attitude up. Is it not cold enough here already? In fact, Berlin strengthens my commitment to my House Extravaganza, although techno is the biggest scene. All in all, I feel it brought a raw and fierce edge to my sound, a bit dirtier, bit noisier. A sense of an attitude that is impossible to ignore. Quite like Berlin.
If you had a message you try to share with your music and your life, what is it?
Music is my sanctuary. Since my childhood, music has been my saviour, keeping me together and feeling safe, at ease. I feel that I learn and evolve through my music, it allows me to connect to myself and others, and socialise. I want others to experience that connection too, that upbeat moment that catches you and you surrender to the music, yet you feel very present and connected.
