Musicians in Conversation

In this episode Natalia talks with Ka(ra)mi, the multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ. We talk about how Ka(ra)mi learned to compose and arrange music from a young age, her unique experience spending a year in Cuba studying music and dealing with feelings of not being good enough when starting her DJ career. She is also a coach for the Helvetiarockt Music Lab beatmaking workshops.

Author, composer, producer, DJ, musician in the theater or on stage for other artists (Dawn Richards, Dena, Teme Tan, Mélissa Laveaux among others), Ka(ra)mi is a 31 year old Swiss artist from Geneva of Haitian and Hungarian origin. Her musical influences range from hip hop, R&B, house, afrobeats and Caribbean music. Ka(ra)mi continues her musical exploration with complete freedom. After gaining first experience within the group Kami Awori, followed by a 3 year DJ career and various collaborations, Ka(ra)mi has finally decided to let her inner voices express itself by giving free rein to her Caribbean, electronic and soul influences.

Husi – Ka(ra)mi (unreleased)

Kaytranada – DJ Producer who influenced the song Astronaut

Moog – a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog.

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In this episode Natalia talks with Billie Bird. She is a guitarist, singer songwriter, composer, performer and coach at the Helvetiarockt Songwriting Camp.  We discuss the benefits of trying out lots of instruments, why music is such a vital form of expression for her and why impatience is the worst for artists.

After studying singing, guitar and music theory at the ETM in Geneva, Elodie Romain studied pedagogy at the HEP in Lausanne. Since 2012, she is active as an author, composer and performer in her project Billie Bird. She is also involved in various projects and theater companies, performing with Denis Maillefer, La Cie Emilie Charriot & la 2bCompany.

She has performed over a hundred times, at different venues and festivals in Switzerland and beyond (Montreux Jazz Academy, Antigel Festival, Les Créatives, MarocFolies, Centre culturel suisse de Paris, Bad Bonn). She played as support before Benjamin Clementine, Piers Faccini, Camélia Jordana, Anaïs and Scott Matthew. In 2018, she released 2 EPs „La Nuit“ and „Les Déferlantes“ on her own label called Les Exploratrices, founded that same year. Les Inrockuptibles wrote: „It’s the kind of song that we didn’t see coming, and that we might soon not live without.“ She won the „National language award“ at the Swiss Live talents competition in 2018. She lives in Lausanne and is currently working on her first album. She is coach & promotion officer for the Music Directory for Helvetiarockt.

Look out for live concerts from Billie Bird in April 2021 and a new album set to be released in the Autumn of 2021.

Roch Voisine – Canadian Singer Songwriter

Michael Hedges – Acoustic Guitar Tapping

Book – ‘Copy Like An Artist’ by Austin Kleon

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In this episode Natalia talks with Martina Berther, the incredibly talented and versatile bassist and multi-instrumentalist.  We discuss what it takes to be a good bass player, Martina shares tips on becoming a session musician and we also ask how we can encourage more women, intersex, non binary and trans musicians to study jazz.

Born and raised in Chur and now living in Zurich, Martina Berther is one of the most versatile electric bassists in the Swiss music scene. Her sound spectrum ranges from pop music to experimental to free improvisation. With her bands Ester Poly and AUL, solo aka Frida Stroom as well as with Sophie Hunger, she travels internationally. She writes music for films, is interested in interdisciplinary collaborations and works as a multi-instrumentalist and session musician. In 2018 she received the „Werkjahr“ grant from the city of Zurich and then in 2020 she was awarded the Swiss Music Prize. Martina Berther graduated with the Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy and Performance Jazz at the HSLU in Lucerne in 2012.

Release of Martina’s debut solo album as Frida Stroom and Ester Poly’s second album was released in 2021. Martina is also working on a new AUL album.

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In this episode Natalia talks with Evelinn Trouble, winner of the Swiss Music Prize 2018, guitarist, singer songwriter, all round creative and Helvetiarockt Bandworkshop Coach. We discuss the importance of communication and honesty in band relationships, managing yourself vs having a manager, and saying what you want as a musician.

Born in Zurich as the daughter of a Swedish jazz singer, her own home country quickly became too small. At the age of 17, Trouble recorded her first album on her own and quickly worked her way to the top of the Swiss music scene. But Trouble wants more. She directs her own music videos and those of other bands. (Her preferred style: splatter!) She plays the bloodthirsty Salomé in the opera of the same name, writes music for film and theater and tours the world with a play by Thom Luz in the role of a knight who is struck by lightning. Trouble is a shapeshifter, a creative multi-talent with an innate urge to experiment across borders, empires and genres. Her art knows no pigeonholes. As a result of all this work, she won the 2018 Swiss Music Prize as the youngest winner in the prize’s history.

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In this episode Natalia talks with Anna Aaron, who is a coach at the Music Lab Song Sketches Workshop.  She is an award winning singer and producer and has her own label, called Bambient Records.  We discuss feeling like an outsider after returning to Switzerland as a child, using digital platforms when releasing your music, and making meaningful connections in the music industry.

Cécile Meyer was born in Basel in 1985 and works under the name Anna Aaron as a singer and producer. Two albums („Dogs In Spirit“, 2011, and „Neuro“, 2014) were released on Two Gentlemen in Lausanne, as well as a reissue of the previously self-released EP „I’ll Dry Your Tears Little Murderer“ (2008). In 2013, she collaborated with jazz musician Erik Truffaz on three tracks on the album „El Tiempo De La Revolución“, the release of which was followed by an extensive tour through Europe. The concert tour for Anna’s second studio album „Neuro“ came to a close with two shows at the 2015 Montréal en Lumière Festival in Montréal.

Anna was awarded the Basel Pop Prize in 2011 and nominated for the Anchor Award at Hamburg’s Reeperbahn Festival in 2018. In 2019, the third album „Pallas Dreams“ was released on the Basel label Radicalis, as well as the experimental electronic album „On The Wings Of Supernatural Grace In The Arms Of The World“ on the ambient label Bambient.

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In this episode Natalia talks with Franziska 'Ziska' Staubli (musician, artist) about learning to play guitar, how to improvise and the importance of speaking to girls, non-binary and queer people in their songbook.

Franziska Staubli is a musician and artist. They have been on stage and making music for over 15 years - formerly with Acid Amazonians, Long Tall Jefferson, Haubi Songs, Steiner & Madlaina, None Of Them and now with their solo project, Dalai Puma, One Sentence. Supervisor and Nemo. Their work is characterized by great stylistic and formal versatility. In their master's thesis in transdisciplinarity (ZHdK) they dealt with gender and the writing of song lyrics. A selection of their texts were published in June 2018 by Amsel Verlag Zurich. As a songwriter and composer they work with various artists: With Andrina Bollinger and Erik Truffaz they wrote "She's the Moon". "Kafi Togo" by Haubi Songs won the award for best song 2019 from Radio 3fach and "Scho No Geil" by rapper KimBo was voted best club track 2019 by GDS.FM. They coached young finta musicians at the Helvetiarockt Songwriting Camp and Bandworkshops.

Material Bookshop

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In this episode Natalia talks with Bone Black (DJ, Producer) about Gqom music, Bone Black’s residency in Johannesburg, South Africa and the importance of sharing your network and uplifting others. They also give practical advice on how to start an association in Switzerland!

Bone Black, DJ and producer, blends dark hard-hitting yet smooth Gqom with Afrohouse stuttering vogue beats and percussive diasporic tracks creating a unique soundscape that offer a deep gaze into a digital afrofuture.

Sho Madjozi

Moonchild Sanelly

Distruction Boyz

Mampintsha

DJ Lag

Citizen Boy

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia talks with Laura Livers (Pianist, Composer) about what it takes to study music to a high level and getting over the embarrassment of showing your work. Laura also shares practical advice when it comes to ownership of songs when collaborating with other artists.

Laura Livers (*1988) is a Swiss pianist and composer. After graduating from Lucerne University of applied sciences majoring in classical piano and jazz theory, she continued her studies at the university of applied sciences Bern specializing in the interpretation and composition of contemporary music. As artist in residency at Hamburger Bahnhof Museum für zeitgenössische Kunst Berlin and Muthesius Kunstakademie Kiel she furthered her studies with focus on extended technique and works for speaking voice. In 2016 she founded the experimental Pop-Group Duo Frida with the Swiss-Bosnian cellist Lana Kostic which after extensive touring was awarded the Förderpreis Kanton Zug. Since 2017 Livers is also part of a transatlantic research project called MAD RUSH where artists from different fields work on the physical translation of music and sounds into visual aspects using Kinect/Touch-Designer bridges and projections. During her stay in the Zentralschweizer Atelier in New York City in late 2018 she started to develop her Soloproject in her own name, where she combines her classical training and love of languages with electronics and spoken word. Livers latest work includes a digital opera-cycle called mindfuck.coronopera for 33 quarantined performers.

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia talks with Juli Lee (DJ, Producer) about going from being a dancer to a DJ, taking every opportunity to play music and how to make the most out of your time in a music studio. Juli Lee is also the producer of the theme music for this podcast!

As a DJ, Juli Lee combines groovy rhythms and driving bass-lines. Her sound is a danceable catchy mix of House & Techno or as she would describe it: I play music between 116 and 126 BPM. She see’s it as the duty of a DJ to spread good music that easily gets lost and undiscovered in the flood of information in our social media society. Juli Lee also produces her own tracks, with releases on labels such as Myr, Well Done! or 136º Recordings. As a musician she has performed around the world. She is a resident DJ at Klaus Club, Zurich and is published by BlackBox.

Equaliser / EQ:  Controls the different sound frequencies when DJing.

“The moment when you share music with others and you realize, that everyone in room feels the same, triggered by the sound coming from the speakers, is one of the purest forms of love I know.”

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!

In this episode Natalia talks with Leila Moon (DJ, Producer, Songwriter) about her school life, self esteem and how to be your own best friend.  They also talk about the creative process behind her song “Dansoz” which came out of the theater piece of the same name, by actress and dancer, Tümay Kilincel. Leila was responsible for the music production and musical direction.

DJ Leila Moon is a Songwriter, Producer and DJ specialising in funk, disco, raï, gnawa, afrobeat, r’n’b, mahraganat, electronic and house! Her eclectic music style is a culmination of her collective influences and intercultural experiences. Born to an Algerian mother and Morrocan father, she grew up watching anime and bollywood, listening to raï music, arab pop, french chansons, american folk and jazz. By songwriting and producing, music connected her with her roots and the desire to share it with others molded her identity. Today she enjoys sharing tracks with sounds from all around the world, focusing on different genres in arabic music. Throughout the set her identity is reflected in the form of energetic musical storytelling. In addition to DJing, her creative calling is in producing her own music and collaborating with other artists.

Raï Music:  A form of Algerian folk music that dates back to the 1920s.

Darbuka: A percussion instrument traditionally played in middle-eastern music.  It is also known as Doumbek, Tablah or Derbeke

Leila Moon as part of a Transmitting Voices collaboration, released a single at the beginning 2021.

If you have a question for the musicians in conversation, simply send a DM to Helvetiarockt on instagram!