Bloody Mary

Rising from the ashes of the acid techno era, Berlin-based Bloody Mary retains her fascination for all things 303. Danny Turner questions the DJ/producer on her old-school approach

- Danny Turner

Having a ceaseless appetite for the acid rave scene she grew up in, French-born DJ/ producer Bloody Mary has blended past and future effortlessly. She arrived in Berlin in 2004 for the opening of Berghain’s Panorama Bar, fell in love with the city and decided to stay put. Before long, the budding DJ had turned her hand to production and created the Dame-Music label.

Building her studio has been a painstaking process, not just in terms of acquiring gear but learning it to a level where she can be naturally expressive. As a result, Bloody Mary’s productions have a timeless quality, epitomized by her latest EP Conformity Kills in collaboration with techno producer Cardopusher. A punishing EBM throwback, both tracks demonstrate an almost telekinetic sharing of ideals.

What attracted you to the dark side of electronic music?

“For me, the dark side of electronic music is the complete opposite of what I’ve been doing for the last few years. At the beginning when I was learning to make electronic music, I was attracted to that but found I was losing myself a little bit. After a few years of building my studio and buying all the gear, I think my sound has become funkier. I started to make a lot more acid music and jam in the studio, which is more fun for me. I’m really an artistic person and think you can feel that in the way I DJ and make music because I like movement in my tracks and having that dynamic in the mix.”

I read your mother was quite influential when she worked at a national radio station back in the ’80s…