Change is the only constant when it comes to Ibiza’s club scene. No one venue has a monopoly on hipness. Dc10, Space, Pacha, Underground, the Music Box at Privilege and others have been all the rage at various times over the past five years .
Right now though it’s Cocoon, on Monday nights at Amnesia. Its appeal goes beyond mere busy-ness. All necessary conditions have been met for an extremely intense weekly party.
However popular recording artist Miss Kittin (right), playing there this Monday, doesn’t really give much of a shit how zeitgeisty it might be.
“I don’t know what's "hippest", but I know Cocoon is the night where I mostly feel "home" as a DJ because it’s the right mixture of people totally dedicated to the music and that’s the absolute key,” she wrote to Ibiza Spotlight, in response to an emailed set of interview questions.
The 32-year-old is an intrinsic part of this year’s program, as can be seen all over Ibiza in the form of Cocoon billboards adorned with her face. She has become one of 2005's most high profile White Isle djs after traversing the rave industry in a fascinating non-linear manner, as described in the self-penned rave history section on her site, www.misskittin.com.
Here she refutes suggestions she was a pole dancer, as reported elsewhere on the 'Net.
“I first got in touch with electronic music in a new-wave club in Grenoble, where I met The Hacker. For New Years Eve 90, came a DJ team from Valencia, playing *Bacalao*, this Spanish commercial techno-dance. The club became quickly a dance club, where the DJ played U96, 2 Unlimited, Usura or Transformer 2. I needed money and offered a go-go dancer attraction to the boss, never topless, just entertainers like in Ibiza.”
We asked her what she thought of the notoriously vapid aerobic entertainment at Amnesia.
“Ha... most of them have a strange way to move... If I say bad things, I am gonna be again the bad arrogant bitch behind the decks. So I shut up on this one! Last year I saw one or two dancers very good though!”
You looked like you were having good time at Cocoon on Monday, June 27. How is it up there in the Amnesia booth?
I won’t change my place with anyone else. It looks like I am doing it all easy and having fun, but I tell you, I need a minimum of peace to perform the way I do, and with all these wild animals around, it’s a real challenge! Ha ha ha...
Which tracks did you sing, besides your reworking of 'Beat that Bitch'?
He he, OK, I tell you a secret. The 1st track I always sing on is ‘Flesh and Bones’ from The Hacker featuring Perspects. It gives me the energy to get right into the mix, like a signal! I am also singing on an old record from Sinema (aka Kiko), and the rest, I forgot, because there’s a lot of improvisations. I always try to find new records to sing on, but if I do it too much, it’s boring and not fresh anymore!
When did you first realize you could sing?
I think in the studio with Goldenboy back in ‘98, because it’s the 1st time I could try over and over, record, erase, keep the best. With The Hacker, everything was live, no computer, no sampling, and of course, I couldn’t sing an entire song right, so I kept on talking. Now it got much better, I am not scared to try more complicated things with my voice.
When did you first sing in a club?
You mean, in the mix as a DJ? I can’t recall... Maybe 2 years ago. I don’t know.
What effects do you use on your voice?
I started with the effects inside the Pioneer 500 mixer (then the 600). But I couldn’t get it in every club, because for big sound systems there’s much better ones. So I was trying different things, and I fell in love with this classic guitar pedal, a digital delay from Boss. It’s very cheap, small, and gives me exactly what I need! And it looks good.
Who fires off the ice cannon? Have you ever pressed the button?
No, I am not interested. I have other buttons to press and knobs to turn.
Tell me something about Sven that not many people realize.
That at a certain point, he starts to put things on his head! I asked him why, and he said because as mad as he can get, he always stays creative! Such a cute and smart answer.
What's the name of the first track on your summer mix 2005? The lyrics go:
I ain't got no man, boy you in luck.
I don't want no boyfriend, I just wanna fuck.
I searched for a while with Google but came up with nothing. I tried "I just wanna fuck" + boyfriend and found 729 pages that matched but they didn't seem to refer to any song.
He he he... You are brave! It’s a track from a compilation out from Baltimore called "Queens of Baltimore". Check this out. It’s a kind of music between old Chicago stuff (like Dance Mania) and Electro Bass (like DJ Godfather) but not in such a fast tempo. I love it.
Do you relate to these lyrics on a personal level or do they just sound good?
Ha ha ha. Stupid question. Next?
What is your current relationship status?
I don’t talk about that in interviews. Private life is private. No one has to know.
Do you spend much time on the internet?
Only to check emails and my website, buy records, DVDs or books.
How much time in front of a computer is too much time, do you think?
I don’t care.
I've got you down for these dates in our calendar:
Monday, 18th July
Miss Kittin with Dinky, Ricardo Villalobos (left) & Tobi Neumann
Monday, 15th August
Miss Kittin with Ivan Smagghe, Michael Mayer & Sven Väth
Is that right?
If you saw it.
Are you playing anywhere else?
In Ibiza? No, not this year. I am happy at Cocoon and 3 gigs in the summer is enough. If you play too much, people get bored and you’re not making the event anymore.
Do you shop at supermarkets?
Only small ones. I worked all summer in a big one to pay my turntables, I can’t take it since.
Do you ever think about the 3 months you spent working as a cashier in one?
He he, you read my mind. I wish everyone to have such a hard working experience because it teaches you the value of money, discipline, respect, and determination to follow your dream and not to end up in a place like that.
You've played in London many times recently. How do you think the scene there will react to the recent bombings?
To be honest, I didn’t hear about the bombings till 2 days after it happened. I don’t have TV, and I read newspapers only when I am in an airport. It’s sad, but shit, life goes on, I don’t want to live in fear of anything. I try to enjoy each minute of my life, that’s all I can do. I only wish people who come to my shows do the same, take less drugs and alcohol: when I see all these kids in the UK getting ugly wasted, I don’t think they remember anything of my sets, and a big part of them don’t even know who is playing anyway.
When are you next due to play there?
Soon. I love to play in the UK. I don’t want to be seen there too much either, and it’s not gonna happen because I am simply too busy.
Where do you live right now?
Berlin.
Do you own a house?
Not yet...
Do you vote? If so, in which elections?
I don’t vote, because I am French, and I can only vote in France, but as I don’t live there, I don’t see the point anymore.
If you had the opportunity to make a point to the authorities in Ibiza, what would it be?
To protect the nature and the constructions, and really punish the tourists who don’t respect the island.
Have you got any photos we could use to illustrate this article?
Sure.
- many thanks to Suzana@Escorteaze for setting this up
