Next up we welcomed the super talented Belkina to the Berlin Mixtapes Series.
Belkina is a young artist from Odessa, whose career brings her regularly to Berlin after having already played extensively in New York & London.
Since 2015 she is one of the resident DJs of Ibiza Beach Club, one of the top clubs in Ukraine. In recent years she has also been the music & artist manager for Synergy Group, booking artists such as Phonique, Stee Downes, A Man Without A Clue, Kraak & Smaak, Robosonic and DeMarzo, just to name a few.
Belkina is also a regular DJ at Odessa's Fancy Room, Caléton and 12Monkeys.
Watch out for her upcoming releases as she spends most of her free time in the studio working on her music.
Hi Belkina, how are you and what have you been up to this week?
Hi there, I’m good, thanks, it’s been Halloween week, so I have been pretty busy with work, time in the studio and spending time with my family. I have 4 gigs this week - enjoying it!
How long have you been DJing?
I started in 2010, so 13 years already. Crazy how time flies!
When did you start to produce and what made you want to make your own music?
Oh, I’ve always been into music. I have been playing piano since I was 6 years old and studied at musical school back then. I remember how I was always improvising and making up new melodies instead of doing my homework :)
My first release came out in 2017, then I had a break because the war started in my country in 2022. I just simply had no inspiration. And now back to the studio again this year.
You recently had a release on Phonique's Berlin label Zatar. Tell us more about that.
Yes, my track Cascade has been out for 2 weeks now. I was so happy to sign it with Zatar. Phonique has always supported me on my way and is a good friend.
Inspired by nature, the track tells us about how time flies, how everything changes and how sometimes we loose people we love from our life forever. These were the thoughts that I was trying to portray to my listeners with the music.
What else can you tell us about future releases, anything exciting in the pipeline?
Yes, 2 more tracks are coming out very soon on good labels as well, so stay tuned.
Where was your first gig and how did it go?
My first gig was at a friend's party, he had an idea of bringing girls from interesting professions to come and play and share their playlists. I was into modelling back then, so he invited me. It was super scary as he showed me only 2 buttons on the decks before the gig and just left me to play like that haha. The music did not stop, so I guess it went well.
Where are you currently based and what made you move? I am currently based in London but I come to Berlin very often for gigs and to see friends. A lot of them moved from Ukraine due to ongoing war and so did I.
Where are some of your favourite places to hang out?
I love long walks in nature, so you can often find me in parks or outside of the city by the sea. I have a few favourite spots here in London - Battersea Park, Hampstead Heath and Kew Gardens.
You are from Odessa in the Ukraine. How have you been affected by the troubles in the region?
Yes, I am and I’m terribly sad about what’s still happening at home. Part of my family are there (my Mum and Granny in particular), so of course it’s very stressful for me to be checking the news every day and hoping that everything is fine.
I do not wish anyone to go through it but I feel the situation in the world is getting extremely disturbing lately, and we should definitely stop it soon. We deserve peace and war is never a solution.
Are people carrying on as normal in your home city, is there still a chance for music and dancing?
There are some parties still happening but it’s not the same as before. A lot of them are away to collect donations to help our boys in the army and also to give people an opportunity to feel happy for a moment and come back to normal life at least for few hours.
They all finish before a certain time as we have to stay out of the streets after 23:00 due to war.
You mention in your bio that you were a regular DJ at Odessa's Fancy Room, Caléton and 12 Monkeys. Tell us more about those venues.
I used to play there a lot when I was living in Odessa and I was a resident DJ at the Ibiza Beach Club (the main club in the country) for 7 years. It was a great time, I was warming up the dance floor for artists like Black Coffee, David Guetta, CamelPhat, Artbat, Miss Monique etc. I miss it a lot as my life in London is very different.
Which DJs or producers are you liking right now?
I love what Oliver Koletzki does, Yame from Ukraine are a new trend. As a DJ I like the energy of Deer Jade, which is very similar to mine and Phonique is someone I always look up to.
What are your go-to labels?
Crosstown Rebels, Keinemusik, A Tribe Called Kotori, Zatar Music.
You have compiled our latest Berlin Mixtapes Series Episode 055 - Tell us more about your mix.
It’s a fun and light mixtape. I imagine someone to put it in the car, during work or running. I hope you experience it yourself and enjoy it. There is one secret unreleased tune too, maybe, you can try to guess which one? :)
Thanks for spending some time with us, is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?
Thank you so much for your time and support. Always remember - make love, not war, and always try to help people suffering as much as you can.
Exciting stuff! It's been an absolute pleasure talking with you. Next up here's the Quickfire Round: Genre: Afro/Organic House
Favourite colour: Green
What do you put on your chips? Nothing
Apple or Android?: Apple all my life
First album ever bought: Dennis Ferrer - Hey Hey
Can you juggle?: Only with two items haha
Weirdest/Coolest Item of clothing: Vivienne Westwood corset
Do you collect anything?: Vinyl Favourite place to hang out: Bed :) Favourite club: Ritter Butzke & Fabric
Favourite bar/pub: Georgia Bar Favourite beer: Noam
Favourite place to eat: Home
Weirdest thing you've eaten: Roasted cockroaches in Korea
How do you like your eggs: Poached and runny
Coffee or tea: Tea, stopped drinking coffee 5 years ago but do like to have a decaf sometimes
Favourite track right now: Cascade
Favourite word: Masterpiece
A phrase to describe your mix: Fun, light and worth listening to!
Tracklist
01 Belkina - Cascade (Master)
02 Anorre - No Sabia (Extended Mix) [HoTL Records]
03 Massianello, Aaron Sevilla, Genezzis...& Julieta (Original Mix) [AFRODISE]
04 Tebra - Shtimung (Original Mix) [Bayati Records]
05 Joy_Marquez - Eastern_Harmonies (Original_Mix) 76_Recordings
06 Cammora, Gregorio - El Mar [Switchlab]
07 Marasi - Rapture (Extended Mix)
08 Lunar Disco - Devil's Hands [Crosstown Rebels]
09 Methyl Ethel - Matters (Whitesquare Remix) [Future Classic]
10 Dope Dance_(Extended Mix)
11 Belkina - Pajama Party
12 Ajna (BE), Samm (BE) - Rinketin (Extended Mix) [Magnifik Music]