Magdalena is a force to be reckoned with. Emerging out of Hamburg’s thriving underground club scene, the native German DJ has burst onto the international stage over the past few years, commanding legions of loyal fans around the world and dropping track after track of classic dark, moody and melodic techno-fuelled anthems.
Her roots are firmly planted in the contemporary evolution of techno and house. As a co-founder of the infamous EGO nightclub in Hamburg alongside Diynamic Music legends Solomun and Adriano Trolio, Magdalena has rare perspective on the very beating heart of electronic music; evolving from her role as the club’s manager, coordinator, booker and artist liaison through to becoming it’s famously in-demand resident DJ.
From the beginning Magdalena’s raw talent has understood the rhythms that move the masses. Her style is renown for feeding fans perfectly interwoven sonic storylines told through beats and melodies and delivering captivating sets across Ibiza (where she has her own radio show on Ibiza Sonica and a prime residency at Cova Santa), Dubai, Berlin, NY, LA, London, Tulum, Bali, Miami, as well as the world’s best clubs, club nights (her own SHADOWS party is one of the most globally sought after parties), music venues and festivals.
Although this year has seen her and all other marquee names spending less time performing and more time in the studio, this year has been particularly prolific for Magdalena. Her latest effort is the stunning Outlines EP, released earlier this year under John Digweed’s Bedrock Records label, joining her excellent previous releases EP releases Elementum (Diynamic) and Wildlife (under Damian Lazarus’ Rebellion imprint). The album shows her trademark chord buildups, rich melodic journeys and dramatic dark drum undertones; edgy and epic it is one hell of a listen.
DDW caught up with the superstar DJ to chat music, parties and recommendations for how to start the new year:
Where are you in the world right now?
I am in Germany where I live. I’m currently spending my Christmas holiday doing my taxes 🙂
What is the first album or song you bought for yourself?
That was a long, long time ago but the first album that I bought was Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson, I still have the album! Before that, I loved listening to The Clash and a bunch of other rock music from bands such as Duran Duran, which my cousins introduced me to, whilst my brother intro’d me to Hip Hop and Soul music.
What is the favourite song you have ever made?
Nautilus from my Elemente EP is my personal favourite. And the favourite of most of my fans is Mountains Of Es Coubelles … probably because of the funny vocals in it. Besides those two tracks, I also really like my remix of Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad by Moby.
If you had to recommend one album to recommend someone, what would it be?
I actually don’t like to recommend music apart from my own sets because I think that people should dig around SoundCloud, Spotify, etc. more to find the music that is suitable for him or her.
Music consumption has become something too fast and less appreciated in the past few years, I think should slow down again and take the time to appreciate it more.
What is the craziest thing you’ve ever seen happen in the crowd during one of your sets?
Wow, there are so many crazy things that have happened! Not sure where to start…
I remember one guy who was on crutches in the crowd and throughout the whole set he put his crutches in the air and was so happy to dance a little bit. I hope that his feet didn’t take any damage from this though!
Another very memorable moment was when I played at Melt Festival in Germany last year and a guy who was on the shoulder of another guy in the crowd gave me a ring. The moment was so magical, because the sun was coming up and thousands of people on the dance floor could see this.
I’m already married, and the guy took it quite well I think – but still a moment I won’t forget.
Where will the first SHADOWS party take place next year?
We thought about doing a SHADOWS party in Tulum again next year after our party there at the beginning of 2020 was such a huge success, but COVID numbers are still very high there, so we decided that it would be irresponsible to do a party.
However, we are as excited to start over again as you are! We are slowly planning a summer in Ibiza but so far nothing is set yet – we’ll have to wait a few more weeks until we can judge the effect of the vaccines better and get more info by the government on when we can do something again.
What are the top ten tracks of 2020?
I’d say the three tracks of my Outlines EP, which came out on Bedrock Records of course 🙂
Apart from that, I really liked the track Home by Solomun and the tracks on the Pictures album by Innellea were really good.
Where will you be spending New Years Eve?
I had a booking for Bali and Dubai, which got cancelled last minute, so it looks like I’ll be celebrating with my mum and parents in law quietly during the lockdown in Germany.
What do you expect for electronic music in 2021
I think the reality is that it will probably take until summer before enough people are vaccinated to ensure a safe setting for parties and festivals. Maybe we’ll be able to start off with a few small events and then grow over time…
What is the best song to end 2020 and start the year with?
I got this very cool break-beat track in my demo inbox thee other day. Unfortunately, it’s not released yet so I can’s show this to you but I might put it in one of my next recorded sets, so when you listen to that one and recognise the break-beat track, you know that it stands for new beginnings…
What do you think of Don’t Die Wondering?
I love the fashion stories on DDW, I can imagine wearing some of those outfits on stage soon 🙂
Whilst we anxiously await that moment to catch another legendary live set from Magdalena – here’s a playlist of some of her favourite tunes to crank up the volume and enjoy:
1. Hot Since 82 – Therapy feat. Alex Mills (Magdalena Remix)
“It was great to see the dance floor at SHADOWS enjoying my track so much later this summer, the vibe was great and it fitted perfectly for the feel of the party”
2. Miss Kittin, ANNA – Forever Ravers (Original Mix)
“These two make for a powerful team that combined their electro and techno backgrounds creating a devastating effect on this grizzled main room anthem which never fails to send people wild”
3. Guy J, Clarian – Night Rescue (Original Mix)
“The slowly building melancholic moods of this track was huge at parties like Afterlife, where somber synths and dark/deep techno rule”
“With the heat of Ibiza, a slow deep house release like this one is always going to have a space on open-air dance floors”
5. Rafael Cerato, Liu Bei – Further (Hidden Empire Remix)
“There is a tension on this track that never resolves – the moody vocals, the taught bass, the withering keys – and together they add up to just the sort of track that makes an emotional impact in a big club”
6. Monolink – Return to Oz (ARTBAT Remix)
“ARTBAT were one of the breakout acts of the [last 2 years], and with epic melodies like this, it’s easy to see why “
7. Damian Lazarus – Moment (Adam Port Remix)
“There is a real spiritualism on this tune which embodies the free ideals and hedonistic atmosphere of many Ibiza parties, hence its success”
8. Super Flu – Acumulate (Original Mix)
“Dark, broody, with pitch-shifted vocals – this is a supersizes house tune to make a real mark in vast clubs like those in the Balearics”
9. Eli & Fur – Into The Night (Extended Mix)
“This enchanting tune layers up rich and rubbery drums with dreamy vocals that are pure escapism on the dance floor, as is the perfect way on the White Isle”
10. Adana Twins – C3PO (Original Mix)
“Camelphat dropped this at Hii Ibiza and helped make it one of the standout tunes of last season with its epic leads and rising energy”
[quotes source: Electronic Groove]