Packed up, enough, it’s been a long a week, its play time – serious playtime. Veteran Fridays brings you some big mixes that get done exclusively for Pulse Radio that will gear you up for the weekend ahead. With an email chain that runs as long as the river Nile the day has finally come where Pulse Radio has a new exclusive mixtape for you from the gorgeous Claudia Lovisa.
Claudia is making serious waves as a solo artist on the international underground music scene, also having held a residency in Ibiza since 2010 fine tuning her very sexy, upfront and engaging House grooves, you can be sure that she can deliver it just as the sentence says, and has, on the shores of South Africa.
Claudia’s vibe behind the decks is a force – if you’re on the dancefloor and she is captain, you’re having a good time, that’s just how it is. She’s played alongside names, luminaries, such as Steve Bug, Audiofly, Konrad Black and Damian Lazarus while her alluring blend of Deep-House grooves have been scooped-up by labels like 1trax, Supernature and Uberbeat – the force I’m talking about.
Pic by Evgenia Markova
The musical journey all began right here in South Africa, not going to claim all the fame here, being the grounded person she is she never forgot her Italian roots. It was there where a love affair with music in vinyl form began, the infectious sound, the attitude of music, the persona it holds in itself, this was something that inspired Claudia and at the drop of a bassline it sent her down Electric Avenue.
At the time when people were voicing beliefs of global destruction, alien invasions and nuclear war, Claudia decided to move to London. Played at The Cross, The End and Retox which certainly wasn’t all that the move had to offer, the new millennium was the beginning of stand-out stand-up gigs such as Miami WMC, San Juan Festival at Sonar, Germany’s Love Parade, Pacha and Ushuaia Ibiza, Club Midi in Romania, the famous D-Edge in Brazil and Mamitas Beach Club in Playa del Carmen.
A respected DJ as well as producer she caught the attention of Audiofly with her duo act known as Amelie. Their inject of addictive solid grooves with a genuine underground edge was the result of a massively successful first release dubbed ‘Under The Radar’ and a flood of remix requests. Names like Alex Niggeman and Fabio Giannelli were in those requests to give a bit of scope on that success with further releases on 1trax and SK Supreme.
Understandably this is why we wanted to get a mixtape from her and find out what she is up to at the moment:
You have been "rocking" some of the best parties recently in South Africa, what is your take on the scene the scene here and who are the ones to look out for? I was lucky enough to spend a couple of months in Cape Town near the end of last summer and I was blown away!! All the gigs I played at were absolute quality. The Nomadic "roof of dreams" to the secret garden location for Kinky Disco and the Make Believe Train Party!!! From the event location to the line ups to the amazing people who are so up for a good JOL, and just where the South African dj's are in the music scene at the moment, impressed me. I felt that shift from the more commercial house that was being played to the deeper more underground sound and that's what we want!! It's so great to see names like James What, Bas Amro, Trickski and Richie Hawtin on the line-ups in South Africa to give people an earful of what's out there. As for the local dj's, pffffff, amazing!! Floyd Lavine, Lady M, Diggin4Dodge are a few of the best Dj's I heard and South Africa's lucky to have them. The scene is exploding there and it's about time!!
Are there any particular artists you would love to collaborate with? Ame, Kate Simko and Dyed Soundorom
Where do you draw your inspirations from when you produce? Mostly from going out and being on dance floors and just from life in general.
Vinyl, cd’s, laptop or live. What’s your preference and ultimately do you think it matters? I don't think it matters really. Whatever, as long as the tracks are bombs, people are dancing and you're enjoying playing your set. I played vinyl for years and still love a mix on the technics but I enjoy mixing on cd's too. I've never used a laptop myself …yet.
You have chosen Ibiza as your home, what is it that attracts you to the island? It's such a beautiful place to live. I was brought up in South Africa so used to amazing weather and having the beach close by, those are two qualities of life that I don't want to live without. As much as it's a party Island, it is a great place to chill as-well. I love that I'm totally spoilt with the choice of so many amazing parties with the best line-up's to go to any day of the week. What more could I ask for?…there's just no place like it. But I have to say, since spending that time in Cape Town, I can't wait to be back there!! Looking forward to going back in October when the seasons done in Ibiza.
Of your own tracks, which are the tracks you’re closest to? well..it would have to be Nightrider as it's my first solo release and I worked hard on it. I still haven't made a track that I'm like, wow, that's a fucking tune…but I'm working on it!!
Finally, what does the future hold for Claudia Lovisa? Anything exciting lined up release wise? I'm in the studio a lot right now to generate a real presence with my releases, while still trying to play as much as possible, it’s my true love. I have a new EP coming out on Turquoise Blue and have been collaborating with my friend Floyd Lavine who's in Cape Town so we'll be putting some tracks out soon.
A real testimony to Claudia’s talents is the fact that her debut EP ‘Nightrider’ made it into the record bags of guys like Luca Bacchetti and Jamie Jones since living in Ibiza. At the moment Claudia is in London with a few gigs line-up, we’ve attached the events in-case you’re in town. If you’re there go see her, you won’t be sorry, my legs are still stiff from the boogie from when she was in South Africa. Looking forward to seeing her again in October.