Anna Steffens Interview

A few weeks ago, as a wave of unseasonably warm weather hit Berlin, I found myself one Saturday afternoon in Golden Gate, one of Berlin's most underground spots. I've spoken about Golden Gate at length on this blog and don't plan to write any more about it now. For those that are interested, there is another nice piece on it here. Suffice to say though, that it stays open pretty much non-stop from Thursday through Monday, and features some of Berlin (and Germany's) younger, up and coming talents, rather than the big names you tend to see at Berghain, Arena, etc etc. Although it's not unusual to see house acts here (I remember one memorable set from Oskar Offermann and Edward), the music policy tends to be more plonkety plonk tech house, and marching minimal. Not everyone's cup of tea, but those inside don't seem to mind much. The soundsystem is compact, but punchy and always seems to deliver. On this auspicious Saturday, a young female DJ from Cologne was playing called Anna Steffens. After the show we shared a beer and a Jaegermeister and she agreed to answer a few questions. Thanks a lot to Anna, and if you find yourself in Cologne, go check her out.

Hi, could you tell me a bit about yourself, and where you come from?

Hi, I'm from Cologne and I've been living there for ten years now. I grew up in Remagen, near Bonn, and after school I moved to Cologne to work in the media. But then I decided to study (Music, English, Communication) and started DJing by the way.

How did you end up DJing in Golden Gate? How did your set go?

Two years ago I played in Wilde Renate and someone listened to my set. He's a friend of the guys who do the 5vor12 parties and he asked the booker to invite me to play one afternoon. I liked the atmosphere and the staff and crowd were really nice. It was fun to play there and i think they liked what i played, I didn't hear any contrary. :):)

Is Golden Gate well-known throughout Germany?

If you know the clubs in Berlin I think you may know Golden Gate as well. It´s a Berlin institution and exists for a long time now.

How would you describe your sound?

I don't like this stereotyping in describing sounds but i would say it's groovy deephouse going ahead.

How does playing in Berlin compare to playing in Cologne?

In Berlin the clubs are open from Friday til Monday. In Cologne we don't have this afterhour phenomenon, clubs close at 7/8 in the morning. Apart from that it's not very different.

Do you release music? Do you have any plans to do so?

I go to the studio with a friend whenever we have time. I have Abelton at home and I try to learn a bit more now and then. But i have a job as well and not the time to be a full-time DJ or spend my time in the studio the whole week. We already did some tracks but we haven't yet sent them to anyone. But I don't stress myself with releasing something.

What's your next step in terms of DJing? Do you have any goals?

I don't have any concrete plans in terms of DJing. I just go with the flow and stay with my style of sound. What will be, will be. :):)