Helena Hauff: “I would love to dj on the moon. Could be a bit problematic with vinyl though.”
Helena Hauff by Katja Ruge – for the upcoming book publication “Electric Lights – Women in Electronic Music”
Helena Hauff has an unswerving commitment to doing exactly what she wants: “Club culture is about going crazy together for one night, drinking a little, being a bit silly and feeling shit the next morning,” she told Kaput in an earlier interview. “The idea is to let yourself go, doing something you don’t do every day.”
Helena learned how to do this in the highly particular world of Hamburg’s celebrated Golden Pudel Club. She not only used to spend most of her nights there, ‘the Pudel’, as its visitors affectionately call the club, was also the place where she started DJing. She could not have hoped for a better place to learn, for Pudel’s a place unmoved by rules, styles or the status quo and it proved fertile territory as the open-minded, self-assured DJ developed. “At the end of the day you can allow yourself to do whatever you want, wherever you are”.
Well, the records are coming faster and faster since those early days and nowadays Helena Hauff is most likely DJing somewhere interesting in the world, pretty much every weekend. Her motivations have stayed true though: she’s still in it for the techno and the electro, the silliness and the fun.
Thomas Venker: What music was the first to move you? What made it so special?
Helena Hauff: I remember dancing to Members of Mayday, “Sonic Empire” as a nine year old, absolutely loved that one. Why? It’s fuckin’ Techno!!
Who was special to the development of your musical identity? How did you find your way?
There have been a hell of a lot of people I met and worked with along the way that inspired me in some why or another.
For example F#X, we started making music together in around 2010. We were both really new to it and developed our production skills together, bought machines and learned how to use them. That was a very important time (for both of us I would say) and we recorded some really interesting music in those years.
There has also been people ‘further away’ from me, people that I looked up too, like Drexciya, Unit Moebius, Hieroglyphic Being or Andrea Parker for example.
What do you hope to find in music? (both your own music and other people’s?)
Love for the whole universe and the feeling of the enormity of nature. Or just a bit of fun.
What is your ideal space/place to listen to music?
I think that would be the club, at least for electronic ‘club’ music. It’s the settee for singer songwriter stuff, the car for post punk and wave (cassettes only) and a concert hall for all the rest.
Your most beautiful experience focused on your music?
Releasing my first record and holding that vinyl in my hands for the very first time. That was a really special moment I’ll never forget.
Helena Hauff by Katja Ruge
Which music did you buy most recently that carries a lot of value/meaning for you? Where did you buy it and what makes it special to you?
It’s not actually something I bought, but Berlin based Icelandic artist Árni gave me a few dub plates featuring electro tracks by some Icelandic producers. It’s all very inspiring. That’s just the best way of discovering new music, being in touch with the artists directly.
What’s a secret guilty pleasure, an idiosyncrasy of yours or something that would surprise people about you?
I love watching trash tv.
What would be a fantasy venue or event to DJ at?
I would love to DJ on the moon. Could be a bit problematic with vinyl though…
Do you see a connection between your femininity and your work? And if so what is it?
No.
What is your favorite app/technology/instrument to create sounds with?
It’s a classic (bit of a cliché almost) but it’s the 808!
Helena Hauff by Katja Ruge
