Photo: A. Sieńkowski (Young Majli)
Young Majli has been a tireless advocate for bass-heavy sounds in her native Poland, both as a seasoned radio host and as a club DJ. Starting out as a radio DJ and eventually becoming more and more involved in the local scene in Wrocław, she has recently relocated to the country’s capital and now works at the 357 radio station while also bringing her multi-faceted sound to dancefloors. Her mix for our Groove podcast shines a light on the Polish bass scene and includes a good handful of yet-to-be-released tunes.
You became interested in music at a very young age. When and how exactly did that start?
It’s hard for me to pinpoint when exactly that started because I feel like I’ve always been drawn to music. I was born in a tiny town in Eastern Poland, so initially the only place where I was able to interact with music was the local community center. I danced Polish folk dances! (laughs) There are certain artists who fascinated me as early as in kindergarten like polish pop starts Just 5. (laughs) In fact, I associate every stage of my life with some kind of music. There was always a lot of music in my house, too. I went to concerts with my parents, I asked Santa for cassette tapes …
You started out at Wrocław’s Radio Luz and would eventually become the station’s programme director. How did those five years shape you as a music listener and DJ?
This experience was crucial for me in terms of making me the kind of listener, presenter and DJ I am now. At LUZ’s core, there is a very diverse group of young people who are connected by their total enthusiasm for music and radio. We always focused on bringing the best possible quality to this station, but digging for new stuff was also very important. Radio LUZ is where my fascination with electronic music began. It was then that I started playing my first sets in clubs. That was an extension of what I did on air as a host. When you’re 20, you get impacted by all kinds of external forces in a huge way, so I am very happy that I spent this stage of my life in a beautiful place full of passion for music.
Still in Wrocław, you were affiliated with the Regime collective. What did your work with them entail?
Initially, I helped with event organisation and marketing, but it was really Regime that helped me shape myself as a DJ. We operated in local clubs, but we also did exhibitions with local arts. From the beginning, we supported each other a lot, and that’s still the case today. We’re great friends, I love these people.
At the same time, you had close ties to the Uczulenie club and the crew around it. What was your relationship with them like?
Regime and Uczulenie are actually the same people! After several years of organising parties in various clubs, we were given a space in the Czuła jest noc bar, run by three greatest girls in the whole bar world, which became the heart of independent concerts and raves in Wrocław. It’s a very underground initiative, but we all come from the underground. This is our place to implement unusual ideas.
You have since relocated to Warszawa, in order to pursue your radio career at the 357 station, but have since also been playing rather regularly at the city’s Jasna 1 club. How do these two sides of your work, your job as a radio host and as a club DJ, relate to each other?
Both of these things keep me up to date with music. I like that I have total freedom in my choice of music on the radio, but I always try to consider the time of day when I’m on the air. Apart from an afternoon Monday show, where I showcase new music, I host the show “Salto” on Saturdays at 8 p.m. and I play very cross-sectional electronics there. As a DJ, I’m devoted to what is closest to my heart. I think that being associated with music in such different fields allows me to develop and discover something new all the time.
You have said in a recent Electronic Beats interview that your sound is constantly evolving. What are genres or styles that you are currently interested in?
As always, I’m into bass sounds and breaks, but lately my ears are captured by a regular kick and more technical sounds … Maybe it’s time I finally settled down … This mix is a very good example of this.
What was the idea behind your mix for our Groove podcast?
My primary goal was to showcase songs from Polish bass producers, some of which are unreleased. I was also able to capture what I like in music at a given moment and enjoy it – a pretty common thing.
Last but not least: What are your plans for the future?
After two years of COVID-19 restrictions, I’m hoping for a good summer with a lot of gigs. I’m not thinking any further ahead for now, we’ll see.
Stream: Young Majli – Groove Podcast 336
01. Kevin Murf – untitled 2k22
02. Nicola Cruz – Vai Sentir
03. Rudolf C – Life In The Peter Dish
04. Jenniffer Loveless – Out/Under
05. Ian DPM – Plenty of Nothing
06. Tony Q & Barry Scarn – Bout 2 Get It
07. Surusinghe – Bad Girls
08. Heritage – Chrome
09. No Moon – Where Do We Go From Here?
10. DJ Panther – Source Drift (Roaming Data Remix)
11. Dada Karambolo – Toad in the Bucket
12. Hitman – Untitled 2021
13. Ayesha – Rezo
14. Aquarian – Dead Whale
15. Terra Form – Agripinaa
16. Earth Trax – Metal
17. Phasmid – Get Off My Lawn
18. Pedrodollar – GAZZOO
19. Overmono – Cash Romantic
