Vanaenae is into all things house. She first garnered reputation as an all vinyl DJ in Leipzig’s scene where she played loads of open airs and renowned clubs like Institut fuer Zukunft and Neue Welle. Over the course of this year, the co-host of the Sunday Love Affair radio show and event series piled up more gigs and started to play internationally, with two particular highlights she tells us about in the following interview.
In her sets that draw from to the rich history of the genre, practically all facets of house music collide: Hazy afterhour steppers meet affirmative Acapellas that conjure the true spirit of the genre, paving the way for jacking Garage House to increase the intensity.
What did you have in mind when you recorded this mix?
A lot, as always. I often find it hard to commit myself to a specific direction, I think you can hear that in my mixes and in my live gigs. There’s just too much cool music out there and I try to cover the whole spectrum of house music. I’m also very ambitious to curate a sequence of tracks so that despite the house subgenre jumps they tell something, accompany a little journey, or at least don’t get boring because it’s too monotonous. My last recording at HÖR had a cool, deep and sometimes more techy sound. For this mix I wanted to bring in a bit more good vibes and my beloved vocals.
Where did you record it and what setup did you use?
To be honest, I wanted to record it at a friend’s house because my set-up isn’t the best. I did that, but something threw me off track and I wasn’t so happy in the end. Then I recorded it again at home on 2x Reloop 4000MKII and a Pioneer DJM400 mixer. I’m telling this honestly because I want to show that you don’t always need pro equipment to find a way to express yourself and show people some music. DJing is my hobby, the gigs top up my sad cultural salary and are there for new records, not yet for two fancy Technics.
What’s the most memorable gig you’ve played so far?
I think there are two and both happened this year. One gig was in Georgia at Bassiani on the Horoom floor. Everything about it was memorable, that amazing club and especially the crowd. I’m always very self-critical and a nervous wreck before big gigs. But there I was relaxed from minute 1 and just incredibly happy about all the dancers and the partying. Another highlight was being given a record as a gift during the gig and realizing that I’d almost bought it in the record store a few hours earlier. Everything just fell into place in Georgia and having the support of the Morevi Records people for this trip still means a lot to me.
The second gig was playing the opening slot at Good2U 2024 shortly afterwards. That summer vibe and all the flowers around me, that crazy soundsystem and the impressing architecture of the building. I love opening for parties, but to set the tone for the next few days at such a beautiful festival was incredibly exciting and it was even more awesome to see that people enjoyed it.
Can you name a secret weapon that you use frequently?
The track isn’t that secret, but I guess it’s not played that often anymore: Martha Wash – Catch The Light (Oracles Vocal Mix). Simply a very powerful song that just catches you on the floor.
Three recent releases that have caught your attention?
Lavan – For The Love EP: I had the opportunity to listen to the freshly mastered digitals while I was in Georgia and I absolutely loved it. I was able to talk Lavan into giving me the very first pressed promo record of the EP–thank you! House Music!
naone – controlled entry: The world is a fire won me over straight away. Naone’s new label down2earth is releasing the full EP soon and I can’t wait to grab a copy. Yep, no digitals, because it’s vinyl only.
Not recently produced, but just released: Virtual Dreams II: Ambient Explorations In The House & Techno Age, Japan 1993-1999. Great compilation!
What do you have coming up in the near future?
Due to my move to Berlin and going back to work full time as a museologist, it’s a bit quieter at the moment. But I’m looking forward to playing with Michael J. Blood at Paloma Bar in December and one last time at Institut fuer Zukunft in Leipzig, which will definitely be a bit emotional. And from January 2025 on I can try my hand as a booker for one of my favourite festivals. If that works out in the long run, you’ll definitely hear about it!
Track listing:
Sam Goku – Diqui (Earth)
Space Ghost – Emotional Healer (Nelson of the East Forever Dub)
KINO MODERNO – Sync you (Remix)
The Chris Simmonds Project – Controlled Emotions (The Knockout Mix)
RR – Underdog (Original Mix)
Lavan – Folk Song
Lapien – Loved Him So
caulfield – tiny whisper
Marc Brauner – He Said It
Salomo – Tune-Out
BELLA – Note To Self
Modjo Vs Loleatta Holloway – Unknown
Natalie Cole – Livin’ For Love (Bob Sinclair Acapella)
Ell Murphy & Tuff Traxx – Close
