House music is cathartic. I associate this feeling with house music most out of all the others. When I’m dancing, I feel renewed, and when I’m listening to it at home or on the go, I feel energized and happy. As a symbol of a fighting spirit, it stands out as a platform for the free expression of people when I consider its roots and the impact it has had on the world, especially for Black and Queer people.

At the moment, I’m inspired by people. In particular, the many ways in which we demonstrate our humanity. Sometimes we aren’t kind or generous, but even in those moments, compassion and courage shine through. A source of inspiration that never goes out of style is music. As I am continuously in awe of what we are capable of creating, it never becomes mundane for me.

In these different environments, I am inspired by the selflessness, collaborative spirit, and audacity of the people I interact with. Humility is a necessary quality for working with people of varying backgrounds. I continue to learn, not only about myself, but also about the world around me. Even if I won’t live to see the world in full colour, I’m inspired by possibilities. There is a glimpse of the future, no matter how fleeting, when there are small victories.

From inequality, racism, sexism, and discrimination, the answer is endless. However, in light of COVID 19, I have been thinking a lot about the working conditions of people in the music industry, like artists, events staff, promoters, etc. Music workers have little to no rights or security and we operate in a deeply unequal and exploitative system. From that perspective, I’d like to see more attention paid to music workers rights and concerted efforts made by those who have power to change the environments we work in.

Anyone can exist, dance and love as they are with full freedom.

There will be more music! As a label we’ve been away for a while, so I’d like to do more digging around and unearthing gems like I used to do. I would also like the work of Bae Electronica to be multiplied on the continent of Africa, and for more women to do what we do.

Desiree’s debut EP just came out on Bae Electronica, I’m very excited about that. It’s a pivotal release for the label because we’ve been part of her journey from the beginning. From a shesaid.so South Africa perspective, our chapter has a very special partnership with Rocking The Daisies to present the Oasis, a safe space for women and LGBTIA+ festival goers. We’re working extra hard on that right now and it’s one of the things I’m most proud of and excited about.

Emmavie and Gina Jeanz. They are my favourite producers right now. Both are extremely good at blending  the classic with the contemporary. It’s R&B/soul with Emmavie and Gina Jeanz shines when she injects 90s house motifs into her cuts. Their range of production is so dynamic and refreshing.

I looked back at the tracks I’d been listening to on repeat the past six months. Normally, I spend quite a bit of time thinking about mixes or mixtapes, thematically, as well as how to situate the listener in a particular time or place. In the beginning, that was the plan, but then I asked myself “what am I listening to?” I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few classic tunes on there, the Dear Friend DJ SPinna remix is an all-time favourite. Although it’s recently out, I’ve been listening to Desiree’s track for a while now, I love it so much, obviously lucky enough to get dibs on that!