14 FAKTS INTERVIEW WITH

ALINKA

Alinka on Spotify

I’m Alinka, I make music and take naps. I was born I Kyiv but mostly grew up in Chicago, and now live in Berlin with a cat called Acid “the house cat”. I like many genres of music, and don’t like to be put in a box.
 

Q: Favorite Club/Venue and why does it stand out from the rest?

Berghain / Panorama Bar – I think if you’ve been there you know there’s nothing really like it. It’s just epic, there’s a crazy energy in there. I’ve cried so many times dancing and playing there.

Q: Analog or Digital? And why?

Both. I use both hardware and plugins. I like how they sound together. I’m also not a super technical person I am more about what gets my ideas out and lets me be creative the fastest. I think it’s really more about your ideas and the gear is secondary.

Q: What was the driving force that got you into DJing/Producing and when?

I fell in love with dance music when I was away at University. We had a club that me and my friends went to religiously, and we were going to raves on the weekends, this was in the year 2000. Eventually I wanted to learn to mix so I started buying records and after a summer of working all day at the swimming pool I got my first turntables and mixer. I went back to school and started practicing all day and night and it all grew from there. Producing was just a natural progression and curiosity since I loved music so much. I started messing around trying to teach myself in the early 2000’s and put out a few records as DJ Alena, but it’s been an ongoing journey of learning and growing. I think you can learn the technical part but then developing your own sound and figuring out what you have to say as an artist is a life journey. I’m still constantly learning, it’s what keeps me going.  

Q: If you were to have a superpower, what would it be and why?

Time travel, I want to experience all the decades of music that influenced me.

Q: If you had to play 1 more track at your favorite club, what track would it be and why?

This is very difficult but I think Jamie Principle “Waiting On My Angel”. That’s a good end of the world last song.  

Q: What’s your biggest fear while performing?

Once I had a dream where I couldn’t reach the CDJ’s and the screens were broken and my track was running out while everyone was staring at me with their phones out, I would say all of those things haha.

Q: 1 person you’d dream to have a coffee with?

Bill Murray

Q: If you would have been given the chance to do a film score from the past, what movie would you choose and why?

The Neverending Story. That was my favorite film growing up, I’m still obsessed with it. I think it’s just epic and full of imagination.

Q: Recommend a hidden gem in your home country that would fit a perfect rave?

I haven’t actually been there, I’ve only seen photos so far but Spreepark the abandoned amusement park in Berlin is pretty amazing and would make for a crazy rave. (https://abandonedberlin.com/spreepark/)

Q: 3 Tracks that got you into electronic music

Daft Punk – Revolution 909

Cajmere  and Dajae – Brighter Days

Orbital – Halcyon + On + On

Q: Tell us about your upcoming releases and plans for this year.

I’ve got an EP on Crosstown Rebels called Control Transmission coming out July 10th that I’m super excited about, and then a few other releases I can’t announce yet. I’m also finishing more music for my label Fantasy life, and Shaun J. Wright and I have a bunch of cool releases planned for our label Twirl.


Q: Tell us a fun fact about yourself that most of your listeners don’t know.

I played basketball almost every day from 1989 until 1999, when it was replaced by raving.