In our latest feature interview, we spoke to VONDA7 about her influences, favourite venues, starting a label, and her latest projects.
VONDA7 exposes revelations of a new life in her inaugural album ‘Let Go’. Her love of pop music acts such as Tame Impala is easy to hear in the album with its uplifting, melodic chord progressions, and unique use of her voice, which she has manipulated into stuttering percussive glitches, and lush, ambient choruses, adding a welcoming human element to the usual machine structured electronic music aesthetic.
The track titles alone tell you everything you need to know about the album. A personal journey of hard decisions and letting go, each track continues the story up until the closing title ‘Start Over’ in which VONDA7 announces triumphantly that she is stronger than she was before.
Running around isn’t just the name of her latest single, however. Born in Poland, she has since moved to London, and then Berlin where she is currently based. Always open and willing to explore, her travels have opened her mind to many different styles of music which she happily showcases in her kaleidoscopic DJ sets of disco, techno, 2-step UKG, synth pop, and house, leaving you never really knowing what to expect. Having been released on labels such as LNOE, Skint Records, Anjunadeep, KMS, and her own label Art I Werk, it’s safe to say that VONDA7’s introspective nature has helped her produce music that makes her stand out from the rest…
‘Let Go’ LP Spotify embed:
In your early years you found your way to the doors of Amsterdam’s esteemed creative institute, the SAE. Can you tell us about your time there and what impact it has had on you?
It was a good foundation but to be honest, I didn’t enjoy sitting in the classroom. I am more of a practical person; I like to learn whilst doing things, so I enjoyed it most when we were actually in the studio and learning by experiencing.
Back in 2018 you started your own label Art I Werk, can you share with us the full ethos of the label and what pushed you to start the label?
Back then, I was experimenting with new sounds and genres and creating songs that didn’t fit any label I worked with at that time. But I really believed in those tunes. My grandma also died soon before and I felt like something ended and something new had to start. One of tracks was called ‘Babcia’ which means grandma in polish. I felt more grown-up all of a sudden and ready to start something of my own. It’s a big learning curve and a lot of work but having your own platform to showcase your music is a great creative freedom.
A lot of people won’t know about the scene in Poland, can you give us an insight into what it’s like?
I think the Polish electronic scene is peaking right now. My favourite club is TAMA in Poznan, the city I was born in. It’s honestly the best club in Poland in my opinion. The owners are lovely and they really care about the space, their staff and of course, the artists. You feel there’s a community around it based on good intentions. The interior is beautiful and the soundsystem, lights, everything is made with attention to detail. As for festivals, there is Unsound, Audioriver, Tauron Nowa Muzyka and a lot more smaller ones that keep popping up. There’s a Polish website called muno.pl where you can find all the electronic music parties and festivals across the country.
You recently released your debut album ‘Let Go’ on your own label Art I Werk, what is the meaning behind the title of the album? What made now the right time for it to be released?
The album is a collection of songs written over the last two years, summing up a chapter in my life and also what I have been creating on my label. It’s very personal, I still feel a bit strange after releasing it as I felt like I exposed myself a lot more comparing to my usual club tunes. The album is about a personal journey, letting go of things and people who don’t serve us anymore, letting go of the past. It’s about human connections, male and female energies, learning about life and how we’re conditioned by our upbringing, by our surroundings and letting go of all that too. It’s about starting over without looking back.
‘Running Around’:
The album features various different styles of music, while your vocals are prominent throughout the album. What other artists have inspired you the most?
There are so many! I love older indie electronica bands like Cut Copy, MGMT and also more current Tame Impala. Grimes, Roisin Murphy, The Knife, Bicep… and of course more melodic techno / house artists like Guy Gerber, Sebastian Muellert, Ame. I’m generally very open minded musically but there are usually synthesizers involved and some sort of funk or groove.
Your latest release ‘Running Around’ has just been released on Skint records, can you tell us the creative process behind this track?
I wrote this track a few years ago but I feel like it’s still very current. It’s about running through life without any afterthought… and about losing the connection with nature and other humans because of technology and that constant race.
What are the top five clubs you have visited or played and what was it that made them stand out?
Back in the pre-corona days where I used to play in the clubs… can I still remember that?! Hehe. I generally prefer to play in open spaces and open airs to be honest. But spaces like TAMA in Poznan, Watergate or Sisyphos in Berlin, Warehouse Project in Manchester, Jenja in Bali or The Headquarters in Singapore are all amazing memories.
Finally if you could produce a track with any artist past or present who would it be and why?
Tame Impala. I love his psychedelic 70s rock with electronic twist to it. And maybe we could work with 070 Shake or MO for the additional vocal part. Dream big, right 😉
VONDA7 ‘Running Around’ is out now on Skint Records.
VONDA7 ‘Let Go’ is out now on art I-Werk.
