In the third installment of Tanner's monthly guest mix series on Aaja, he invites along an artist increasingly known by many, for her varied yet carefully considered selections. Prague-born and London based, Ariane V is a selector on the rise. This summer she makes her festival season debut at stages across UK and Europe, including but not limited to; playing alongside Soichi Terada and Eris Drew at the 20 Years of Phonica Stage for We Out Here Festival, Love International, Twisted Festival and French festival Septem to name but a few.

As one of the driving forces behind Common Ground (fka Rhythm Sister), a collective / community supporting female, non-binary, and trans DJs and producers, she’s established herself as a key player in London’s music scene. Initially rooted in house & disco, Ariane V’s exquisite selections frequently drift through the dreamlike and euphoric to the broken beat and acid pumpers. She’s a regular at many of London’s best venues, either getting people dancing at the likes of Corsica Studios and Night Tales, or digging deep at audiophile spaces such as Brilliant Corners. An experienced radio host, she has appeared on multiple radio stations in the UK and abroad in addition to her regular monthly show on Peckham’s Balamii Radio.

Listen to the show here and read the interview below.

Q: Name/Pronouns/Where are you based?

A: Adriana (Ariane V), She/Her, London

Q: Tell us about your journey into music and djing

A: I started getting into house and the underground dance music scene when I was about 18, got increasingly interested in what DJs and producers did, and then when I was in my first year at uni someone was offering DJ lessons so I signed up and that was it really. I then moved to London, started working at Phonica, got a show on Netil Radio, and things very slowly moved on from there.

Q: How do you manage your mental health and well-being working in the industry?

A: I’ve been struggling lately to be completely honest, so not really sure I can offer any advice as I could do with some myself 😀. Therapy/CBT definitely help, and talking to people in the industry who are also struggling. You’re never alone even if it may feel that way. What I struggle with is that DJing has always only been a hobby, something I was obsessed with but did purely for fun, but things started picking up a bit last year and this year I’ve been DJing pretty much every single weekend. I’ve never really said no to any gigs because I love doing this so much, but it stops feeling like a pastime and starts feeling like a job. I work full time, so I quickly got into a position where I have absolutely zero down time and it’s starting to take its toll.

I also feel like I’m not really allowed to complain, getting booked and being busy is amazing, and I know much more experienced and better DJs than me who struggle to get booked regularly so I feel like complaining would make me sound ungrateful although I am incredibly grateful for every booking I get. The industry is also quite fickle, so I feel like I should keep saying yes to every gig that I can as long as they keep coming in, because one day they very well may stop.

I have been slowly learning how to say no to gigs (although I do actually really want to say yes) and block out weekends to just chill, and be strict with myself to really keep them free. Staying fully sober during gigs also helps, as you don’t lose the whole day the next day and can actually spend it doing nice wholesome activities. Some gigs can be proper nights out, but definitely not all.

Q: In your opinion what issues exist in the dance music industry?

A: I think I’m just scratching the surface of the industry, I don’t see into how many things are managed like agencies and managers etc, big festivals and mega DJ bookings, ticketing and where all the money goes. I don’t think I’d be able to shed light on any deep set industry issues.

When it comes to my own personal pet peeves though, what really annoys me are promoters adding warm up DJs as an afterthought and not adding them to the official artwork. They set the tone of the night and play an important part, and having your name on the poster is really important when you’re just starting out.
General safety is also quite a problem. It’s often impossible to get hold of security during the night, as they can’t often see the DJ booth and it’s hard to get to it when the club is packed. Being walked to and from the booth should be a no brainer, the booth should be secure so that nobody can get in, the artist liaison should be checking their phone regularly so they can come to help immediately when called if something happens. Green rooms are often an absolute nightmare/ironically the least safe place in the club.

A few friends also told me about a promoter who said they would book them to play only if they could guarantee to sell a certain number of tickets. Can’t believe that is still a thing. Playing a festival you really wanted to go to anyway in exchange for a ticket is one thing, but that is unacceptable. You can tell when a promoter is only offering a small fee because that is all they can afford, vs when you are being taken advantage of.

Q: What are your thoughts on social media’s role as part of an artist's career?

A: I would be nowhere without social media. Whether we like it or not it’s how we share what we do - sharing mixes, telling people about our upcoming gigs, sharing new music. It’s an incredibly powerful marketing tool that is free to use for everyone. I think we’re past booking DJs solely based on their follower count so I feel like it’s fine, but maybe that’s just the case in the small pocket of the scene in which I am. If you’re a promoter who only books people based on their social media following then I don’t want to go to your gig anyway.

I’ve found it indispensable for meeting new people. I met so many friends/djs/promoters/producers on instagram first and then when I bumped into them randomly at a gig we already knew each other and formed a friendship much faster. It’s honestly been so great for that. It makes the scene reach much further but feel much smaller at the same time, because suddenly you know everyone regardless of where they live.

What it isn’t good for is comparison. You see others doing something and it makes you doubt yourself because you start thinking that maybe you should be more like them and that what you are doing isn’t the “right way”. But of course there isn’t a right way to do anything in creative fields. You see others being successful faster than you are, and you start wondering if you are doing something inherently wrong because things are happening more slowly for you. But of course you have no idea what is happening behind the scenes, social media just gives you little curated glimpses. It does really feed your imposter syndrome.

Q: Any advice you’d give to an artist or DJ starting out?

A: Support people in the scene. You gotta give before you get anything back. Come down early to support the warmup DJ and the promoter, be nice to the artist liaison and venue staff, share the tracklist and shout out the artists. If you like what someone is doing, tell them.

Also, don’t let perfectionism stop you from doing what you enjoy. You are your own worst critic. Publish that mix, finish that track and share it. If an opportunity comes your way, say yes, and figure it out later. Don’t say no because you think you’re not good enough.

Q: Share an event/festival you feel is going against the grain and moving the scene forward

A: I really loved what Off The Rails did a month or so ago. I feel like clubs and festivals often book the same lineups over and over again, but what they curated was a wide range of styles and artists who collectively represent the London music scene. Everything from afrobeats, to bruk, to live jazz and experimental music, live dance music acts, “selector” like DJs, and just straight up house. It’s run by the guys from Next Door Records and I hope they do it again next year.

Another club night worth mentioning is Platforms. They started as a student night, turned into a weekly Tuesday night at Corsica, and now they have a regular night at the Carpet Shop in Peckham. They give a chance to local upcoming DJs, ask people to send in their mixes for a chance to play a warm up slot, and book very diverse lineups.

Handclap also put on great parties. They are very good at finding DJs who have only ever been booked for warm up slots but are very capable of playing a headline set, and giving them that first opportunity. All of the party’s profits also go to the SE15 Community Fund. It’s a true community event. Liam who is one of the guys who runs it is also a very very good DJ, so check him out.

The last one I’d like to shout out is Twisted. They are a small festival but they also run club nights throughout the year. It’s run by the most dedicated and caring group of people who really have their values and priorities right. They always book diverse lineups, give smaller DJs a chance, have community/cheaper tickets available for those who can’t afford the full price. Last year’s festival had to be postponed, but the next one is happening on the 7th of July if you’d like to check it out.

Q: Any brands or platforms taking steps towards positive change that you’d recommend people support?

A: I am genuinely in awe of what Voices Radio have achieved. So many radio stations in London are just there for their hosts to record a mix and then that’s it, but what they did is create a really tight knit community of radio hosts. They gave many people their first opportunity within music, they run regular workshops, and pay all of their producers/social media managers/designers. So many online radio stations rely on free volunteer work and it’s admirable that they found a way to do it differently. They also get their hosts paid DJ opportunities, be it at their own events that they run or at their partner venues. They really go above and beyond.

Q: Who is your favourite upcoming artist and/or dj right now?

A: DJs - Love what Lora Mipsum is doing. She found her sound and does not stray from it at all. Lev is incredibly talented too. So is Sarahtonin who’s just landed a weekly show on Do!!You!!!Radio. And of course my fellow L.A.D.s Liv Ayers and Hemlin.

Producers - I’ve been playing Moodii’s stuff out loads, he is an incredible producer and his first releases should be coming out soon on some great labels. Do check him out if you like emotional trancey tunes. Tucan Discos is a label with sick edits by Jae Zae. If you like leftfield disco, balearic tunes, and a bit of prog, you’ll love them. Another firm favourite is Make A Dance, who are equally great behind the decks as in the studio.

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