Back for the fIfth installment of his monthly resident show on Aaja Radio, Tanner invites along Sophia, a rising electronic artist based in London. A rave lifer and self taught producer whose love of club music and culture led her to pursue production when the world came to a halt in early 2020. Her diverse music taste is reflected in her radio shows and DJ sets, blending genres such as house, uk garage, techno, jungle and everything in between. With her debut EP coming soon, SophiaO’s production style has been described as dreamy, introspective and euphoric.

Listen to the show here and read the interview below.

‍

Q: Name/Pronouns/Where are you based? 

A: Sophia (production alias: Saia), She/Her, London

Q: Tell us about your mix for the show, what was the concept you had in mind for it? 

A: I’ve gone for a cross-genre approach, 120-160bpm, tracks I’ve been feeling recently from house to dnb/jungle. I wanted to reflect my listening habits and also play a few unreleased bits from me! The opening track is my debut ‘stop calling’ which will be available on a compilation on Bandcamp from Friday and out digitally later this year.

Q: What did your journey into music and djing look like? 

A: I’ve always been obsessive about music, when I was a kid I wanted to be a singer/popstar (classic) and spent most of my time making mix CDs. My interest in electronic music started very early with drum n bass thanks to my older siblings, particularly my older brother who had turntables. I remember him trying to teach me how to mix when I was about 11. I got into raving in my teens. I attempted music production during this time but didn’t commit myself to it. I got offered some DJing opportunities in my late teens / early 20s but was always too anxious and shy to say yes. During the pandemic I got properly back into music production and started sharing edits I was making. My first radio show was in 2021, guesting on my mate’s Trickstar show, I then did a mix for a platform/clothing brand called Enter The Dance. In 2022, I got the opportunity to host my own radio show on a new London station called Loose FM. I did weekly shows for a while, I work from home so going to do radio in person was a really good way to ease my isolation, keep my brain working and meet new people. I gig occasionally but am focussing on music production for now, that’s my real passion over DJing but they do complement each other.

Q: How do you manage your mental health and well-being working in the industry? What specific elements impact that? 

A: Lack of sleep / hangovers have the biggest impact on my mental state, so in that sense I’m thankful for the pandemic (and getting older) forcing me to slow down. I rarely have 6am-ers these days so my overall sanity is improved. I try to avoid people and situations that cause stress where possible. I find making music really therapeutic and learning or improving a skill naturally makes you feel good too.

Q: Alcohol and in particular drugs, are ubiquitous with dance music. What is your relationship with these from a personal and artistic perspective? 

A: There’s no denying that drugs are intertwined with the culture, raving is about escapism for a lot of people. If people want to enhance their experience with the right amount of the right drugs, and they’re not negatively affecting the experience of those around them, then I’m here for it. I definitely think there are certain drugs that don’t belong in the rave though. Similarly for alcohol, control and moderation are important, which is easier said than done. If you’re having fun and not waking up either with regrets or without memories then go for it. If you can have fun without it, even better. Huge props to anyone embracing sobriety. I do like to think that proper music lovers can go to events without the need for drugs/alcohol to have a good time. As for artists and alcohol/drug consumption, there are obviously blurred lines here, especially as the party boy aesthetic is very much celebrated in dance music, but if you’re being paid to do a job then there does need to be an element of professionalism. 

Q: In your opinion, what social and industry specific issues exist in dance music?

A: Focussing on sexism here - there is a common misconception that sexism isn’t as much of an issue now because there’s more representation, but the work isn’t even remotely done in my opinion. Women are scrutinised for what they play, their technical abilities, how they look, what they wear, whether they deserve an opportunity, whether they make their own music etc etc etc in a way that men simply are not. Having to justify everything is so draining, both experiencing it personally and hearing/seeing other women experience it is a massive confidence knock.

Q: What would a fairer industry for all look like to you? What needs to change?

A: Specific to sexism again, there is a need for more spaces for women to create, share ideas, collaborate. A fairer industry would recognise this and make it a reality. People in positions of power/labels/artists/venues/brands would give up more of their time to help women to build their confidence in the scene. I’ve seen a handful of examples of this done really well in recent years, such as EQ50’s amazing yearly dnb mentorship scheme and also Scuffed Records’ (one of my fav labels) artist development scheme. More of this plssssssss!

Q: What are your thoughts on social media’s role as part of an artist's career? How do you balance its negative factors with the opportunity it provides? 

A: I think social media is inherently cringe but I also love meeting music people, keeping in touch with old friends, connecting with people I wouldn’t have met in daily life, discovering music/labels/events (and dumb memes). Friendships and networks are important, especially if you’re doing something public facing like music. If you make an effort to curate who you follow / what you engage with, social media can be a tool and a positive experience for an artist’s career. Obviously it’s also deeply addictive and time consuming, especially for procrastinators / addictive personalities (both me), so limiting time is important. 

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

A: Try not to let what you think other people might think of you hold you back. Equally, don’t beat yourself up if you weren’t ready to do something at a certain time in your life because you might surprise yourself in the future. Also try to keep in touch with people and support the people around you that are doing stuff, any stuff not just music stuff! ALSO just be sound, there’s enough dickheads out there that being a genuinely nice person can make you stand out.

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

A: An event which is very much going against the grain is Unorthodox, a queer dnb event/movement run by Nathan X. I went to one of their nights at Peckham Audio earlier this year and it was properly uplifting scenes, people from all walks of life coming together. I met a 50 year old woman who had flown from Australia for it! Having been to hundreds of dnb events over the last 10+ years this one had the most diverse crowd I’ve ever seen. I’d also like to mention Loose FM who are making moves, they’re in the process of building a much needed new studio / recording / events space in central London where artists & djs from all genres and backgrounds can connect and create. They’re running a fundraiser for this at the moment which people can support by buying a compilation of music from the community, including a track from me, so please support if you can.

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

A: For women getting into music production I heavily support and recommend two groups: 2% Rising and EQ50. I would love to see brands/artist/everyone being more active in supporting groups like these, they are vital for women getting into production, feeling supported and building confidence. Brand wise, I love the work AIAIAI are doing at the moment such as supporting Sherelle’s label and workshops/studio space for black and queer artists, and their recent HOR competition where they flew up and coming DJs in from around the world who wouldn’t usually get the opportunity to play on a massive platform like that.

Q: Who are your favourite upcoming artists and/or djs right now? Show them love 

A: Not necessarily upcoming but shouting out Gabriella, Tia Cousins, Giulia Tess, Johana & India Bigg