Our upcoming Klubnacht on Saturday, 8th of February features our dearly beloved Steffi, alongside Earwax, Luke Hess, and Rosati—a winning quartet, all affiliated with Steffi’s Dolly imprint. We had a chat with Steffi, catching up from the ice-cold German winter to the rather mild and sunny weather in her current home, Portugal, to find out more about Dolly and Saturday’s lineup.
Find out more about the party on SAT 08/02 right here and make sure to save a ticket in the presale right here.
And before you start reading: why not dive into Dolly’s catalogue on Soundcloud or here on Bandcamp right away?
Dolly started in 2010, ten years after your first label, Klakson. What made you start the label in the first place?
I mainly wanted to start something new and was inspired to work on a fresh platform. Klakson is very focused on Electro, and I wanted to launch a label for other kinds of dance music—so Dolly started mainly with House. Around that time, I also moved from the Netherlands to Berlin, which was a great opportunity to start something new musically, too.
Looking back, do you feel Dolly reacted to something happening in dance music?
No, it was all down to inspiration. To this day, there’s so much great music that keeps me excited and going!
So Dolly stems from a very personal and intrinsic motivation?
Yes, but that applies to all my projects and imprints. I feel lucky to be inspired by so much thrilling music, with new ideas constantly popping up. That’s what keeps me going decades after I first started! Truth be told, music is the worst and most dangerous drug—there’s no escape! (laughs)
Our upcoming Klubnacht features artists associated with Dolly—particularly the Dolly TS sublabel. What’s the story behind Dolly’s different sublabels?
Well, Dolly was always about four-to-the-floor music—unlike the Electro-driven Klakson or the youngest, studio-centred Candy Mountain imprint. It made sense to have different sublabels for different shades of dance music.
Dolly Dubs focuses on breakbeat & brokenbeat–oriented music for example, while Dolly TS is all about long-lasting Techno — high-quality music that tells stories. It’s not about tools you play six times and then forget. Instead, it’s music with lasting melodies and song structures—tracks that work not only in a club but also at home or even at work, for example.
When and how did you decide to start Dolly TS?
It began with an EP from my old friend Luke Hess. We had talked about doing a release for ages, but for some reason, it took a while. When he sent me some music, it just happened to be the perfect kick-off for the TS sublabel.
So that boils down to the inspiration you mentioned earlier!
Yes! That and the great reception the first EP received really motivated me to continue.
Tell us more about the other artists on the lineup: Rosati and Earwax.
I’ve known Rosati for a while now, and our understanding of Techno aligns perfectly. He simply makes Techno the way I believe it should sound.
I haven’t known Earwax for as long, but one of his tracks, 49 Hours, really caught my ear and I knew right away he would be a great fit for Dolly TS. He’s an exciting artist and puts out thrilling music.
Where would the world be without Dolly?
Well, the world would keep turning, but it would lack a label dedicated to pushing discerning and consistent dance music—quite simple.
What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you at Blitz?
I definitely remember that during the release party of my last album, The Red Hunter, when I played a live set the AC stopped working. It was one of the Cruise parties…
…which are always particularly steamy, sweaty, and hot events!
Exactly! And then, of course, another hot occasion—when Stenny and I played one of the first parties at Blitz Restaurant… in the kitchen, while the cooks were grilling burgers right behind us. I still remember our red-hot faces!
What can we expect from Saturday? How did it all come together?
Well, David (Muallem) and I have been friends and have worked together for a long time, and I’ve played at his clubs and events for years. We talked about doing a Dolly-focused night for a while and we’re happy to finally make it happen.
I’m excited to play the opening slot. I love when the room starts empty and slowly fills up. I’ll begin with some deep, spacious Techno, then Luke Hess will take over with his signature dub-leaning Detroit Techno, before Rosati and Earwax guide us through the rest of the night.
Finally, our classic last question: What’s the last piece of music that left a mark on you—what’s keeping you pressing repeat?
[thinks for a while] This track! Crazy tune. I’m thrilled. Really thrilled. One of the best remixes made.