Knowing How to Listen to Yourself: A Conversation with DJ Koyla

You come from a family where music has always been very present. How has that shaped your relationship with this artistic practice?

Koyla: From a very young age, around 4 years old, I watched my brothers and sisters make music with my father. We would go to their concerts with the rest of the family. Two or three years later, I started learning to sing, dance, and play percussion alongside them. We also did a lot of concerts.

When I turned 18, the family band somewhat split up. My sisters then started their own personal projects. I had somewhat removed music from my life, except for dance classes. That was every week, on Mondays and Thursdays. I did percussion there. Eventually, when I started as a DJ, I thought about combining the two practices: electronic music and percussion.

How does that background continue to influence you today?

It’s mostly in production. I started getting into it recently. I reuse some of the rhythms and sounds I discovered when I was younger. I’m also inspired by traditional music, which I mix with more electronic influences.

You mentioned in an interview: “My project is to get into production when I have the courage to do it.” You’ve finally started; how and why?

I was already doing a bit of production, but I wasn’t releasing anything because I didn’t like the results too much. Finally, last October (2023, editor’s note), I released my first techno track. I figured people were also curious to discover what I was making musically. That’s what encouraged me to release my first productions. Other artists had also given me feedback and some advice. So I thought, ‘let’s go.’ For now, I haven’t really developed that side of things. I’d like to release EPs in the future. Producing music is, in any case, a different job than being a DJ!

What does production bring you in addition to DJing?

I think it’s important for every DJ to get into production. When you’re DJing, you’re playing with other people’s sounds. Even if people enjoy it, they might also want to discover your own universe. Production is a part of you. It’s your own thoughts; it’s completely different from your musical selections. To grow in this scene, I think it’s really important to go through production. Without that, I feel like it can really hold you back in your career.

What values do you promote through your music?

It’s super important for me to develop and feel free artistically. Not to be held back by what others are doing. Something that blocked me in the beginning was the feeling of doing something (especially with percussion) that not many other DJs do. But actually, on the contrary, the key is to be yourself: you have to listen to yourself. Music is also a way to express yourself.

Behind making music, there’s also a strong political aspect: I’m a Black woman on stage, playing percussion. Because of that, I need to be in safe party spaces. I face a lot of different situations when I’m DJing. In response, I prioritize organizations (venues, festivals, etc.) that promote safe spaces, equality, and fight against homophobia, transphobia, and so on.

What does it mean for you to be a black artist in Bordeaux today, since the local music scene is relatively homogeneous?

At first, it scared me a little. I quickly noticed that there was a large majority of white men in this scene, and a few women, also white. I couldn’t relate at all within this ecosystem, and I didn’t know if I belonged here. In the end, I didn’t overthink it too much, I just went for it.

Sometimes, I do ask myself a lot of questions. Especially because there are people around me who don’t necessarily share the same approach or values. They don’t always understand the situations I sometimes face at certain events.

It adds extra stress, wondering, if something happens, how to explain it to others, because they probably won’t understand. But deep down, I think things are evolving a bit in Bordeaux. Now, generally, the feedback I get from people—beyond those who reduce me to my condition as a Black woman—also revolves around new sounds, the addition of percussion in my performances… All of that shapes my identity, and I’ve managed to make my mark on the scene with it.

As an artist, how have you learned to deal with the difficult situations you mentioned?

I’m still learning. It’s also challenging because I don’t have any Black female artist role models in Bordeaux—at least not in the techno scene. I don’t have anyone to rely on for support or to share these concerns. Despite this, I’m lucky to be well-surrounded by people who follow me, my friends, or even my family, who help and allow me to express myself.

I also try to meditate, exercise, and do anything that can help clear my mind. When such situations happen so frequently, it can make you feel disgusted with your job. You’re never safe from an inappropriate comment, someone touching your hair… It’s a burden, and you have to be ready. I think that with time, and as I gain more experience, I’ll be able to handle it better and better.

What are your future musical projects?

My goal would be to move beyond the Bordeaux scene and head to other cities, or even other continents. I’d also like to DJ a lot on the African continent, bringing an electro and techno vibe, which isn’t as prominent there. I also want to incorporate more percussion into my sets and create performances that mix a lot of things, maybe even add dance…

Production is also a project of mine to develop my artistic style. It’ll be a way to mix percussion, techno, a really Afro influence, and something a bit experimental. I’m eager for that. Beyond that, there’s a social aspect I want to push: giving percussion or DJing lessons in more remote neighborhoods, in Bordeaux or elsewhere. I want to help other people of color, and other women too, to break into these fields by talking about it. It’s all part of the Afro-feminist fight I’d like to develop.

Beyond music, you co-founded a media platform, Art 2 Talk. Can you explain what it is and how this project complements your artistic practice?

It’s a project I developed alongside DJ Koyla. At Art 2 Talk, we mainly do interviews with artists from the Bordeaux scene. I had this idea in mind but didn’t know how to develop it. I talked to a friend, and we ended up creating a media platform, inspired by Konbini, to do something similar in Bordeaux and showcase the personalities of the artists.

We realized that there are many artists in Bordeaux that people know. But beyond their music, people don’t really know their personalities. I think that’s how you encourage people to discover new artists. The platform allows us to form partnerships. Artists’ communities discover us, and our community discovers them. I used my contacts from the people I know in the scene: DJs, artists… It’s a way to highlight Bordeaux.

As an observer of Bordeaux’s cultural life, both as an artist and through Art 2 Talk, what’s your view of the local artistic scene?

Bordeaux is growing a lot. Many people want to get into DJing or music more generally. It’s something that’s 10 times more accessible than it was even 5-6 years ago. The problem in Bordeaux is that there aren’t enough media outlets. That’s why we launched Art 2 Talk. New media platforms are emerging! But there aren’t enough venues either. We often end up in the same places to perform. That’s what needs more development in Bordeaux: using underground spaces, discovering new venues… I think we’re on the right path.