Miss Monique is a young Ukrainian artist who has been making headwaves around the world for the last 18 months or so. Famed for her energetic DJ sets that whatever the setting, always find a unique way of drawing the listener in and resonating with them. She’s also showed her A&R prowess with the rise of her label Siona Records which is in the Top 15 Progressive House labels currently on Beatport.
We caught up with her recently to talk about her rise, her future plans for the label, and to learn more about the ever blossoming Ukrainian electronic music scene…
WWD: Hey Miss Monique, great to meet you! How are you and how was your year?
Hey! Thank you, I’m doing well. I can say for sure, that this year was the strangest in my life. I didn’t know what to expect, plans changed every day, but at the same time, I had a lot of time for work in the studio, recording videos for my YouTube channel, searching new music for my label and chatting with my listeners.
WWD: Where and when did you get into dance music in Ukraine?
Unfortunately, I don’t have an interesting story here. Like most people, I started attending various clubs, festivals and soon realized that I fell in love with electronic music.
WWD: What is the scene like – what sounds are popular, what defines Ukrainian house and techno? What are your thoughts about it? Is there a revolution happening there?
Over the past few years, the Ukrainian electronic scene has changed a lot. More and more clubs are changing their format towards melodic techno. Also, a lot of Ukrainian artists began to appear in the charts. I think the sharp rise of the Ukrainian artists ARTBAT, with their unique sound, played a significant role in this.
WWD: You recently played the Burning Man live stream – how was that? Was it good to be back behind the decks again even if only virtually?
I actually spend every week at the decks, because I have my own YouTube channel, for which I regularly record podcasts, but I was incredibly happy to become a part of one of the most extraordinary and interesting festivals for me. I hope that next time we will do it in reality. I would love to feel the whole atmosphere of the Burning Man.
WWD: Tell us about your Siona label – what is the A&R outlook? Are you looking for a certain type of artist or just a sound?
Siona is the label that doesn’t look at the name and artist position. We just listen and search for an interesting sound. During the first year of our work, we’ve discovered so many young talents and I really hope that Siona will be not just a label, but a kind of a platform for the start of new producers who don’t have famous names. Nowadays it’s difficult to become a part of big labels because for some reasons, but in our case, from the very beginning of Siona Records, following the good sound was our main concept. That’s what we are interested in.
WWD: As a regular performer at the Ibiza Beach Club in Odesa, Ukraine what is your role? Are there any differences in your performance as a DJ there and as a headliner?
I would say that at any party the role of the DJ playing the warm-up set is very important! But, unfortunately, many people do not understand this. From my own experience, I can say that in 70% of my performances as a headliner, residents did not even try to “adjust” to my format, which upset me very much.
In the case of Ibiza, when I was offered to play the warm-up set for all the guests, I was glad, but at the same time, I felt responsible. Every week I started with listening to the tracks, mixes of the upcoming guest and tried to understand their format as much as possible, so that after playing my set the artist would not feel any discomfort, and the visitors would have the mood and strength.
WWD: How do you feel about the rise of illegal raves – a return to the 90s independent spirit or a different context?
For me, this is a bit of a difficult question, since in the 90s I was, to put it mildly, very young for raves 🙂
WWD: Your MiMo Weekly podcast has been gathering quite a big audience over the lockdown months with impressive numbers tuning in. Was it something that had helped you also mentally to be able to get behind the decks and to get that feeling of playing with feedbacks, despite of course this world ban?
Sure! I would say that not only during the lockdown. The community that we have gathered on YouTube always inspires me a lot. When we communicate with people during the broadcast, I get an incredible charge of their energy and positivity.
Follow Miss Monique on Facebook and Soundcloud.
Book Miss Monique HERE