Between styles
Tasha’s sound has never been limited to a single genre. While she is often reserved for techno or drum and bass, her approach has always been fluid. “I like a lot of different styles of music,” she says. “If it’s good music, it’s good music.”
Her sets often move across genres – techno, breaks, electro, even a touch of dubstep – depending on what suits the moment. “I like to mix it up a bit,” she says. “It doesn’t really matter what it is, as long as it works.”
She points to spaces like Berghain in Berlin as an example of how this happens. “Historically it’s been associated with a certain techno sound,” she says. “But I like to represent the UK sound when I play there. I experiment. I don’t stick to the expected flow.”
This means bringing in elements from outside the traditional framework, mixing textures into an ensemble that still holds together. “Maybe some breaks, maybe some dubstep, maybe some electro,” she says. “Whatever works in the mix.”
Old-school is cool
Over the past decade, Tasha has seen the culture change in ways she considers both inevitable and disturbing. Social media, in particular, has changed the way artists are valued. “A lot of promoters and organizers check if you have a big following. Your social media performance matters more,” she points out.
The pressure to maintain visibility, build a following and fit into the algorithm makes him restless. It clashes with the slower, more moving aspects of the music she appreciates – like the creation of vinyl records.
“Well, I’m not even on Spotify,” smiles Tasha, reflecting on her relationship with music that predates algorithms. “Everything has become so accessible and available.”
Dance floor as release
Tasha remains rooted in what motivates her. “My happy place is in the mix,” she says. “During the moments when the tracks are mixed and the crowd is locked in, everything else feels irrelevant. It’s a liberating feeling.”
People come to the dance floor carrying different emotions, she adds.
“They can have a really bad time and they come to let loose,” says Tasha. “Music resonates with them, helps them disconnect.”
Tasha recalls a recent set where an old song sparked a moment of reflection for someone in the crowd. “I get messages from people after gigs describing how a certain part of my band connected with them or reminded them of something positive,” she says.
It’s this exchange between sound and feeling—between DJ and listener—that keeps it going. “I just love this so much. I’ll be a DJ till my last days,” says Tasha, whose next stop is in Mumbai.
