Helena Hauff in India: ‘It’s Going To Be Fun, Fast, Funky, Humorous And Brutal’

For someone who has been going hard with performing around the world and releasing music constantly, German DJ/producer Helena Hauff decided for the first time in six years to take a month off this past January. Revitalized and full of energy, the electronica artist is now all geared up to get back behind the decks. After shows in Holland, Belgium and France recently, Hauff’s next stops are in New Delhi on February 27th and in Mumbai on February 29th as part of event agency Milkman’s electronic music festival Terminal 1 and at Bengaluru’s Sriracha 2020 on March 1st.  

Hauff gained acclaim with stripped-down techno and electro tracks informed by elements of acid music, EBM and industrial music from her vast vinyl collection. “It’s all about the energy,” she says from her home in Hamburg. Hauff’s gritty sound stems from the fact that she doesn’t fancy music when it’s too polished to please people. “I like music being wild. As a DJ, I enjoy combining cleaner, more scientific tracks with rougher ones. I find the contrast interesting and it helps to build up energy.”

In 2007, she started going to clubs more often. After buying her first decks a couple of years later, there was no turning back. “I knew really quickly that I wanted to make music myself and also DJ.” Growing up in Hamburg, the deep house music scene of the city was a huge influence for Hauff. The electronica artist also attended local record stores/labels such as Smallville and Dial’s parties, plus the city-based Golden Pudel Club, where she performed regularly as a young artist.  

Ask Hauff about her sets and she says, “Because I play vinyl only I have to preplan my sets to some extent.” Her record bag can fit around 50 LPs, which means if she plays for three hours, she is “probably going to end up playing almost all of the records.” However, the DJ tells us that she doesn’t plan a set ahead of time and instead plays off the vibe of the venue, the time slot of her performance and also what the previous artist has played. “I never know what it’s going to feel like before,” she says. 

Hauff has previously performed at Rajasthan’s Magnetic Fields Festival in 2016 and also did a three-city tour of India in 2018. What is it about India that makes Hauff keep coming back? She says, “The people in India are fantastic. The crowds always seem very energetic and seem really open-minded too. They seem to be interested in a lot of different genres of electronic music which makes it fun to play for them.”

After releasing her Living With Ants EP last year, we learn that Hauff is currently working on collaborations with the likes of electronica artist Morah, German alternative outfit Children Of Leir and electro/techno artist The Exaltics. Hauff says, “I haven’t done any collaborations for a long time and started to miss it.” For what to expect at her upcoming performances in India, she says, “It’s going to be fun, fast, funky, humorous and brutal. I’m going to play a lot of electro and acid-techno.”

Click here to buy tickets for electronic music festival Terminal 1 in Mumbai from February 28th to March 1st.