Coffee Break With Tony Y Not

Tony y Not’s rousing blends of sounds are as razor sharp as she is. She bounces between clean and upbeat rhythms to dark synths and acidy disco. A DJ, producer and cosmic event planner, she whips up unapologetic musical cocktails geared to make you move. We had a little virtual chat with her on the occasion of her summer Europe tour & ahead of her set at London’s fabric with Melodic Diggers (end of this month).

Hey Mimi, it’s nice to have a little chat with you today! How are you doing and what are your plans for the day?

Thank you so much for having me. I am well. I am currently in the plane from Zurich to Berlin. I am playing at the Bachstelzen / Panne Eichel stage at Fusion Festival tomorrow, which is a dream coming true - I am very excited to say the least.

Hailing from Germany, what would you say inspired you to move to New York City and what do you think of the scene in the US?

It’s weird to say with the things that have been going on in America but I do love the country so much. My sister, who is 14 years older than me, lived in New York in the 90s and 2000s. Every time she came home to visit, she brought me CDs of the latest coolest albums from artists like The Fugees and Jamiroquai. I remember being 11 years old and listening to those albums on my Sony Walkman. I think that’s when I decided I want to move there because in my head she was representing New York through her experience. But for real, the US means freedom for me. No one cares where you are from and everyone minds their own business - I just feel the total liberty to unfold myself creatively. 8 years later I still think New York is the best place in the world.

When was your first introduction to dance music and how did you get into DJing and producing?

I was into House as a teenager already and have always been a musician and wrote songs but funny enough my first ever rave I went to was at Watergate 2013. Then everything moved really fast. I was always the one putting playlists together and burning CDs for everyone but really wanted to learn how to mix. A couple of friends who were doing events taught me how to mix and then shortly after that, I taught myself producing music on Ableton with a lot of YouTube videos.

Who would you say are your biggest music inspirations?

It constantly changes because what I find inspiring can be different from day to day. I really like indie electro bands like Chromatics. Music that is really emotional but has some outstanding synth lines. Johnny Jewel really knows his stuff for example and that is really inspiring. However, the most inspiring for me is when I see female presenting artists rocking it. We are still so unrepresented and it gives me a big creative push when I see some ladies on stage killing it like Jennifer Cardini, Tijana T, HAAi and many many many more. Going against the status Bro!

I also have to say now that I am totally sober when I play, I get a whole new and different wave of inspiration and motivation. To be totally clear and connect with the crowd with nothing to numb myself is pure love and euphoria. That for me is pure inspiration.

What does a typical day in the studio look like for you?

I probably start off listening to some music that I like, to get in the mood. The day after a good show is probably the day I am itching to produce the most because I just played and listened to fabulous music with an amazing crowd reaction. That wants me to create more of that. I have a studio but because I am travelling so much, I work mostly in the box.

I also want to be fully transparent here that lately I am having a hard time finding the creativity and motivation to make music and that’s okay. We can’t all produce amazing stuff all day long and creativity comes in phases. Transparency about the not so positive things in the day-to-day is really important to me because social media presents a false imagine of what is actually going on in someones life and that can have a negative impact on oneself and others in terms of mental health. But that is probably a topic for another question.

Your favourite plugins to work with?

I truly love everything by Arturia. All their plug-ins sound so good, are easy to navigate and really capture the true sound of whatever hardware they are representing. I love the Mini V and have been using it for years. Another absolute go-to is the FabFilter Twin 2.

The latest piece of gear you acquired?

I bought the Behringer Poly D but to be honest haven’t used it much, so I am thinking of selling it again. My favourite piece of gear is the classic Moog Sub 37. I love the sound and touch of hardware and I know some people are very particular about it but I don’t use hardware too much because like I said, I am travelling so much, I mostly use VSTs.

You recently released ’Your Exile In My Mind’ on Live At Robert Johnson. What is the story behind this EP?

All tree tracks have a totally different meaning. Your Exile In My Mind is about a person that is hard to forget and I wanted to get them out of my head - so to say they had their exile in my mind and were living there. Full Circle is about someone that used to be a friend and I am coming to conclusion with what have happened between us. The War Is Over But The Fight Goes On is not about the war in the Ukraine and was written before the war even started. It is about the covid pandemic and how the war of it is almost over but the fight is still going on for a lot of us, dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic. Obviously, this is about my Long

Covid experience that I have been battling with for the last three years. As you can see, writing music for me is about processing emotions and hard times.

What VSTs or gear did you use to produce these tracks?

I used the plug-ins and gear I mentioned above. I would have to check what I have exactly used on each of them but I also love to use u-he’s Diva and Zebra2. My favourite reverb plugin that I use on all my tracks is the FabFilter Pro-R and of course the Soundtoys plugins.

You created a podcast, ‘Safe Spaces Series’, where you talk about mental health in nightlife and interview actors of the scene. Could you tell us a bit more about it?

Yes, I am very proud of this baby. Mental health in nightlife isn’t a topic that is really talked about so much. After realising how many of my colleagues are struggling with working in nightlife and the negative impact of social media, drug consumption and other things, I made a mission to make mental health a bigger topic and spread awareness. I’ve had my own fair share of battling anxiety and some health issues but with a lot of hard work I am feeling so much better and I want others to know that there are ways out of these mental states. The guests that I have had like Each Other, Louisahhh, Coloray, Judith van Waterkant (and many others) have shared so much valuable information with telling their own stories and some of my guests are true experts in this field. There are amazing tools to be shared within the community and raise awareness. I always say if this podcast helps just one person to feel better, then that’s all I need from it. The feedback has been absolutely amazing.

Any places you are looking forward to play this summer?

I am really looking forward to the gig at fabric in London with you. Playing there has been a dream and I am finally making my debut. There is something about the UK crowd really knowing about music and you can tell that everyone dancing is a music expert.

We are excited to see you in London this July, for a Fabric Room 2 curated by Melodic Diggers, together with ANII and Just Lauren. What was your most recent experience playing in London?

Gosh, the last and only time I played in London was at The Cause in December 2019. I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to be back in the UK.

Rumor says you also have a release coming on Fabric Records. Could you tell us about it?

Yes I am very excited and have heard the tracks of the other artists on the compilation and I can tell you, I am in very very good company. Seeing my name next to them makes me feel very privileged.

And last but not least: coffee or tea?

I actually don’t drink coffee but I appreciate a nice and spicy ginger tea.

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