Name: Blanka Mazimela
Occupation: DJ, producer
Nationality: South African
Current Release: Blanka Mazimela's Gcwanini (andhim Remix) is out via Get Physical. It features Korus & Sobantwana.
Recommendations: This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin; A song by Nono Nkoane - "Baleka"

If you enjoyed this Blanka Mazimela interview and would like to stay up to date with his music and current live dates, visit him on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, and Soundcloud.



What made it appealing to you to DJ yourself? What was it that you wanted to express and what, did you feel, did you have to add artistically?

I’ve always been fascinated by music blends. The idea of one song blending into the next one harmoniously always aroused my interest.

Furthermore, doing this in an artistic form makes it even better.

Which other DJs were important for your development and what did you learn from them?

Mphoza Fantastik from Cape Town, I really got influenced by his style of playing.

Others would include Fistaz Mixwell, Glen Lewis, Kerri Chandler, Manoo, Louie Vega, Joe Clausell and DJ Christos.

[Read our Louie Vega interview]
[Read our Joe Clausell interview]

What does a great DJ add to the clubbing experience?

They add their soul. A set without a soul does add any value.

Meaning you have to add feelings, enhance the mood and have the ability of telling a real story.

Do you think that DJing creates a new form that can take on the qualities of a composition in its own right? Is this something you strive for?

Yes, I can view a DJ as a composer based on the skill of exerting an emotive experience. A typical song would reach the same outcome.

When digging for music to play at your sets, what do you listen for?

All songs have to tell a story and have feeling. I need a song to make me sad, happy or just hyped up to get an idea of what the reaction from the audience will be.

How would you describe the experience of DJing, physically and mentally? Do you listen – and DJ - with your eyes open or closed?

I always have my eyes closed when playing music for an audience. It becomes an immersive environment for me.

Getting to see live reactions makes it even more pleasing.

How does the decision making process work during a gig with regards to the inclusion of key records, the next transition and where you want the set to go? How far do you tend to plan ahead during a set?

Each environment will always be different. But decisions are made on a track by track basis in order to always have a different mood to each set.

When you're DJing, does it actually feel like you're inventing something on the spot – or are you inventively re-arranging patterns from preparations, practise or previous performances?

It’s always about inventing something on the spot.

Each interaction has its own uniqueness and therefore we can’t do what we did before.

Describe how the presence of audiences/dancers influences your mixing. How do you engage with them?

I look at body language. As soon as I can see movement I engage with them more.

Online DJ mixes, created in the studio as a solitary event, have become ubiquitous. From your experience with the format, how does the experience and the way you DJ change when you subtract the audience?

An online DJ mix is purely about the message that the DJ is trying to send to their audience.

It can be them trying to tell the audience a story about new music or something they haven’t heard before, so it will always be around creating a listening experience whilst educating.

Technology has continually taken on more steps of DJing, producing and other "creative" tasks. From your point of view, where does "technology" end and "creativity" begin? Especially in the light of advances in AI, where do you see the role of humans in DJing versus that of technology?

Because AI can’t have the human touch to a lot of things, the latter will always trump technology.

Technology remains a factor but DJing will always need that human element, as I would put it.

Collaboration is a key part of almost every aspect of music making, but it is still rare in DJing. Do you have an idea why this is? Tell me about your own views on back-to-back DJing, interactions with live musicians or other forms of turning DJing into a more collective process.

Back-to-back only happens well when your energies are aligned and pure. Its two different minds combining for a unique experience.

DJing requires empathy, focus, time management, patience, and vision, among others. Are you finding that the way you play influences the way your life your life and vice versa?

Yes. Every single set is based on all aspects of my life combined. I let off the energy during a set.

DJing for me is a sacred part of my life where I truly don’t want to be disturbed when doing.

Do you feel as though DJing is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

You are letting your inner feelings out through playing music. I think that’s something you cannot explain in a different manner.

Let's imagine you lost all your music for one night and all there is left at the venue is a crate of records containing a random selection of music. How would you approach this set?

Pick one record and test the mood with that. As I’ve mentioned I take it track by track.

But also the fact that I listen to 100 plus records daily also helps my situation because I’ll be familiar with the titles.