Name: Sanna La Fleur Engdahl aka La Fleur
Nationality: Swedish
Occupation: Producer, DJ
Current release: La Fleur's debut album VÄSEN is out now on [PIAS] Électronique. Get it here.
 
If you enjoyed this La Fleur interview and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, tiktok, and Facebook.  



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

When I listen to music, it feels like my entire body becomes a vessel for the sound. It’s almost like the music moves through me, and I can feel it physically, not just emotionally. I often get goosebumps or feel this deep connection in my chest.

I usually listen with my eyes closed, especially when I’m deep in the creative process, but I also listen as if I was in a club or festival stage full of people.

But there are times when I keep my eyes open, too, especially when I'm watching a crowd and feeling their vibe during a set.

How do listening with headphones and listening through a stereo system change your experience of sound and music?

Listening with headphones is intimate—like the music is happening inside your head, revealing every detail and texture. It’s very different if I prefer stereo or headphones, it all depends on the scene and context.

With a stereo system, the music fills the room, creating a bigger, more physical experience, with bass and energy you can feel. Just like being at a club, which I’ve obviously been many times, it’s a recognizable setting. It’s more social and connected to the space around you.

Both offer unique vibes depending on the mood.

Do you experience strong emotional responses towards certain sounds? If so, what kind of sounds are these and do you have an explanation about the reasons for these responses?

Yes, I do experience strong emotional responses and am very sensitive to sounds. It can be very powerful as putting on a certain record can completely change my mood.

I remember when I was in my teenage years, if I was sad or angry, I had certain records I could put on and I just knew I would have a good cry. I am very sensitive to noises or sounds I don’t like, they can really disturb me and I can feel nauseous. At the same time, hearing a track that triggers joy in me really can change my mood instantly.

When I discovered house music, there was a lot of happiness and feel good feeling in it which I was very drawn to. I’m a sucker for deep basslines, warm pads, and melodic elements that often trigger something powerful in me. There’s something about a rich, deep and rolling bassline that feels grounding, like it connects me to the crowd.

A great vocal has always done the trick as well. Nothing gives you goosebumps like a vocal that resonates through the crowd. That’s also why I wanted to record vocals for my own music and did so with my latest single ‘All I Ever Wanted’.

There can be sounds which feel highly irritating to us and then there are others we could gladly listen to for hours. Do you have examples for either one or both of these?

For me, high-pitched, repetitive noises like a loud, screeching alarm or a constant dripping tap can be really grating. These sounds often create a sense of discomfort or stress because they’re intrusive and don’t offer much variation.

On the flip side, I could listen to the gentle, rhythmic pulse of a deep bassline or the smooth, rolling waves of ambient music for hours. Sounds like a soft rain or a distant, melodic synth have a calming effect and can be incredibly immersive, creating a relaxing or meditative atmosphere.

Are there everyday places, spaces, or devices which intrigue you by the way they sound? Which are these?

Absolutely! Nature is full of sounds that fascinate me. The sound of birds chirping at dawn, especially in the early morning when everything is still, has this calming yet energizing effect. The calming way water sounds also has a soothing and almost therapeutic effect on me.

A lot of my new album ‘Väsen’ has also been inspired from nature and my everyday surroundings.

What are among your favourite spaces to play your music?

As a DJ, I’ve played in many different settings, clubs, festivals and sound systems, Watergate, fabric or Warung, they’re all different and special in their own way because of their incredible sound systems and the energy of the crowd. The intimacy of a club setting, where the audience is close and the sound feels all-encompassing, really elevates the experience for both the artist and the listeners.

And on the other hand, festivals, to play outdoors where both I, the music and crowd can feel free and choose how close you want to be, under the free sky, it’s also magic.

My track ‘Your Move’ is a perfect example of something that works in different spaces and literally encourages the listener to make a move.



Do music and sound feel “material” to you? Does working with sound feel like you're sculpting or shaping something?

Yes, music and sound absolutely feel material to me.

When I’m creating or mixing, it feels like I’m shaping something tangible, almost like sculpting with sound waves. Each element - basslines, melodies, percussion - has its own weight and texture, and I’m constantly adjusting, moulding, and balancing them to create the right vibe or energy.

Sound isn’t just something you hear; it’s something you can feel and manipulate, like an invisible substance you’re shaping into form. It’s a very hands-on, creative process that feels as physical as it is emotional.

How important is sound for our overall well-being and in how far do you feel the "acoustic health" of a society or environment is reflective of its overall health?

Very important. We are so much more affected by sounds than we think we are. Different frequencies resonate and trigger parts of our cells and energy. Even if I often would like to diminish sounds around me, I’d still want to be able to hear everything.

But we also need to treat our public places with better sound isolation. Public institutions, restaurants, café or bars - places where people often tend to go - could learn a lot from acoustic-experts working with sound at underground clubs.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds?

I love the sound of a forest. It’s like it whispers comforting words to you.

I have a strong memory of when I was a child and me and my father were out for a walk in the forest just next to our house. We laid down in the moss looking up at the majestic pine trees, or the nordic palm trees as my father would call them, just laying there in the quiet, looking up at the blue sky between the treetops, being held by the ground and listening to the forest whispering that everything was like it should be.

I felt like I was one with nature.


La Fleur Interview Image (c) the artist

Many animals communicate through sound. Based either on experience or intuition, do you feel as though interspecies communication is possible and important? Is there a creative element to it, would you say?

I would say humans also very much communicate via sound. And even more so non-sounds, no words.

I grew up in the countryside surrounded with animals and I always felt I could communicate easier with them than humans. Eyes and energy don't lie.

Tinnitus and developing hyperacusis are very real risks for anyone working with sound. Do you take precautions in this regard and if you're suffering from these or similar issues – how do you cope with them?

I definitely take precautions. As a DJ I always bring my custom-made ear-plugs for protection of my ears. I always use earplugs when attending events with high volume levels. I also take breaks to give my ears time to rest, especially after long sessions in the studio or during gigs.

So far, I haven’t experienced tinnitus or hyperacusis, but I’m very aware of how easily it can happen. If I ever notice early signs, I’d focus on reducing exposure to loud sounds and take more time to care for my hearing.

We can surround us with sound every second of the day. The great pianist Glenn Gould even considered this the ultimate delight. How do you see that yourself and what importance does silence hold?

I love being surrounded by sound, but I also think silence is just as important. That was an important goal for me when moving back to Sweden after 12 years in Berlin. To get more silence during the day.

Silence gives space for reflection and resets your senses, allowing you to appreciate sound even more when it returns. It helps me recharge creatively and keeps my relationship with music fresh whenever I walk into a club or studio.

Seth S. Horowitz called hearing the “universal sense” and emphasised that it was more precise and faster than any of our other senses, including vision. How would our world be different if we paid less attention to looks and listened more instead?

If we paid more attention to listening and less to looks, our world might be more attuned to the nuances of human experience and communication.

Sound carries a lot of information that visuals can’t always convey - emotional tones, the subtleties of voice, the atmosphere of a place. We might become more empathetic, understanding each other’s emotions and intentions more deeply.