The 20th podcast from the Hipodrome Series makes a premiere, is actually the first female dj that has a podcast on our site. Roxxete aka Roxana Zangar is a young dj from Cluj, but she is making a name for herself for quite some years already. Her style is very melodic, strongly rhythmic, with great attention to detail. With a strong curiosity for the spiritual side of music, she believes in sharing her feelings, moods and beliefs through sound.

Please describe your mix. What was the idea behind it?

While digging for some new and interesting sounds, I stumbled upon the idea of putting these tracks together in a podcast for Hipodrome, considering that they fitted well into the sort of sound that is to be expected from Hipodrome. The set is a combination of strong rhythms, dirty acid lines and let’s not forget the soul…

How, when, where it was done and what should we expect?

The mix was made with Live, just last week, at a home studio in Sibiu. Expect some old school flavor.

Even-though you are very young, you are djing already for some years. How did you start playing music?

I’ve been surrounded by djs since my early teens, and already having built up a sizeable music collection (mostly digital), I got curious about blending this music using dj software such as Virtual DJ, followed by Traktor. When I was 18, a dj friend of mine suggested that I enter a dj competition that I later got selected for and so I got to play in front of a big crowd for the first time. I had loads of fun playing that set and I felt that this something I should explore more. I only started my career some years later after moving to Cluj to attend university and hanging out with different crews, trying to get some gigs in order to get heard and noticed. After a while I just sort of took on a path of my own, as I steadily dug deeper into the more underground side of things.

Please describe your music style and what we should expect from you when you are playing.

On the whole, my music style is quite varied and mostly depends on the sounds that I am into at any given time. When I’m playing, I usually start building a story/vibe and then build on top of that with energetic peaks and eclectic lows throughout the set.

Do you have some favorite djs/producers? How did you discover them and how did they influence you?

I am more inclined towards the influences coming from the Chicago, Detroit and Berlin scenes, among others, and it has been like this for the past 2-3 years. I know that I am just beginning to scratch the surface, but there are a few characteristics that I really love about this style, like its grittiness and human touch. I have some roots in Hip Hop as well, so the progression towards black “house” culture came quite natural. Like with all djs, the whole process of digging employs different methods that produce a variety of different results. Influences are things that are quite organic for djs. I believe that all sounds that I take notice of and enjoy, influence me in one way or another.

You are living in Cluj. Do you think there are enough opportunities for talented young djs in Cluj?

To be perfectly honest, I prefer gigs outside of Cluj, partly becaus, sadly, the whole scene in Cluj seems quite saturated with newcomers, some of which cut corners to get into the spotlight, missing the essence of what it means to be a true selector, and thus setting false standards that club owners tend to stick with. This is detrimental to a professional dj who chooses to offer quality over quantity.

Today we have a premiere on Hiprodrome. You are the first female dj having a podcast in our series. How it is being a female dj?

Obviously, this craft is dominated by the male presence, but I honestly don’t see any differences in the way that I am treated by promoters or fellow artists.

Many people are producing music because it’s a good promotion tool. What are your plans regarding production?

This question has come at the right moment because I have just recently started to really get into the technical side of things, in regards to music, and this will undoubtedly open the door towards music production. I don’t consider it as just a promotion tool, though. It’s a means of a more detailed expression through sound.

What do you listen to besides electronic music?

Most of the time I spend listening to music is dedicated to electronic, but I also still enjoy long hours of listening to hip-hop, on a regular basis.

What do you do in your free time? Do you have some unusual hobbies?

Since, making a living out of being a dj is near impossible these days, I also have a day job, so the free time I have, I tend to dedicate to music. I also enjoy going out to parties and raves quite often, because the underground scene in Cluj offers good quality events on a regular basis.

Tracklist:
1. Metropolis – Black Motor Boogie
2. Steppin’ Wolf – W.K.
3. Hinode – Preliminal Session
4. DJ Phlowgod – Satellite
5. Demuja – Freedom
6. Kask – Periferia [X-Kalay]
7. Drexciya – Bang-Bang
8. Gosub – My Stars or Yours (Feat. Mr X)
9. Identified Patient – M.G.D
10. Tyson Ballard – All Day
11. Aroy Dee – Soul Searcher
12. Stephen Lopkin – Theme from SAPL
13. Raär – Sometimes I Hear Sirens