Q&A with Cassy, Playing at the Electric Pickle on Saturday

​Despite the hordes of electronic dance music artists living and working out of Berlin -- natives and foreign transplants alike -- few embody the spirit and sound of Berlin's contemporary EDM scene as fully as DJ/producer Cassy. Born Catherine Britton in England to a Caribbean father and Austrian mother, Cassy got her start performing as a guest vocalist on Elin's "Music Takes Me Higher" on Sabotage Records in 1999. Soon after she got bit by the techno bug and began honing her skills behind the decks.

By 2003 she made the move to Berlin, where she's staked her reputation as one of the city's most formidable DJs and most forward-thinking producers, with releases on the Cocoon, Minus, Get Physical, and Perlon imprints. Blending elegant atmospheric textures with understated rhythms and a distinctive soulful vocal style, Cassy sounds something like a futuristic minimal techno Sade. Her residencies at the esteemed Berghain and Panorama Bar nightclubs have made her a staple of Berlin's late-night scene, and in 2006 she was invited to mix Panorama Bar's debut club offering. Fast-forward to 2009 and Cassy is once again spearheading a new compilation mix, In the Mix - Simply Devotion, this time for the prestigious Cocoon label, and supported by a North American tour that fortunately for us includes a stop by the Electric Pickle on Saturday. This one's an early bird special starting in the afternoon, so be sure you make it in time for Cassy's set!

Cassy at Electric Pickle, with Will Renuart, Alejandro Sab, Michael Christopher and Basti. Saturday, November 21. 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m. 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami.  

Check out Crossfade's brief Q&A with Cassy after the jump.

New Times: How did you first get into music and what are your ongoing musical influences and inspirations?

Cassy: I actually can't really remember. I have always loved music or been listening to music or had music lessons of some sort. Life and people seem to be my ongoing inspiration.

There's a distinctive signature style to your productions which includes a lyrical vocal approach unique for the so-called minimal techno genre. What is your typical process when creating a track?

Beat, sounds and voice.

You were invited to mix Panorama Bar's debut album offering in 2006 and now Cocoon's latest DJ compilation mix in 2009 -- your DJ accolades clearly speak for themselves. What do you think makes a good DJ?

A good DJ is someone who can invite people and indulge them, and make them listen to something they love and introduce them to something new. A good DJ is someone who has a significant style.

What can you tell us about living/working in Berlin and how that city has shaped your musical career?

I've always loved Berlin. It's a great city to hang out in. I really enjoy living here. It's a bigger city with a very relaxed atmosphere. The rent is cheap and therefore it's perfect for artists to live in.

You're currently touring North America in support of your new mix release on Cocoon, In the Mix - Simply Devotion. What can you tell us about this mix and the track selections?

Well it's a mix of some my favourite artists and favourite sounds. It's a housey mix. Something you can listen to at home or in the car. It's not solely clubby. Just a little bit. It includes younger artists who I adore. So i am really happy it got together so smoothly.

What does the future have in store for Cassy?

A lot of great experiences hopefully!