Interview with Carla Durisch

Hey Carla, welcome to Music is 4 Lovers! What’s going on in your world?

Thank you for having me! A lot is happening at the moment and I feel a huge momentum – from releasing my first EP as well as my own upcycled T-shirt collection (Pre-loved by Carla <3) and playing at Hi Ibiza. Generally, being able to travel the world thanks to music is amazing. I don`t take it for granted and feel very blessed.

What was the music scene like where you grew up in Zurich? Which local and international artists have inspired your sound?

I grew up in Club Zukunft and went pretty much every weekend. It’s where all my idols played like Theo Parrish, Kerri Chandler, DJ Hell, Gerd Janson among others and where all the local music nerds hang out. 

I feel very honoured to call this club now my resident club, alongside Watergate and Nordstern.

I also moved to Berlin for a couple of years as it is the ‘Mecca’ of Club Music and this definitely helped me to further shape my sound. Panorama Bar on Sundays was basically my school hehe.

 You’ve held residencies at Nordstern, Hive, Watergate and Zukunft, what are some of your most memorable moments?

I always feel honoured if I get to warm up the night. These clubs have trusted me with setting the tone with greats like Ame, Dixon and Solomun. I love to establish the energy for the night – It’s like foreplay, heating people up for what is coming. 

My favourite format is an all-long-long set which I’ve had at Zukunft and Nordstern, in the former I’ve played up to 9 hours and it was incredible.

Or an extended closing set like I had recently at Watergate from 5am to 10am. I just had the best time exploring music throughout the morning.

Congratulations on your recent production debut ‘I Just Wanna Dance’ on Crosstown Rebels. Can you tell us a bit more about the release and your process in the studio?

This EP is very special to me for a lot of reasons. These are the very first tracks I produced in my life and I also made them with dear friends. The vocalist Nanghiti has been a supportive friend, mentor and inspiration to me along my journey as an artist and I’ve learned so much from her. Then, obviously, there is the amazing Seth Troxler who’s become a good friend in recent years.

Learning to produce opened up a whole new world to me and honestly, I wish I started at the same time as I started DJing. Producing music helps me understand the sounds I am playing so much more and it just makes the whole experience more fun and creative. The fact that my EP is out on vinyl on one of the best labels in Dance music is a dream and all in all, an amazing start to what I hope is a long career of making music. 

Regarding my process, I don’t really have one. I just start a ton of tracks all the time and struggle finishing them.. but some tracks just take me in and I have to finish them because I get obsessed with them so that’s when I know that the track is one that I connect with.

How did you hook up with the label? What makes it a good home for your sound?

Crosstown Rebels is just an amazing label that I have been following for years. I think it’s impressive what Damian Lazarus has established over the years, so I was grateful when mutual friends put us in touch.

We hear you’re playing alongside label boss Damian Lazarus this summer in Ibiza, what can you tell us about that?

Playing at Hï in Ibiza with Damian Lazarus and Black Coffee felt surreal. I’ve been going to Ibiza for many years so this was a long time dream come true. I have 2 more dates at Hï this summer, one on July 22 and one in August and I’m so excited to return.

You also recently played at Watergate for Crosstown’s 20 Year Tour! What was that like

Watergate is now one of my residence clubs and I play there about every other month – it’s another well-reputed and established institution in our scene so I am honoured to be part of it.

The record features a killer remix from US DJ/producer Seth Troxler, whom you also refer to as a friend and mentor. How did you guys first meet and how has he impacted and influenced your growth as an artist?

I first met Seth when I was opening up for him during an open air a few Summers ago. Later he fell in love with one of my best friends and I’m honoured to be the godmother of their son. Seth doing a remix for me is huge because I’ve been looking up to him and the Detroit artists my whole life.

Thanks for joining us today Carla, it’s been a pleasure having you. Lastly, what else have you got coming up this year?

Thank you! More music, more merch and more of everything hehe so stay tuned.

Follow Carla on

Instagram – Soundcloud – Facebook