Contributing WriterMha Iri is a Scottish based techno artist who really is making a name for herself over the last 18 months, and was the biggest selling female artist on Beatport for hard techno in 2023. We caught up with her recently to find out more…
Hey Mhairi, how has 2024 started off for you so far?
It’s been a great year so far and definitely my biggest yet in terms of gigs. I’m also at a really nice place in my home life and love being near my family and having relaxing time with my partner when I’m not on the road or in the studio.
What drew you to techno in the first place?
I grew up listening to hard house and trance and started attending illegal techno raves when I was a teenager. I loved the community feel and non judgemental atmosphere as well as the music so I gradually became more involved with it.
And what is the aim with your music, what do you want it to convey first and foremost?
My aim is to take people away from their everyday worries or pressures of life for a few moments, whether they are dancing to my tracks in a club or festival or sitting listening at home. This life can be tough and complicated but I think music can allow us to be in the present which is truly a gift itself.
Do you feel an extra weight of expectation as a female in the dance music industry?
I think a few years ago I definitely felt I had to prove myself more but with experience and developing a thicker skin, I’ve come to realise that I really don’t need to do that. If people make assumptions about me because I am female then that’s something they are projecting from within themselves and that doesn’t need to concern me. I’m really glad to see there are women smashing it in the industry and that there is also a rise in the number of female producers. I think it’s a wonderful thing.
Who did you look up to as inspiration or for representation when you were coming up?
I really admire and respect artists who remain humble and treat others kindly and I think great examples of these artists are Carl Cox and Amelie Lens. They both seem like very nice people and down to earth whilst being complete powerhouses. I think that’s such a good example to set in the scene.
How was the set at Drumsheds for the Drumcode event? How did you approach it, and was it your first time at the venue?
It was my first time and it was super fun thank you. The venue itself is just fantastic and absolutely huge. I had an earlier set so I played a few more melodic emotional tracks as well as some harder tracks in between to balance the energy. I also played a number of my own tracks which I do now at every gig and it was lovely to see the positive reaction from the crowd. London crowds always give really nice energy so I had a lot of fun.
What was your favourite moment of the night?
I really enjoyed seeing Stephan Bodzin play in the main room. The visuals were fantastic and he just exudes pure passion when he performs. It was delightful.
Do huge shows and sets like that inspire you to go home and make more music?
Making music for me is a personal thing and I tend to draw inspiration from my own personal life rather than huge shows. They inspire me in different ways but not in music creation.
What else have you got coming up for the rest of the year that you can share?
I’ll be debuting at Awakenings Main Stage for the Summer festival and that’s been on my bucket list since I started my career so that will be very special for me. And I am also playing at Tomorrowland which again, is a dream of mine, so it’s very much a year of ticking off some serious goals. I’m absolutely pumped for it.
Download Drumcode compilation here
Follow:
https://www.facebook.com/Mhairi.UK
https://www.instagram.com/mha_iri_official/
https://soundcloud.com/mha_iri