Cailín
DJ | Producer
Cailín is an Irish DJ, producer and self-professed ‘vinyl snob’ and in her case, this is definitely a good thing. The Waterford-based artist has been building her record collection for the last 12 years, amounting to a packed selection of electronic music. But it's a multitude of techno and varied mutations of the genre that make up the bones of her discography.
Having started to collect records and mix as a hobby, Cailín soon branched out into the local scene via a college DJ society back in 2009. It wasn’t long before she became fully intrigued with the craft of mixing, followed by the all-consuming habit of searching for more records and falling into many rabbit-holes on Discogs and in Irish record shops. Every piece of vinyl in Cailín’s collection is a marker along the road of her journey in DJing and more recently, producing, and it’s for this reason that she has truly come into her own as an artist.
An ongoing residency with the Irish techno collective Subject and the club District 8 has helped shape her sonic approach and has allowed her to play across the country and beyond. Support for Dave Clarke, Rebekah, Paula Temple, Jeff Mills, I Hate Models, Ben Sims and many more at Berlin’s Tresor, ://about blank, Griessmuehle, ADE’s Dockyard Festival, Dublin’s Index and District 8, Belfast-based AVA and DSNT shows, festival’s Boxed Off and Life, and a particularly rowdy Boiler Room at Higher Vision Festival amongst many more gigs all made up Cailín’s diary just before Covid-19 arrived.
The pandemic has proven difficult at times for Cailín. But still, she remains optimistic about the future and explains why the below memory is both a positive and thought-provoking one for several reasons…
Photo: Bastien Réau
Where was this photo taken and why did you choose it? What was the music vibe at the time?
This photo was taken at District 8 on the 14th of February this year. I was supporting I Hate Models and I was playing techno - not too deep, not too hard. I chose this photo because it was taken just a little under a month before shit got really real with the pandemic in Ireland.
It serves as a chilling reminder of how life can put you on your arse whenever it pleases. This was a particularly special gig with an excellent crowd and was a taster of what 2020 could have been. I had a lot of really amazing gigs lined up. But it also reminds me of how far I have come. I smile when I see it knowing what's waiting for me when normal life resumes.
What kind of tunes are you listening to at home at the moment?
I find myself putting on reggae and hip hop most of the time. I'm on a sort of 100bpm and under buzz lately. I've also been revisiting old essential mixes from the 90s and 00s and DJ mixes I had on repeat in my teens before I started DJing.
Earlier this year, you shared a snippet from your upcoming EP which you hinted will drop in 'the first half of 2020'. Can you tell us anything further about the release?
Yes! I can finally share that my EP ‘Phantom Love Affair’ will drop in July as the first release on Gurriers, a techno focused sub-label of All City Records. It would have been out sooner only for the pandemic but I'm just happy it’s finally happening.
Have you found any unexpected positives from living in the 'new normal'?
The pandemic has its benefits. It has given me time to slow down, to do things in my own time and not feel under pressure always working against the clock. I had a pretty big to-do list that was always growing, but I'm making my way through it now. This has made it easier to be creative in the studio and apply myself to music-related tasks. Right now I'm in the middle of revising and reorganising my record collection.
What's your ideal post-pandemic day and night celebration?
I'm hoping Fuinneamh 2020 will be just that!
Any tips on how to look after your mind and body during this time, as well as trying to stay motivated as an artist?
YOGA & MEDITATION
I meditate and do some yoga almost everyday. They are the two greatest life skills anyone could acquire in my opinion.
DIET & EXERCISE
This one will sound a bit cliché but a good diet and exercise are so important too. It’s essential to get the endorphins flowing during hard times and good food literally lifts your spirits.
That is pretty much what has kept me motivated as an artist, along with a refreshed desire to get back on stage and further my career. I never took any gig I played for granted and having that part of my life taken away, albeit temporary, has made my hunger for that life even stronger. I intend on hitting the ground running when this passes.
Listen to Cailín mix for Feel My Bicep here and follow her below: