Morphena
DJ
‘Morphena’. The name rolls off the tongue, and much like her sound, the Argentinian DJ and producer uses the smooth melodies of dreamy trance, spirited house and winding, far-away vocals to build her sets and create her version of sonic utopia in any situation.
Currently based in Berlin, Morphena managed to avoid the trap of falling into cycles of non-partying and kept her vision in line with what she set out to achieve after leaving her native city of Buenos Aires. Immersing herself in Berlin’s rich culture of electronic music, events and all the creative individuals who ride the same wave of making music, DJing and curating parties for specific audiences in the German capital, Morphena joined up with No Shade’s training program. The collective runs club nights and DJ training workshops for female, non-binary and trans DJs, and it was here that Morphena met like-minded individuals and continued to build her sound and confidence as an artist.
Morphena's recent set on HÖR for No Shade's takeover is a glimpse into her galactic library, and via her ‘Lush Dreams’ radio show on MISC.WAV FM, you can expect to be guided through R’n’B meets jungle, ambient, 90’s garage and more, seeping through your ears and snuggling into your subconscious.
The below memory is a hazy recollection of an after-hours which Morphena describes in more detail, as well as how she has adjusted to the unpredictable nature in the last few months and where she sees her path in music heading…
Photo: Unknown
Where was this photo taken and why did you choose it?
It was taken in Madrid, in an after-hours, after my friends Tuck Tapes played at CARBS. We have a friends group that is split between Madrid and Berlin, and the ones who lived in Berlin travelled specially for this party, but we knew that the real magic starts in the afters, having in mind that parties in Spain finish at 6 AM approx…
I chose this picture cause I feel it is the one that represents most of the energy that was there at the time, I actually uploaded it to Instagram with the caption ‘a lot of beautiful things going on here’, not to mention the nicest people also. In terms of music, we generally vibrate to cosmic/trancey progressive house, some UK garage and my favourite, Italo disco.
How have you been over the last few months?
We are in a weird year, with so many things happening (and not happening…) so I feel there is a general sadness below everything. I'm super grateful to be in Berlin because even though clubs and concerts are cancelled (which is a big part of my life) I can still go to work, meet my friends, even travel.
Meanwhile Argentina, where I come from, is in total lockdown since March, and it makes me feel sad for my friends and family. I actually went there for holidays in March and I ended up staying for 3 months of quarantine, so that was pretty upsetting but at least I could be with my family.
Do you miss Argentina now that you can't travel there for the time being? If so, what do you miss about it? Or perhaps you don't miss it at all...
As I said, I went for holidays and ended up staying, but because I came from Germany I had to put myself into lockdown the third day after I arrived. So, in conclusion, I do miss Argentina cause even though I was there I couldn't see or enjoy being with my friends, even being in Buenos Aires!
After living one year abroad I started to appreciate a lot of things about my city and country, especially after four months of winter. It is a really beautiful place, it has a special aura, like the trees always moving with the wind and the birds singing, people shouting, the smell of warm concrete, etc. - just home-town sensations I guess. But nonetheless, I still choose Berlin for other reasons.
The electronic music scene has changed drastically since the pandemic began but what about your own taste in music - has it remained the same or have you found yourself listening to different genres outside of dance music?
Actually, that is exactly what happened. I started not so long ago to dive in the dance music world, I think it is a gate that once you open, it transforms you (along with raving) and then you cannot hear other music with the same ears. But anyways, I like all sorts of music, and it was nice to have a break and listen to more acoustic things, specially cause if you are in lockdown and you are not actually liberating all that energy through raving, it can create a bit of anxiety.
At least I needed to have my chill moments, and actually reconnect with all that I haven't been listening to because I was more focused in other genres. Music is something that you will always have the possibility to learn more about, more genres, more history, more technical aspects, etc.
In terms of dancefloor orientated music I'm understanding more and more what resonates most with me (and it doesn't have to do much with genres!), so one thing that I can be grateful to the pandemic is for giving me time to dig so much and also to produce a lot.
As an artist, what do you think the future is looking like for you and also the culture of clubs and nightlife in Berlin?
That's a tough one honestly. Unfortunately I don't think we will get back to normality so soon. Probably next year, and with a lot of precautions, but I think all of this will pass and we will appreciate even more those spaces that we used to have. Luckily here in Berlin we can do gatherings and even parties in woods (until the police come…), so that illegal-rave spirit is resurfacing again (I'm hoping).
For me personally it was weird cause I was starting to get more gigs and to grow as a DJ and then Corona happened, but actually in some way those things didn't stop, cause I played in virtual raves, I started a residency in a radio (shout out MISC.WAV FM!), I did a lot of mixes and production and when I came back to Berlin, I played in a party in Hasenheide (a park in Kreuzberg where a lot of raves/gatherings are happening) and the other day I played at HÖR. My point is that even with all the limitations that we have, we have a need to do things, to do art, to keep on expressing ourselves and connecting with each other.
What has been a constant source of comfort for you throughout this time?
Well, as the first year in Berlin was quite hectic I feel like I wasn't taking so much care of my health and body as I used to, because I literally didn't have time. To ground myself I really need to move my body, do yoga, training, etc. And I'm super happy because now I have a great friend of mine guiding me in this process of self-discovery through the body. I realised that is the base for everything you want to do, work, career, etc. At least for me. Otherwise I get too mentally absorbed.
And of course my beautiful friends in Berlin, Madrid and Buenos Aires (and around the globe!). I have a lot of nice people around me luckily. Also I find a lot of comfort reading about psychology, spirituality, history, politics. Basically things that connect me with being human. It is important to stay connected these times...
Listen to Morphena’s latest Lush Dreams mix for [MISC.WAV FM] here and follow her below: