dig dis!cover with Sylvie Miles

Hi, good to see you. How are you and are you in your studio right now?
I'm fine, thanks for asking. Yeah, you can actually see my little studio right now, which is also my living room. It's pretty basic, but I'm planning to invest in better equipment. Everything works well at the moment, but I'd like to have a better quality microphone or some nicer headphones.

That's interesting! And how do you usually start producing your music?
I usually start with a melody and then build everything around it. Sometimes I just start experimenting until something good comes out. Or I start with vocals. I don't really have any routines, but it's usually the case that I have some melody in my head that I can't stop thinking about and then I like to bring it to life.

You mentioned that you only want to use your vocals for your own productions. What is the reason for this?
I want my voice to remain unique to my tracks to create a unique selling point. I get a lot of requests, but if I sang everywhere, it would dilute my uniqueness. Also, I get asked really often if I want to contribute vocals, like every few days really and if I’d always take on these requests then I'd just be recording vocals all day.

You've released on labels like Stadtpalava Records, Animarum Recordings, Space Kraft Recordings and most recently Rave The Planet. How did these releases come about? And what was your experience of sending out demos so far?
Most of my releases have come through contacts, either through friends or artists I've met over the years. Most recently also through my agency, which is very well networked. My contact with Animarum came via Instagram. I was still a real no-name at the time and Patrick was keen on my vocals and that's how the collab came about. I never thought that the track ‚We all Unite‘ would go through the roof. I'm also pretty happy that I didn't have to go through the whole thing of sending out demos too many times, as it can be pretty unsatisfactory because you don't get a response that often.

Your label launch with "neophilia records" is coming up! How did it come about that you wanted to start your own label?
Founding my own label is definitely a dream come true. It also makes releasing music much easier, as I have a very specific style and it's not so easy to find the right label to go with it. And I generally don't want to have to wait ages for my tracks to be released. I don't want to end up in the begging position of having to release my music. And it's also much easier that way, because you can do everything at your own pace. Another advantage is of course that I have full control over all the income. Unfortunately it can happen that a label doesn't pay you out as an artist.

Is there a story behind why you named the label “neophilia records”?
My boyfriend came up with the idea. I was looking for a name and he suggested it to me. When he explained the meaning to me, I knew straight away that it was perfect. It describes my aversion to everything that is standard and I express that in my music. I don't follow what others do; I have my own rules. I always wanted to create something new and felt the need to move away from traditional paths. That's why the name of the label fitted my vision and style of music perfectly.

How did you come across dig dis!
I've only heard positive feedback about you. I've already met a few people from the music industry and no matter who I ask, they all say "go to dig dis! That's the best and you're in the best hands there. So it was an obvious choice for me right from the start. I didn't even think much about whether I should go somewhere else.

How did you get into music and who are your musical role models?
I've actually always been interested in music, but I got into it much later. I started out as an insurance administrator and quickly realized that it wasn't my world. I needed a creative outlet, so I decided to go into music. I did an internship in a recording studio and that opened my eyes. I learned many things there, but most importantly that music is what I really want to do. I learned so much and immediately I fell in love with music production. After that, I was determined to go my own way as a music producer. My musical role models are actually quite diverse. But when I started making techno, I was very impressed by female artists like Marie Vaunt. There aren't that many women in the techno scene and she really inspired me.

You have already played many gigs in renowned clubs such as Waagenbau and Übel & Gefährlich in Hamburg, KitKatClub in Berlin and Tanzhaus West in Frankfurt. You've also played at festivals such as Noisy. Was there a particular event that had a special impact on you?
That was the first time I played in front of a large audience with the main slot at the Fundbureau in Hamburg. The atmosphere was incredible, it was the first time for me that I felt people really appreciating my music. At the end of the set, I was in tears as the tension fell away from me. I was super nervous and had never played in front of so many people before. And I was also very touched by the support from all my friends.
 

Is there an event you would like to take part in?
My absolute dream is to play at the Rave the Planet and the Fusion Festival. That would be a real highlight for me. But I‘m living my dream playing on any stage!

What else is coming up for you this year?
I will have my first gigs abroad coming up. I'm really excited! I‘ll be performing in Switzerland at the Indeep Festival, the Panama Open Air, Ritter Butzke in Berlin, Technodampfer in Hamburg, Nature One and many more. 
My recent gigs were all massive as I played at Bootshaus, Close Festival, Proton Stuttgart and had my first gig abroad in the Netherlands at the Cave Rave ‚Limitzz‘. It was so amazing!
There are also some releases and tracks that are already finished that I'm really looking forward to. And a release on another label is planned for June.

Thank you for sharing your interesting stories and thoughts from your music career in our interview. We really enjoyed hearing about your experiences and learning more about your journey. We're excited to see what comes next for „neophilia records" and can't wait to hear more about your future projects and music.