Cyril Hahn Interview

Cyril Hahn has been in the limelight since his early remixes and signature ethereal sound, including that ‘Say My Name’ remix, brought a high demand for touring. Such demand sees him visiting Melbourne on 5th March for Novel Open Air, a party in a secret location. Looking forward to Hahn making his way to our shores, we found out more about the Swiss-born, Vancouver-based DJ.

Hi Cyril, how has 2016 been for you so far?
It’s been great! 2015 was a very busy year in terms of touring so I’ve been enjoying being home over the last couple of weeks. I hadn’t been home for more than 2 weeks since April last year so it feels nice to hermit for a bit and work on new music.

Early on in your career, your remixes really made everyone sit up and take notice; how did you decide to remix tracks from Destiny’s Child, Mariah Carey and Jessie Ware?
The first remix of Mariah’s track ‘Touch My Body’ was supposed to be ironic. I mean, the lyrics are pretty silly if you actually listen to them. I thought it’d be interesting to juxtapose the bad lyrics with an instrumental that’s very melancholic and dark.

Were you drawn to R&B music particularly?
Growing up, I was into punk and hardcore so I never really listened to R&B. In my early 20s I went through a bit of a phase when I listened to a lot of ‘90s R&B and rap that I missed out on growing up. That was around the same time I started doing the remixes.

The reaction to your remix of ‘Say My Name’ was huge. Did you anticipate such a reaction?
Definitely not. It was surreal.

Do you ever get sick of playing it?
Sometimes, but I try to be aware of how much the song means to certain people. Seeing their reaction makes it worthwhile in the end.

If you could remix any song, which would you choose?
Probably Kate Bush – ‘Running Up That Hill’.

The ethereal essence you bring to your remixes and original tracks is stunning; what’s the inspiration behind it? What influences you?
I got really into ambient in my late teens. Artists like Brian Eno, Stars of the Lid etc are still a huge inspiration and I think that influence is sometimes rubbing off.

Does your DJ set follow the same sound? Do you use any specific visuals to support it?
My DJ sets have gotten a lot heavier and darker over the last couple of months. My girlfriend did live visuals for my sets last year and it was an amazing experience. She knows me better than anybody else so the vibe of the visuals was really spot on.

You’re playing at Open Air in Australia on 5th March. Will your set have any surprises itself?
I will probably be trying out some new tunes I’ve been working on over the last couple of weeks.

We love the secret location aspect of Open Air; what are some of the most interesting locations and venues you’ve played?
One memorable one was on Corsica in France. The stage was on a remote beach that could only be accessed by boat. It was a truly magical day.

What are your plans while you’re in Australia? Will you have any downtime or are you in and out?
I think I have a couple of days off in Sydney. I have some close friends I’m really looking forward to catching up with. Coffee is always great in Australia so I am planning on getting really wired on caffeine.

For anyone that doesn’t know, you’re Swiss-born but you live in Vancouver. What’s the club scene like there? What do you get up to in the city yourself?
To be honest, I stopped going to clubs a couple of years ago since I started touring so I am really out of touch with the club scene. I just enjoy the quiet life here when I am home; eat great food, drink good coffee, have beers with friends, go for walks in the woods…Vancouver is not a big hub like London or New York, which really suits my lifestyle.

Don’t miss Cyril Hahn at Novel Open Air in Melbourne on 5th March. Get your ticket for just $45 from www.novel.com.au