19/02/2025
Fresh mix 🫦
M4RY JAN3 – an English teacher by day, a DJ by night. A native of Gdańsk, she has prioritized diversity and the element of surprise from the very start of her career. As a music school graduate, she refuses to settle into a single aesthetic, constantly exploring different genres. Maria’s selection is mainly rooted in techno, groove, electro, and breakbeat, resulting in an explosive musical experience that's hard to defuse.
❓You are a graduate of a music school – how has that influenced your way of selecting and playing music?
Music school has helped me with understanding the basics of music theory so learning how to mix wasn't very challenging for me. It turned out to be pretty similar in terms of tracks' structure, key etc. Apart from that, I would say the impact has been rather negative, since music school and classical music tend to kill creativity. You constantly need to work on the perfect performance of someone else's musical composition, which doesn't allow you to express yourself. That's why I sometimes tend to struggle with perfectionism and it's very hard to ignore it while, for example, recording a podcast.
❓How has Gdańsk influenced your musical development? Is there room for new artists on the local scene?
In Tricity we used to have more venues dedicated for electronic music, but their number has dramatically decreased over the past few years. For sure I was greatly influenced by Sfinks700 located in Sopot (closed for now) as they were offering a variety of different genres to explore. If I hadn't been visiting this place as an 18-year-old girl, I probably wouldn't be who I am today. Nowadays, Crackhouse in Gdańsk is working to promote young blood and aspiring artists, and I support their actions with my whole heart. It's the only way to sustain progress and bring fresh perspectives to the music scene.
❓How did your journey with electronic music begin?
I actually discovered electronic music quite late in life because, for many years, I was a huge fan of heavier sounds—thrash metal, heavy metal, alternative rock, and grunge. The Prodigy was probably my gateway into electronic music, and the rest came from attending numerous club parties and festivals. After almost a decade of raving, I decided it was time to step to the other side of the booth.
❓If you could go back to your beginnings and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don't let others undermine you with their judgments. To this day, I sometimes struggle with other people's opinions—what to post, what not to share, etc. Your work should align with who you are, not with someone else's expectations or industry standards. Trends change, and so do you, so always trust your instincts.
❓What are your plans for further development? Do you have any specific goals for the upcoming year?
My biggest challenge right now is visibility and being active on social media. Sadly, it has become a duty to be present online as a DJ, so my goal is to try to work with it somehow and push myself a bit more to create some content. I had fewer bookings last year, which made me question whether I was enough for this demanding market. That’s why my focus this year is to increase my visibility, secure more bookings, and keep doing what I truly love.
