Berlin-based and world-grown, Caleesi artfully combines weighty basslines with stirring rhythms, imbuing her grooving compositions with an impassioned and uplifting atmosphere. In this fashion, her sonic nebulae unfold into vast dreamscapes for her audience to explore: an adventurer wandering through ambiguous landscapes in wonder, soon finding themselves pleasantly disoriented by melodies arriving from every corner of the world.

Caleesi has brought her distinctive sound to numerous festivals and clubs this year, including Fusion and KaterBlau. Having made a resounding impression on Europe’s music scene, she is now setting out with an ambition that extends far beyond the continent: to share her love of music on a truly planetary scale.

With some 50+ albums to his name, Brian Eno claims not to be a musician. What could this possibly mean? Or, rather, what does it mean to be a musician in your particular case?

I have no idea what technology or methodology one is supposed to employ in order to qualify as a “real” musician. Musicians can be producers, street buskers, DJs, live jammers – and, above all, people who are capable of telling a story through music. How they do it is almost beside the point. What matters is whether they can take others on a journey of their own making.

There are always people arguing that DJs aren’t really DJs unless they play vinyl, or that producers aren’t truly live acts unless they use analogue equipment. But, ultimately, what matters is what emerges from the speakers – and whether people respond to it.

Now that you have established yourself through such a distinctive style and sound, do you feel any pressure from your audience’s expectations? Do you think about this at all when producing new music or preparing a set?

In the beginning, I felt a great deal of pressure to define my own sound – to find a way of combining all my interests without restricting myself in terms of genre, BPM, atmosphere, or anything else. But most of that pressure came from within.

There may also have been a period when people expected me to play sets resembling my podcasts, and I drove myself slightly crazy trying to deliver the “perfect” set. These days, however, I’m much more comfortable simply reading the crowd, sensing the mood, and playing music that allows me to take people on a journey.

A set can begin slowly and gradually build, or it can be a high-impact, emotionally charged experience. It can also be meditative and atmospheric, suited to a gathering around a fire. It all depends on the circumstances: the mood, the kind and intensity of energy emanating from the people, whether the sun is above or below the horizon, and countless other subtle variables.

Do you have a passion for other kinds of music beyond what you usually play? Something you would not necessarily include in your mixes, but nevertheless value for some reason?

I don’t have much time these days to listen to music that I wouldn’t play myself. I’m constantly searching for new tracks and new sounds, and what I play usually reflects what I’m listening to at the time.

Recently, though, I discovered a real love for disco after hearing RSS Disco play live for the first time. It opened up an entirely new world to me – one that I had previously overlooked completely.

What are your studio habits when making or remaking music?

Over the years, I’ve made a number of tracks with good friends such as Ninze and Arutani. Usually, I would be jamming on the instruments or controllers while the other person handled the software side of things.

More recently, I’ve ventured into learning how to produce properly, and I’m now experimenting with some of my first tracks of my own. Usually, it begins with a dominant element already taking shape in my head – a synth line, a melody, or some other musical idea – and I take it from there, gradually layering more and more elements around it.

What was the first venue you ever played? What brought you there, and what did you take away from the experience?

My first proper gig was a B2B set with Shepherd at Rummels Bucht. A friend of a friend had heard the first set I uploaded and booked us for a slot at his party. It was the shortest gig I’ve ever played – one hour! – but lots of friends got up early and came to support us.

We were so nervous we almost vomited. :)

What I learned that day was not to wallow in panic before a gig. I also learned that I need two – or, better yet, three – hours to really tell my story.

You play around the world now. What has been the most exciting place you’ve played, and what made it so special?

I’ve played some extraordinarily memorable gigs, and I couldn’t possibly rank them. But a few experiences remain particularly vivid.

One was a five-hour set in the Jordanian desert, at a rave in Wadi Rum, surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable. It was especially meaningful because my brother came along and heard me play for the first time ever.

Another unforgettable experience was the Heliodora Festival in Brazil – a hippie-hedonistic, psychedelic adventure set around a beautiful waterfall at the venue. I was playing for a crowd that included several artists I deeply admire, which made the experience particularly special on a personal level.

And, last but certainly not least, I’ll never forget playing in the ruins of a roofless chapel in the middle of a forest outside Berlin, at a beautiful little festival organized by a group of genuinely creative people.

Yes. In the end, this is what – and who – it is all about.

► SoundCloud: Herzfrequenz von Caleesi