Q+A: 5 minutes with Sita Abellán
Spanish producer/DJ, model, designer, and fashion icon Sita Abellán is one of the most fascinating voices in electronic music right now. While Abellán continues to be one of the most sought-after designers/stylists in the fashion world, working with the likes of Riccardo Tisci and Rihanna, she’s also in the midst of a meteoric rise on the underground club circuit. As a DJ, she has graced some of the most cutting edge dance floors around the world, from Ibiza’s DC10 & Hï and Secret Project ADE, to Las Vegas’ Art of the Wild and Miami Music Week. Abellán instinct for style crosses over into her DJ sets, where her love of classic techno and retro electronica is paired with a fierce fascination for the new and current, channeling ravey psychedelia with dark, industrial influences.
A fierce supporter of global femme and LGBTQ+ culture, Abellán’s love and dedication to this community has inspired the creation of OUTOPIA, an event designed as an inclusive space hosting female and non-binary lineups and as a haven for underground techno and rave music. Currently one of the resident parties at Madrid’s Bassement Club, we caught up with Abellán to find out more about her journey into music, and what to expect from future editions of OUTOPIA.
Sita, hello. Welcome to the Playground! As a creative, you’re incredibly multifaceted, with successful ventures in fashion, styling, and digital art. How does music factor into all of this?
Music has always been an important part of my life. It is also part of my creative process, and I believe that it adds a unique dimension to my vision, art and work in fashion, design, styling, and digital art. Whether I’m creating a new piece of music or using it to inspire my visual art, I find that music is always a source of inspiration and creative energy.
Could you tell us a bit about your relationship with music? Who were some of the artists you were listening to while growing up?
I grew up not in a very artistic household, but in despite of this, my brother was a musician and was playing piano, bass or guitar, or even singing, every day and I remember enjoying it a lot.. and sometimes sliding into his room to try playing them but only was able to play piano at the end cause I used to take lessons when I was a kid. Also my mother is a big fan of funky and disco and it was something I grew up listening to, she used to wake us up with super loud music… I remember the songs she was playing more often which were We are family by Sister Sledge, Upside Down of Diana Ross or You’re my everything by Barry White. But my music taste has been evolving at times… when I was a teenager I used to listen to more dark-wave, punk or industrial music.
Coming back to now, who are some of your major influences, and how did they help develop your style as a DJ?
One of my favourite bands was Black Flag. Then I started listening to more electro clash bands like Peaches or Chicks on Speed.. then I remember finding the first album of Miss Kittin and The Hacker and immediately feeling she was my total muse! (She still is) and that was the time when my interest in more electronic music came. Miss Kittin is one of my first inspirations, I was very interested in the ease with which she mixed different genres and styles in her sets. And that is something I enjoy, bringing a touch of colour to the darkness of techno. My sets nowadays are not the same as 6-7 years ago when I was into more minimal/industrial techno and influenced by Ben Klock or Marcel Dettmann… these days my sets could be defined more from hard tech, rave to even psychedelic trance and some of my favourite DJs are Ellen Alien, Brutalismus 3000, Nina Kraviz, Hector Oaks, VTSS.. and also more underground producers like Agustin G, Spiderwrap…
Tell us about OUTOPIA, your DJ residency. What does an OUTOPIA show look like?
With OUTOPIA I try to get the audience to know more about me, to know more about my world and my vision. I put myself and essence in every element of the party, and as I mentioned before my art has to do with two elements that are indispensable one to the other which are music and fashion so both have the influence of the other. My idea was to create a safe place for everybody to enjoy, it is a place where music, fashion and art come together. Where everybody dresses however they want to express themselves the way they want, have fun dancing and listening to artists I like and mostly don’t feel there are limits or feel judged… I wanted it to be a sort of inspirational place to whoever comes
How do you approach selecting music? Do you sort of map out the vibe ahead, or go on the fly according to your crowd?
I somehow have an idea of what I am going to play when I have a show and this really depends on how I feel… as playing is one of the ways I express myself with but obviously I read the dance floor so at the end it is a combination of both things.
Has entering motherhood shifted your point of view as a creative? How has this experience evolved your work or outlook on creating art?
As an artist, I have been evolving my art in the years but this doesn’t mean I have changed my vision or essence. I just feel it’s more clean, more focused and I am just more aware of the life I live. Being a mother just made me stronger and with this also “more decisive” in everything I create.
Who should we all be listening to right now?
Leiti Sene 😉
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects that you are particularly excited about?
I’m super excited about my upcoming EP that I have been working on for so many years, I’ll let you know more about it soon!
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