[INTERVIEW] TSHA

VIPER caught up with British DJ and Producer TSHA, known for being one of the most iconic DJs in Ibiza.

How did you become TSHA, one of the greatest DJs of these days?

Being myself and making sure that I was always humble. Yeah, I think being a good person or at least trying to, also helps.

You are undoubtedly the nightlife Queen of Ibiza; what is your advice for anyone heading to ‘the white island’ for the first time?

I recommend going for like a hike or something. People don’t know that there’s also the other side of the island where everything is really beautiful. Or visit some of the beaches up north. Go to a spa, there’s loads of beautiful spas!. If you like an outdoor party, maybe go to somewhere like Ushuaïa, which is like a big outdoor party under the sun. 

What are your favourite clubs to party as a DJ in Ibiza?

Uh, there’s so many there have got like 22. They’ve all got their like pluses, you know, like it depends on what you’re into. For example ‘Highlights’, which is small and a little bit fun and a bit silly. Then, ‘Pipes’ is like one of my favourite places to play and like, go because it’s just a small room and it’s like, it’s old school. It’s one of the, you know, old institutions on the island. But then if you want something like big with like amazing production and like cool screens and all this stuff, then like, ‘Hï’ would be like right up there if that’s what you’re into. And then you got like something that that’s more like kind of like an open space that has more of a slightly warehouse-y feel would be like ‘Amnesia’, which is like obviously been around for a very long time. And it’s a little bit less, um, uh, what’s the word? I don’t say up-market. It’s not up-market. It’s just a little bit more down to earth. And then you’ve got like somewhere like Dc10, which has a lot of DJs on the line up, so there’s a lot of selection to hear and it’s a bit more diverse in terms of the line-up. There’s so many different places you can go to, that it just depends what you’re into.  Every place has a different night with a different line-up or a different party. For example, some places have amnesia, have some more like techno nights, and we’ve got the DC Ten that’s more techno or Adam Beyer at Hï. But then you might want something more house-y, for which we’ve got Martinez Brothers. It depends what you’re into. 

You have just released ‘Sweet Devotion’, a song to switch off and enjoy the moment, which is exactly the message that you shared when partnering with Heineken and Bodega to release the ‘boring phone’; what are your tips to let go and get immersed in the night?

The song is mainly about like enjoying the moment and just really trying to disconnect from everything else from the outside and just hear the beat dance to it and have fun. I think with the Heineken x Bodega boring phone was a good idea because it helps people switch off from social media because it has nothing on it, Other than the basic needs of like being able to communicate with your friends. I think at the moment these days, people are so lost in trying to prove that they were they were somewhere. They spend a lot of time taking pictures or videos or watching the set through their phone instead of dancing with each other, which is like quite sad, really. Ultimately, you come, you pay money for the ticket, come to an event, and then you stand still and look for your phone. My advice is to get off your phones. The Heineken x Bodega helps with discipline! Restrict your social media apps, pause notifications so that you can actually dance with your friends; that’s what dance music is for. Escaping and like losing yourself and being able to be a bit silly and not worry about what you look like. And I think with all the phones and the cameras out, everyone’s self-conscious and trying to look too cool. And yeah, that’s all it’s about. 

You were nominated to this year’s MOBOs under the Best Electronic/Dance act. What is your advice for anyone trying to make it into the DJ industry?

My advice is to stick to what’s true to you and make stuff that you love and not worry about what everyone else is doing. I think that’s the key is not to look sideways and to keep looking forward. Yeah. 

What should we expect from TSHA this summer as the Ibiza season starts?

I am definitely going to be dropping an album this year. So that’s going to be happening. There’s more music to come this year! Then outside of that, it’s really just like a lot of shows basically all over. I just did Brazil, which is cool, but I’m trying not to do too many like stuff that’s across the ocean at the moment because it’s very tiring…the jet lag! So this year I’m trying to be a bit more chill on that. After the season is done in November, I’m hoping to head to Australia as that’s their summer.

Interview by Chris Maho