Worldwide Dance: DJ Marcelle

“Too much in the music industry is controlled by institutions. Going my own way is the story of my life.” — DJ Marcelle/Another Nice Mess.

Last month we broadcasted live from Uganda’s Nyege Nyege Festival, playing host to an eclectic and adventurous lineup of talent from Africa and beyond. One artist shelling it on the BR stage with a liberating three turntable set was Dutch DJ & Producer, Marcelle, a lifetime resident at Nyege Nyege.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing one of her sets first hand you’ll understand the sense of freedom DJ Marcelle emits with her unhinged techniques. Marcelle states, “so often people, including many young women, tell me how relieved they are after my sets, how it made them feel free and liberated and it was so thrilling!”

Marcelle believes many people don’t realise how bored they are at ‘regular’ DJ nights, “seeing macho DJ's/Producers overacting behind the decks, playing bland music with no real content or challenge.” She wants people to see beyond USB-sticks and one-dimensional and cliched mixing, “so I use the human approach when I play, holding the records in my hands and changing them continuously.”

Growing up an orphan in an insular Catholic family in Southern Netherlands, Marcelle faced many barriers as a child. She found solace in music, using it as a way to gain independence and stay true to herself, always drawn to its values of openness and moving forwards.

Alongside her residency at Nyege Nyege, you can catch the flying Dutchwoman venturing around Europe all year round with further residences secured in Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Basel and Zurich. You can watch DJ Marcelle’s 2018 Nyege Nyege set below

Interview by Alice Tilley