Carmen Electro: vinyl, underground roots, and the future of her label

Carmen Electro, a DJ and vinyl enthusiast, embodies the spirit of underground techno while embracing the future with her own label. Her journey is one of personal growth, authenticity, and a profound connection to the music. In this interview, she reflects on the influence of vinyl in her career, the intersection of underground and mainstream music, and the ethos behind her upcoming label.

Carmen's connection to vinyl runs deep. Her love for the format began in Berlin, where she first encountered vinyl-only sets.

"When I first went to Berlin to party I heard artists play vinyl-only and those sets just took me with them. The selection of music and how they mixed the records so seamlessly to create this ever-changing sonic landscape just mesmerized me."

Her journey began with a single turntable, a reflection of her passion for vinyl even before she started DJing.

"I had one turntable at home because I liked going to record stores even before I started DJing. Eventually, I had to buy another turntable because I got bored at mixing on my ex-boyfriend’s CDJs."

For Carmen, vinyl wasn’t just about the music—it became a way to express herself more authentically.

"It felt like developing a cool new skill and it was really immersive too—I forgot passing of time and all my worries when trying to beatmatch."

Playing vinyl became a ritual, a challenge she embraced fully.

"I never really enjoyed mixing digital and vinyl in the same set. After a few months of DJing at clubs I just enjoyed the challenge and the feeling that came with records more."

Her decision to commit exclusively to vinyl reflected a desire to give her all to her audiences.

"I wanted to give my most passionate self to the dancers. So I stopped buying shoes and started buying loads of records."

Vinyl as a Medium for Personal Expression

Carmen believes vinyl offers a unique, unfiltered emotional connection.

"It’s an imperfect format that challenges you to push your limits further out every time you play."

She acknowledges that the challenges that come with vinyl—technical difficulties, long sets, or personal struggles—can all be opportunities for growth.

"Facing these can be quite stressful or even scary. But at the end of the day, you can only grow from putting yourself outside your comfort zone."

Her vinyl collection holds sentimental value, even the "shit records" that show how far she’s come as a selector.

"To be honest even the shit records I have hold some sort of meaning to me—they show me how far I’ve become as a selector which is kind of nice! Haha!" Some of her most cherished records, such as Charlie’s ’Spacer Woman’, Ben Klock & Marcel Dettman’s ‘Phantom Studies’, and Héctor Oaks’ ‘We Met Under The Strobelight’, reflect her personal journey with techno. "There’s nothing better than remembering a moment in time through one of your favorite records. Purest form of nostalgia."

Carmen credits vinyl for not just shaping her DJ career but also her growth as an individual.

"The reason I’m very thankful for vinyl as a format is not only due professional opportunities it’s given me but above how it’s made me grow as a human being. It’s shown me that anything is possible if you really put your heart and mind to it and as long as you stay true to yourself, it’s only a matter of time until the dedication will pay off in some way or another."

Underground Meets Mainstream

The increasing overlap between underground and mainstream electronic music raises questions about authenticity and the future of the scene. Carmen sees both challenges and opportunities in this evolution.

"It’s kinda curious how club music exploded during and after covid, and yet the current expression of it is so different from what it was before. But it’s good, the mainstream has the power to attract so many people to electronic music, some of which will eventually follow their ears into the underground."

For Carmen, staying true to her underground roots is essential.

"I’m in the underground because I found my true ‘self’ in it, not because I think it’s cool or something. I wouldn’t sacrifice that authentic relationship for any money, power, or fame."

Her connection to clubs like Bassiani and K41 reflects her commitment to the subculture, where music transcends commerce and becomes a political act.

"In capitalism it sometimes feels like music is only a product, lacking real substance. We just go to parties to consume this and that. These venues are some of the last surviving examples of how music is way beyond that; it’s an ideology, and it’s political."

Playing at these iconic venues has taught Carmen humility and purpose.

"When I played Bassiani and K41 I just felt so humbled, I wanted to give my best to the people because they truly deserved it there. They’re dancing like it might be their last dance in freedom, you know."

Navigating the Changing Techno Landscape

Carmen observes how audiences react to the shift in underground music as it becomes more commercialized.

"The thing is with commercial music the emotion tends to be more straightforward and thus easier to get into whereas techno has more complex emotions that are beautiful once you get them but can feel abstract otherwise."

She loves the challenge of playing for a crowd unfamiliar with techno, capturing their attention and bringing them into the groove.

"I actually love to play for crowds who clearly haven’t heard techno before as I task myself trying to capture their attention so that they will listen and eventually groove in."

Launching a Label: Kuje Records

Carmen's next step in her career is launching her own label, Kuje Records, to support underground talent.

"I started my first label at 22 in university but only did one release—on tape actually. I then moved to Berlin and wanted to wait for the right moment to launch a more serious project. I now have the knowledge and connections to help my artists get their music heard."

The label’s ethos is focused on releasing timeless dance music, particularly from underground, international talent.

"The first part is to release timeless dance music that has that special factor that can serve the DJ in spicing up their set when the dancefloor needs a change."

Her goal is to provide a platform for emerging talent, particularly from areas without easy access to techno.

"I’m really intrigued by those producers who don’t necessarily have access to dance music physically through record stores or parties. They have to go by what they believe is good, rather than following trends.."

She also envisions her label as a reflection of her personal values, bringing an energetic playfulness to the scene.

"It’s important for me to support the scene at many levels, not just as a DJ."

While Kuje Records will prioritize vinyl releases, Carmen plans to make the music available digitally to reach a wider audience.

"It will be a vinyl-first label, meaning that all the tracks we will put out need to work on vinyl. But I will also release everything digitally too because as said the idea is to push underground talent, and in order to do so we need to spread the music also digitally."

Carmen has high hopes for the label’s future, hoping it will become a key player in creating a thriving scene for future generations.

"I would love to see the label grow into a springboard for new talent that can really help change the course of someone’s career." In her vision, Kuje’s music will stand the test of time.

"I of course envision a person digging for records in 2050 and pulling out one of our releases and being thrilled about it because the music sounds just as banging and relevant as it did 25 years ago."

Carmen Electro is more than just a DJ—she’s a passionate advocate for underground music, a mentor to emerging artists, and a visionary for the future of the techno scene. With Kuje Records, she’s laying the groundwork for a vibrant, authentic, and inclusive future in dance music.