VELVE: Analog Resistance in a Digital Age
In a scene where AI-assisted production, algorithmic trends and filter-heavy aesthetics often dominate, VELVE is a rare force of defiance. The Berlin-based artist, known to millions as the original German voice of Siri, channels her deep-rooted background in jazz, sound design and performance art into techno that hits both body and mind. Her latest single HOMMAGE is a blistering, hypnotic cut — raw in sound, and radical in message. It’s a sonic dissection of tyrannical mindsets, delivered through pulsating analog synths and haunting vocals. But for VELVE, techno is never just club music — it's protest, reflection, and above all, human expression.
In this exclusive interview, she opens up about her analog-only ethos, the politics pulsing through her music, and why she believes resistance in 2025 starts with sound.
Your new single “HOMMAGE” is a raw, hypnotic cut rooted in techno – yet it explores the mindset of tyrants. What drove you to tackle such a psychologically charged theme on the dancefloor?
For me techno is not only for the dancefloor, but also for listening closely. I recently miss political lyrics in music, and as techno is rooted in political protest, my intention was to employ raw and dark techno structures in this track to express the likewise raw and dark mindsets we are currently suffering from in this world.
The track is accompanied by a striking visual piece How did that audiovisual dialogue evolve, and what was your artistic vision behind it?
This short clip was done by myself during the last photo session - the light was set by photographers Brix & Maas, and the signal red gown was made by Isabel Vollrath, a befriended fashion designer. The colour and material express aggressiveness, dominance and force. My whole performance underlines these characteristics in gestures and movements.
Limiting yourself to just two analog synths and your voice sounds radical in today's DAW-heavy environment. What kind of freedom or constraint did that bring to your production process?
It's essential for me to work with analogue elements only and restrict myself to certain instruments in order to create my own signature sound. I prefer minimalism and don't want to overload my tracks. This is an ongoing process. But I must admit that it's a lot more work, because once recorded, you can't change the tracks anymore. So you need to know right from the beginning what you want. At the same time I am often surprised and excited like a little child by what comes out of my gear. It's always unique results that have never been there before. The sounds have a striking frequency spectrum, especially on the low end, and indeed sound much more organic than digital elements, so I became kind of addicted to them.
Berlin is often praised as the beating heart of techno. How does the city still shape your identity as an artist – or do you sometimes feel the need to distance yourself from the Berlin cliché?
I am constantly connected to the Berlin Techno scene and regularly go to clubs, observing recent developments. At the moment I don't see any clichés, on the contrary we have a vivid underground scene, often leaning back towards maximum 140 bpm, some 2000 revival patterns, ethnic rhythms, and mixing genres here and there, but still preserving that dark and cool, raw vibe. Yes, we also have mainstream, but I am happy we are still connected to the American roots of Techno at least in some fancy places.
You’re a multidisciplinary artist – producer, performer, visual storyteller. How do you approach the synthesis of sound and image in your live and studio work?
There is audioreactive videoart going along with my latest tracks. But actually, as I am in the first instance a trained jazz singer and combine my tracks with vocals, my focus when playing live is on sharing my feelings with the audience.
Many know your voice without knowing you – as the original German voice of Siri. Has that digital persona ever conflicted with your analog ethos, or did it become part of your narrative?
Having lent my voice to the very first AI-generated speech assistants in history, is an essential part of that narrative. I had the opportunity to experience the effects of AI first hand and was totally aware of the danger, that the substitution of creativity by AI bears for humanity. Exactly that is the reason why I want to create tracks that are unique and almost impossible to replicate. Tracks made with analogue elements are an unfiltered expression of human creativity and cognitive performance.
Techno has always had a rebellious edge. In a time where the underground often merges with the mainstream, what does ‘resistance’ mean to you as an artist in 2025?
Like I said, I would like to see more unconventional thinkers who dare to raise their voice and use the possibilities they have as artists. Only those who make use of their voice in a self-confident way, can freely express their opinion, shape democracy and develop culture
Across your work, there's a strong sense of commentary – from social alienation to power structures. Do you see your music as a tool for critique, or more as a mirror to the inner world?
Actually, as a mirror to the thoughts and feelings we all share. At the moment I don't think it's time for happy love songs.
Finally: what’s next for VELVE? Any upcoming releases, performances or audiovisual projects you’re excited to share?
Currently I am working on new tracks, and it's a lot of work...
