We’re switching things up for the next round of our Summer = Over Tour at MONO: instead of tearing up the dancefloor, our friend MOGYAH will be behind the decks, spinning the prime 11 to 01 slot. With his usual electrifying energy now channeled from the booth, he’s ready to guide us through a night of grooves rooted in Disco, High-Life, Afro House, Jazz, and more. But before we witness MOGYAH kill his set at Mono, let’s dive into what makes him tick.
You’re a Rotterdam local but have lived in different places worldwide. How did you end up in this colorful city? How did those different cultures and environments influence your musical taste or DJ style?
Well, I moved to Roffa for the Master’s programme in Cultural Economics and Cultural Entrepreneurship and continued to settle in for a variety of reasons… Rotterdam is the place I always looked for, but never asked for. Not too big, not too small, peace of mind and quiet and trouble around the corner, with peers I can call ‘my people’ who see you in the eye, culturally educated people with rich musical tastes, inspiring style and the ambitious spirit to make shit happen.
As a full-time concert producer, Rotterdam has exposed me to a variety of genres, niche sound cultures and a high density of DJs, musicians and creatives in general – it’s only natural that this kind of enriching environment and creative energy empowers you to experiment, play around, fuck around and contribute to the cities richness.
In Ghana “Mogyah” stands for blood in your mother’s tongue, Ashanti/Twi. Why did you choose this name?
MOGYAH// BLOOD is a sonic project. It is a metaphor for familiarity, unity and connection, symbolising the ontological relationship between the sonic heritage, sound and music cultures of the Global South and the people who celebrate and dwell within them. It’s the sound that makes people move and interact in awe and comfort with themselves and others on the dancefloor, on stage, in their homes and their minds…
I chose this name to represent the cultural heritage that has been entrusted to me, to commit myself to exploring the depths of these sounds, to regenerate what has been destroyed or forgotten, to bridge what is still unknown and foreign to the ear, and to celebrate what we have.
What transformative power does music hold according to you?
Music is the sound for everything, and everything has a sound. Music is the cornerstone of my sensory world, the oxygen for the spirit, the food for the flesh, and the engine of my life. Music is a magic ball that lets you sink into memories of the future. Memories of you. Yes. When I think about it that way – that is what music does for me. It moves you and inspires you… every damn time… In essence, this is its transformational power.
Bridging sounds, cultures, and communities is part of your identity and work. How does this seem to come so naturally to you?
I grew up in liminal spaces, at the crossroads where you meet multiple people with multiple ideologies, identities, beliefs, values, histories, aspirations, and dreams. People in my position often see themselves, mediating between people, creating moments of unity and consensus, regardless of the nature of the problem. I guess I’ve never done anything other than what I’m doing now.
You’re featured on the debut album of (Rotterdam’s own!!) Imaginarium, on the beautiful jazz-infused track Black Sun. Can you tell us a bit about how this tune came about?
I write spoken words, poems, tales, stories, non-fiction or just words. The infamous and multi-talented Pianist and Composer Anton de Bruin, who is, among other things, the bandleader of Imaginarium, asked me if I would like to compose some of these words into a track he had recorded some time ago. It was a quick operation, I listened to the track and it became a fairytale story about belonging and alienation, inspired by Nat King Cole’s ‘Nature Boy‘, embedded in a UK jazz reggae dub sonic experience, called Black Sun. You should listen to it. its nice 🙂
Part of your project’s aim is to foster joy, self-love, and self-reflection among black and brown communities. How do your projects speak to this aim?
Let me skip this one. Just come to the Poetry-Meets-Togetherness Fest in Berlin on December 5th. (Link)
Having a wide musical range gives you so many options, but it can also be tricky since not everything will always land with a specific crowd. – How do you go about pre-selecting your tracks or preparing for a set?
I usually sort my tracks by energy, depending on the set time, the occasion, and just what you feel when you enter the space. I literally play it by ear and allow myself to feel what needs to be released in alignment with what is happening in front of the booth. On Bound45’s Summer is Over tour – I like to create a specific set that reflects the love these folks have for good and honest music. I’m quite excited about that!
What’s a track we’ll hear you play at MONO?
Any last words?
Aye, ehh – where My BIG Steppas at? Big Steppa Motion only…