Sylvie Miles, hailing from the vibrant streets of Hamburg, has been making waves in the electronic music scene since she first dove into production in 2020. Experimenting with Tech House and Electro House, she seamlessly fused her own vocals into each track. But it was in 2021 when she truly found her calling in Peak Time/Driving Techno, diving headfirst into the genre’s pulsating energy. Alongside her production journey, she stepped behind the decks, driven by the vision of playing her own beats in the clubs.
Fast forward to now, Sylvie is a name to watch. With a string of releases on labels like Rave the Planet, Alaula, Nova Collective, Space Kraft, and Stadtpalava, she’s carving out her future in the techno world. 2024 marked a significant milestone, as she played for a massive crowd of 300,000 at the iconic Rave The Planet Parade, where she also delivered the official remix for the parade’s anthem.
Hey Sylvie, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Let’s start from the beginning: What’s your earliest memory of music?
Hi guys, thank you for the invitation. Thats a funny question! I guess my earliest memory of music would holidays with my family in Spain, when I was a 5 years old kid. I forced my parents to dance every night at the mini disco to such an old school techno track I still remember. I still have the old recordings – my dance moves are so fun!
This year, you played at the Rave The Planet Parade in front of thousands of ravers. What was that experience like for you?
I’ve waited so long for this day – it was a dream come true for me to play on one of the floats at the parade. And I even had the honor of playing on two floats – including the main float. Sometimes it was such a challenge to play on a moving and then stopping float – but it was so much fun! I enjoyed every second of it and loved to be with the Rave the Planet fam.
It must have been an unforgettable moment. What went through your mind when you saw the crowd?
It felt unreal standing in front of such a crowd. The view was incredible! Seeing so many happy people dancing was so wonderful an touching.
Sometimes I can’t believe what I have already achieved in such a short time.
Not only did you perform at the parade, but you also released a supporter track on the Rave The Planet label and an official remix of the anthem 2024. What inspired your remix?
When I first heard the official anthem of Rave the Planet 2024, I knew I could make my own version of it. I couldn’t remix a track that I wasn’t feeling or that I didn’t particularly like. But the sound of the anthem reflected the parade and everything I love about it so well. I was instantly in love with the song and was excited to get started. I had so much fun making it and adding my own vocals. I’m very happy with the result.
How do you generally approach the production of your releases and what are your first steps when diving into a new project?
The ideas for my tracks usually come to me all of a sudden, for example when I’m cooking or just before I sleep. I record these ideas on my phone, otherwise I would forget them. I have a whole collection of these ideas that I probably can’t even put into practice. When I start to realize the idea in my producer software, it often happens that something completely different comes out of it.
Are there any particular pieces of studio gear you couldn’t live without?
Yes, that’s my microphone and my headphones. I record my vocals on every single track. I just love how the tracks turn into something whole when I add my vocals. It’s like the missing piece. I could probably live without my speakers, but not without my headphones. I love producing with headphones because I feel like I’m just with the music – completely shielded from the world and all the problems. I can spend many hours completely immersed in this work.
Hamburg’s electronic scene is thriving. What are your thoughts on it, and where do you see it heading next?
I have the feeling that a lot has changed in the scene, not just in Hamburg but throughout Germany – so I would not agree, that the scene is thriving actually. I would rather say that the scene is facing major challenges. I also think that the peak time niche (the music I make)is having a hard time right now. I can’t predict what will come next. But what I do know is that I don’t want to let it affect my music. I will continue to make music the way I love it regardless of any trends.
As a DJ, you travel a lot. How do you manage to maintain a healthy balance between your professional and personal life?
I don’t know, since I started to travel so much, it’s not that it feels exhausting. It actually feels natural and I love it – I guess thats why it doesn’t take away my energy. It’s always a lot to organize in advance though, what takes a lot of time. I often take my friends to the gigs, so we spend the time there together, that we wouldn’t otherwise have, because I’m often not at home. Luckily they like my music and to go out dancing. What is affecting me is the lack of sleep after a night gig. I feel often tired till Tuesday but I actually got used to it. I just try not to force things that much in the beginning of the week. Apart from that, I also do a lot of sport, because without it I would totally lack energy. I also feel much better since I started eating vegetarian food.
And finally, what exciting projects do you have planned for the rest of the year?
I actually have something exciting planned that I didn’t share yet. I will start to invite producers to release on my label neophilia records. Till now I have released only my music or my collaborations. I am already preparing everything for this step and I am really looking forward to the music I will receive.
