Cera Khin is where euphoria meets darkness

Cera Khin has become one of electronic music’s most magnetic forces. Born in Tunisia and now based in Barcelona, she has just returned from a whirlwind tour across Asia as we speak, still running on adrenaline and matcha. But between these all-night sets and long-haul flights, Khin has sculpted a personal brand built on contrasts. She’s as drawn to the scenery of the places that she visits as their clubs, and the distinct fashion sense that she’s become known for embraces cuteness as much as the gothic. Just as her latest track “Mamichula” tells “all the baddies out there to be themselves”, the DJ refuses to shrink all the multifaceted parts of herself. Whether she’s behind the decks or curating her label CK777, Khin channels the fearless energy conveyed in her style and music straight to her fans. 

Your new single “Mamichula” came out today. What’s the story behind the track?

My intention behind the track was a message to all the baddies out there to be themselves, to never shrink, to own your power and to embrace all your sides. Your ups and downs, your good days and bad days. I feel like nowadays in society, the world is so centered around this idea of perfection. I think many people feel insecure or they end up comparing themselves to other people on social media, and it’s always good to remind people to own your power. Because social media is just like a highlight reel. It’s not always reality and usually people post the good days, but they don’t post the bad days — the struggles. It was also the first time I used my voice, and it was a challenge for me. Usually people use ready vocals, they go online and find samples, but this time I wanted to make it more special and personal. The lyrics came to me when I was on a flight, and the flight was long so I started getting ideas. I used Spanish because I live in Spain now and I have a big Latin and Spanish community following me. And the Spanish is cute, you know? I like it. 

You were born in Tunisia, built in Berlin and now based in Barcelona. How has each city shaped your sound and identity?

I grew up in Tunisia and there’s so many types of music, but my main influence was in my mom’s car because she was playing all these 2000s hits. I also grew up with a lot of French TV, so I was watching lots of MTV, so I was influenced a lot with Daft Punk, The Prodigy. I was into electronic, weird stuff, you know? I’m also a revolution kid, and it was a bit depressing to be in Tunisia — there was lots of politics, so much stress. So I decided to go to Germany, I did my studies, and then I was like, Okay, I’m born to be here and I need something new. In Germany there was a music culture, and I was thirsty for music. When I went to Berlin I was in my early twenties, I went out to parties, I went to clubs and, for me, it was like school. I was going there, learning about the music, and all the stuff that I used to just follow online, I could see live. After a few years being there I realised that I didn’t want to just party and I wanted to learn the skill of DJing. At that time, I had a normal job in customer service, and I was like, I’m going to save money and invest in turntables. Eventually I did that — I started to buy vinyls, got obsessed with it, and I taught myself how to DJ. I then started to do radio shows, and suddenly people started to book me. It just happened really organically and I’m super grateful for that.

You also have a music label, CK777. What was your vision when you launched it?

Before I had my label, I [ran] Lazy Tapes. I released music and everything. It was kind of different music, more experimental, weird. I felt like I had outgrown that direction and I wanted to feel more fresh and more futuristic. The idea came to me on an airplane. 777 is my lucky number, my angel number, and CK is my initials. Since then I’ve had a few releases, collaborations and a compilation with new talents. I like this freedom to release whenever the fuck I want. I also like to support other artists, so every day I try to search for new artists on SoundCloud, even on Instagram, and I’ll message them. If I like their track and the direction, I ask to release it. I want to create this kind of community with the artists that I love.

You’ve recently come back from a tour in Asia, what was that experience like?

It was actually a really beautiful experience, but really intense at the same time. I was sleeping every night for maybe four hours or so. I was high on matcha. I think I drank so much matcha my blood is green. I went to Japan, to Tokyo, which is my favourite city in the world. I’m such a fan of all Japanese culture. I played this amazing club — I think one of my favourites so far — with this amazing sound system, called Zero. It’s kind of one of the biggest there and it’s a really cool club. The crowd was super cute and then I went the next day to Taipei, Taiwan. I played this club called Final, a small-capacity club but also really nice. Then I returned to Japan because I had a week to pass. I decided to visit this little town, which is two hours north of Japan called Nico, and I took the train by myself. The city is so beautiful. It’s like a world heritage [site] of temples and shrines, but also it has a massive waterfall and rivers, mountains. It’s so magical, it felt like it was directly from a Studio Ghibli movie. Then I had to fly to Kuala Lumpur — I can’t tell you how many flights I took. I played in this club called Over and Above. The last day was in Singapore, where I played in this club called MDLR. I didn’t stop, you know? I think I was so excited with adrenaline that I didn’t feel tired. 

Are there any dream destinations you haven’t played yet?

I would like to visit Iceland. I actually got an offer then I couldn’t manage to do it. But I know the scene is almost non-existent there. It’s really small, so I would like to go there because the nature is incredible. I like big cities, but I also like to see nature. And if I go to places like this, I don’t just go to play. I always try to stay a few days and visit the places because, for me, that’s the point. It would be so boring to just travel the world and see nothing. 

You’ve got a style that’s a mix of gothic, sexy and futuristic. How did your relationship with fashion evolve alongside your music?

Same with [how in] music we have trends, with fashion there are trends. When I feel more open and happy I wear something fun. Sometimes when I feel darker and more gothic — which I am — I like to join the cuteness with the black. I don’t want to be just gloomy, so I like to wear accessories like a nude pastel pink. It’s a great juxtaposition. In my sets it’s exactly the same. I can play really fun stuff, sometimes darker, but there’s always a kind of euphoria and a balance between darkness and light. When I play sets it’s always like a storyline — it goes through different moods and my fashion goes with this. It definitely influences my performance and I feel like the fashion is an extension of the music. 

Are there any designers or brands you dream of working with?

Recently I’ve seen the fashion show from Matieresfecales. It’s really strange and gothic, but at the same time it has this cuteness. For example they were wearing this crazy make-up which looks super dark and gothic, but then you find them wearing white and angelic [stuff]. I really feel like it really represents my style. 

Finally, how do you want people to feel when they leave a Cera Khin set?

For me, of course, it’s for people to have fun. After I finish a set, when I see people smiling and happy, that’s how I feel I made a good set. It’s about what I transfer to the crowd. When I play, I’m not playing just for myself, I’m playing for the people and I’m happy when I see people happy. 

Listen to “Mamichula” here.