There is a familiar connection between the interviewer and the interviewed: beyond roots, it is the shared passion for music and the desire to present an intense artistic world to the public, with one purpose, to educate and guide the dancer toward ecstatic moments. I decided, in a fast-paced way, to take a few answers from Ada Kaleh, a figure I found both fascinating and important to introduce carefully to the Polish audience, for expansion, knowledge, and a sense of movement within this circle of happenings.
Ada Kaleh is the alias of a Romanian electronic music producer and DJ, based in Bucharest. His stage name references the now-submerged Ottoman island Ada Kaleh on the Danube, adding a layer of mystique and cultural memory to his identity. His music blends minimal techno, dub techno, and deep atmospheric textures, often described as hypnotic, organic, and psychedelic, with long evolving grooves. Rather than chasing obvious drops or big-room energy, the focus lies in subtle details and immersive sound design. His records have appeared on respected international labels such as R&S Records and its ambient-focused sub-label Apollo Records. More than the productions, we came here to talk about the current process, and more importantly about Supersanity: a multidisciplinary event series curated by Ada Kaleh, where music, fashion, theatre, and visual arts converge. It promotes inclusivity, respect, and presence, no phones on the dance floor, while fostering a safe space against discrimination and celebrating the elegant side of techno. So far, Supersanity art events have taken place in Treviso and Bucharest, and returns again on October 18th in Bucharest at Forge, partnering with Tresor Berlin.
Beyond this worldwide presence, Polish audiences may remember his set in Poznań at Schron in 2022, alongside some local talents. With this in mind, we want to dive into a few questions about the expansion of the Bucharest Supersanity platform, as well as Ada Kaleh’s own artistic path.
Hi! Let’s start easy: you’ve performed in Poland before, at Schron in Poznań. How do you see the Polish scene compared to other places you’ve played, and what’s your impression of the overall electronic music mood here?
Hi! Yes, I’ve performed a few times in Poland before, but in recent years only at the Summer Contrast Festival and Schron Poznan. I have to say I don’t really enjoy festivals in general, I prefer clubs with more intimate atmospheres and niche crowds. I enjoyed playing Schron. Even though I was booked for a more minimal night, I ended up playing a techno oriented set. And the crowd went with it. Poland seems to have that affinity towards the rougher and grittier side of techno. I would definitely like to return to Poland at some point, but not for a simple DJ set. I would do an all night long where I could express all my musical knowledge, from drones, ambient to downtempo, techno and even some higher BPM psychedelic compositions I’ve been working on lately for an upcoming album.
In my research about you, I couldn’t find much about your early relationship with music. How did it all begin?
Hehe, that means I’m doing a good job keeping a low profile and not getting tangled into this social media, shameless promotion, “trying to make it in the biz” game. If we were to start at the beginning, my relationship with music, especially electronic music, started in 1992, when my father and some neighbours went to Germany to buy electronics, and he returned with a bunch of random records. Two of those records were Visions of Shiva and Sven Vath. And that was it. I started producing around 1998 when I got my first computer, then came some hardware synths and effects. I was into trance back then, my first record came out in 2002. A lot has changed in regards to my artistic development since then.
Besides Supersanity — {we’ll get to that in a moment} — what collaborations or artistic exchanges are you most excited about right now?
I’ll have, probably, my last ever minimalistic house release coming this autumn. It’s a collaboration project with my close friends from Wareika. We’ve been sitting on those tracks for a few years now and it was a shame not to release such authentic material, given the terrible state of the minimal/house scene at the moment.
Looking ahead, do you have any collective or personal projects loading?
When it comes to collective projects, at the moment all my efforts are focused on the Supersanity project, helping artists from various environments, and building a functional techno and multi-disciplinary art scene here in Bucharest.
In regards to personal projects, I’ve been working on a very experimental and “out there” album over the past 3 years. The album is basically an aural translation of my Near Death Experience from 18th of July 2022. It’s nothing like I’ve done before.
At this moment, what is your relationship with creating music versus performing it?
I still absolutely love creating music, it’s what really defines me. I’ve been doing this for the past 25 years and only now it feels like I’m truly creating something meaningful and exploring new universes. The moment I decided to stop creating functional music or with a certain purpose, that’s when I felt liberated. I am quite excited about what I can come up with next.
On the other hand, performing music in the current state of the scene is an absolute nightmare in most scenarios. People have lost their ability to pay attention to music and have introspective experiences. Also, a vast majority of music being released nowadays is pure garbage, everyone just copying each-other and end up with templates that they release over and over again. Mostly because everyone is chasing gigs by jumping on trends. In translation, leeches trying to profit from the system.
Now let’s dive into Supersanity. Can you share the details, the highlights, or maybe even the hidden moments of the project, give us a sense of it before we experience the event.
Actually, the whole idea of Supersanity is to be there, in the moment, and experience it for yourself. I’ll keep this aura going and just let people find out and decipher it by themselves, whenever they feel ready.
In our past conversation, we touched on some disappointments with the scene—things that could be improved or are done wrong. Could you share these concerns with our readers?
Damn, I don’t want to come out as a “hater” always pointing out the flaws of the scene, actually everything art related in general. So, I’ll just focus on simply creating an alternative for those who seek meaningful experiences, outside of the superficial and the mainstream.
Are there any artists you dream of collaborating with in the future?
Yes, Jeff Mills.
Tell us about your Near Death experience.
Being so close to the edge reshapes the way you perceive things and look at life. It can take days trying to put such an experience into words. All I can say is death is not that scary, but I’m happy I made it out and I can have a second chance to do things differently and with real purpose. Supersanity is an extension of this experience, and I invite anyone curious to take a glimpse into the Quantum.
For a good end: please complete the word “Under…”
…standing of the self and having the courage to go beyond thy veils leads to your true purpose in life.
Social Credits: Instagram / Soundcloud / Supersanity