Diving into hypnotic techno is always a pleasant experience – the unhurried, psychedelic and sophisticated sound can be perceived both as a meditation in movement and as a deep journey (but with the whole joy of clubbing at the same time). For Mary Yuzovskaya, the Berlin-based DJ, producer and Monday Off label owner, there is another crucial element of this game: the storytelling, as well as the need for exploration, which make her sets so special.
Mary has just released her brand new EP, BIN008 – a powerful debut on Pareka’s BINÄR label – so we decided to ask about her current artistic activity. Read about her upcoming Klubnacht set in Berghain, why she considers DJing a brain exercise, how PAX-ROMANA residency influences her life and what is her weak spot in terms of music.
Agata Omelańska: Hello Mary, I’m very happy to meet you! I know that you’re very busy touring, DJ-ing and managing the label, but I’m grateful that you found time for us and the interview. Let’s start, there are so many topics to discuss!
I’d like to begin with the very exciting moment in your career – the release of your new EP. I have to admit that this music definitely deserves to be noticed and appreciated. I’m impressed by the coherence of its concept, the very well-selected tracks, and how its danceable, hypnotic rhythm takes the listener on a deep and fascinating inner journey. What was the initial idea behind “BIN008”?
Mary Yuzovskaya: Thank you for your kind words! When Andre (Pareka) reached out with an invitation to release on BINÄR, he gave me a lot of creative freedom without any specifics requested. But he did ask to create an EP where each track is designed to be played at a different time in a DJ set, where A1 is made to open the show, and B2 – to close. This approach resonates with me a lot, as I myself like when an EP can also be enjoyed as an album. I keep this in mind when I curate Monday Off releases, too.
This EP marks your debut on BINÄR—the Berlin-based label owned by Pareka. What does the release on this platform mean to you, and what was the process of working on the material like?
Andre is my favourite light artist. Playing sets when Andre is doing the lights is always a big pleasure, so it was exciting to create something together again, only in a different format this time.
Besides the music, I was also intrigued by the titles of individual tracks—and it seems to me that this is no coincidence. What do the titles Rationalisation, Denial, Overgeneralisation and Justification refer to? What emotions, experiences, or reflections did you want to convey to the listeners through this EP?
Initially the record had an actual title, it was tying all the names of the tracks together. What I didn’t realise is that BINÄR releases are all named as their respective catalog numbers (mine is BIN008). Andre, on the other hand, didn’t realise that the name I gave to the EP has a conceptual weight, so the original title got lost in production.
We only discovered the misunderstanding when the artwork was printed out, so it was too late to either change the title of the EP or the names of the tracks. Therefore the linguistic idea behind this record is now hidden. I might expose it in my next project, so I can’t tell you what the name was just yet.
The best (and, by contrast, the hardest) part of recording for a brand-new label is…
I wouldn’t say that working with someone for the first time differs significantly from working together again – as long as there’s trust, clear communication and mutual excitement, it all falls into place.
… and what’s it like when you’re the one responsible for releasing other artists’ music? I’m talking, of course, about the Monday Off label—the very important element of your artistic career. What helps, and what poses a challenge in your day-to-day work? And do you have one personal, non-negotiable rule that’s absolutely essential?
I believe it’s crucial for the label to be very clear and upfront with an artist about their vision, values, rules, etc.
As long as the artist is fully informed on what they are getting themselves into, there shouldn’t be any issues moving forward, assuming that the label’s approach works for the artist, too. That way any unpleasant surprises are eliminated for everyone involved.
Whenever I reach out to an artist with an invitation I always make it clear that Monday Off is always vinyl only, there won’t be any digital version. Another non-negotiable rule – mastering is always done by Gio Conti of Artefacts Mastering. No exceptions. Artwork is also Lisa’s department – she’s as much of an artist on the record as the producer. She listens to the music and contributes drawings that were inspired by the music, so there’s no influencing of her work from me or the artist.
I also inform the artist about who’s going to be in charge of the distribution, how many copies I press and what’s the deadline. I prefer to have the deadlines to be set as firmly as possible, but that is also something that can be amended case by case, depending on everyone’s schedule. If all of that sounds good to the artist, they say yes. But I completely understand if their goals differ from mine and if they say no. All part of the process!
The biggest challenge in running a label for me personally is having everything done on time. The delays occur in every step of the way and I still take it close to heart.
Monday Off is known for releasing EPs and compilations. Among them are your own productions and those by ORBE, D-Leria, Mathys Lenne, Ruhig, and by Polish artists, such as Michał Wolski, Błażej Malinowski, and Milena Głowacka. What is the first and most important thing you pay attention to in the music you listen to—and why?
Either I like the track or I don’t. I deliberately try not to impose any selection rules on myself and just follow my instincts, but after 9 years of running the label I think I can spot at least one subconscious pattern:
I clearly have a weak spot for understated tracks, tracks with a secret.
An integral part of Monday Off are the beautiful covers inspired by oceanic fauna and flora, created by artist Liza Shutova. Personally, I think choosing underwater life for your label’s visual identity is a bullseye—underwater, sounds are perceived differently, movement follows different paths, and time also seems to flow at a different pace. It’s a bit like hypnotic techno, isn’t it?
While we use oceanic fauna and flora quite a lot, as it’s just too pretty to ignore, our artwork theme expands beyond underwater. The topic is living organisms in general. We have a cactus (MOFF001), a bird (MOFF005), a Venus Flytrap (MOFF007), a cherry tree (MOFF008 – and if you look closer, you’ll see that the cherry blossom is actually nerve cells), a Turkey Tail mushroom (MOFF011), field plants (MOFF012 and MOFF016) as well as aloe (MOFF013) and a snowflake (MOFF018). The logo of the label is a mosquito.
We go in different directions, as long as the patterns are pleasing to the eye.
When the label was in its formative stage, and Lisa and I were brainstorming the visual aspect of the imprint, we were debating between photography or graphics. We chose the later, because, as opposed to photos, graphics give Lisa more freedom to go crazy (the bird on MOFF005, for example, isn’t a real bird – we combined three different birds in one).
I didn’t choose this question by accident, because when I listen to your sets, I surrender to this stylish hypnosis without resistance. It’s a very pleasant feeling: I don’t leave the dance floor, don’t get distracted, and don’t lose the connection with either my inner self or the rest of the world. How did you develop your sense of selection? And why did you choose vinyl as your medium of DJ-ing and expression?
Thanks for your feedback, I’m happy to hear. I always felt like programming the set is maybe even more important than the music taste itself, so I was paying a lot of attention to the matter since my early DJ days. I don’t like pre-programming the sets or parts of the sets in advance as it makes me stiff and robs me of an opportunity of happy accidents, but I do strategise a lot when I’m in the booth. I think a few records ahead, brainstorm on the go, think through different trajectories I can take. The acoustics of the room and the dance moves of the listeners help me make the decisions.
DJing is a brain exercise for me for sure, and even though I always know roughly where I’m going, the paths might be different and I like exploring while playing.
I didn’t deliberately choose vinyl – when I was starting out, there were only turntables in the clubs, no one played CDJs as they simply weren’t there. I think the first time I even saw a CDJ in real life was about three years into my career. I played records like everyone else. Once the digital technologies started to take over, I tried them out, didn’t like the experience and continued with vinyl.
Your distinctive, highly sophisticated style has become a recognizable brand. You travel all over the world, visiting clubs such as Radion, Tresor, Basement, Razzmatazz, Tillatec, ://about blank, and Berghain. You’ve also appeared at broadcasts like The Lot and Mudd Show. How do you navigate different cities, time zones, and cultures? And how do you manage to keep yourself balanced and take care of yourself while touring?
I never found the differences between cultures and cities challenging or confusing. After all, I show up for a very brief period of time, and we are all here to dance, so everything seems clear. In regard to taking care of myself – I prioritise sleep over anything, really. Definitely over after-partying or sightseeing. I sleep on the plane, I sleep on the train, I sleep in the hotel before going on stage.
I actively limit my time on social media. The less Instagram – the better for my mental health.
And as I mentioned Berghain: two very closely related events will overlap in early May. On the 8th, you’re releasing “BIN008,” and on the 9th, you’re playing in “The Temple” during the upcoming Klubnacht. On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you place the level of excitement—unless there’s so much of it that a scale isn’t needed—knowing that you’re playing together with artists such as: Planetary Assault Systems, Efdemin, Paula Koski, Amotik, Beatrice, Marcal and Altinbas?
At this point, less than two weeks away from the show, I’m so deep in the preparation hole that I’m somewhere outside of the excitement – I just try to not be too nervous and not to lose my sanity in the labyrinths of my record collection.
From Berlin, we jump on a visit to Amsterdam and your residency for PAX-ROMANA. What does collaboration with this promoter mean to you, how did it begin, and what has this series of events brought to your life?
I love Amsterdam so much it hurts. I’m so grateful to have a residency there. I debuted in Amsterdam in 2022 at one of the PAX events and absolutely loved my experience. A year later I got invited to play at PAX again and, while I was preparing for the set, I thought:
“If there’s an event in Europe that I want to be a resident of, that is definitely PAX ROMANA”.
This thought was shortly forgotten – as it often happens when on the road – however, after I was done playing, Justin came to me and said that they are currently working on the idea of introducing Friends Of PAX – international residents, and was wondering if I’d be interested in joining. I couldn’t believe the coincidence of us having the same thought at the same time. It doesn’t happen that often, so I really cherish the connection.
This project allows me to visit my favourite city, see friends, make new ones, express myself creatively as I please and simply have the best time of my life in one of the best cities in the world.
And when you return home after gigs, travels, and meetings, what do you dream about? Both as an artist, a woman, and as a human being?
I dream about building my universe in a way that will allow me to be a little bit more spacey than I currently am.
I saved this question—both simple and complex at the same time—for the very end, as the essence. Why do you make music?
To broaden my horizons.
Thank you so much for the interview, Mary! You shared so much inspiration with us and may all of your dreams and visions come true – and we’re also waiting for your upcoming gigs in Poland this summer!