DJ-ing and the electronic dance music industry was almost always "Man's World", but those days are now past and things are changing in much better ways for all girls and women in this industry. Some of you may be already heard about the name Bodai or the record label AMITABHA, but for those who didn't hear it here is a perfect chance to read and hear who is this lady from Buenos Aires, Argentina. From the moment we first find out about Bodai and her music we saw a great talent in this girl and also wonderful energy and passion for music. Gisele (aka Bodai) is a DJ, Producer, Vocalist, Yoga Master, and founder of the AMITABHA record label. Her home is Buenos Aires in Argentina and we like to say the capital city of Progressive House music. Our writer Marina Todorovic did this interview with Gisele and here is what we found out about her and her plans for the future.
Bodai will also be our guest in our 100 episodes of Big Bells Podcast, which will be aired in November 2021.
1. For those people who don’t know, let's start by telling us how your interest in DJing came about and when did you have your first professional performance?
Hi Big Bells team, thank you for having me :) My first love was the piano, when I was 8, I learned how to play, read and write music for a couple of years, then I stopped taking lessons but kept playing for many years as a hobby while life goes on until I discovered the electronic music world from a different point of view, that was around 2013. I was watching the KEXP videos from Nils Frahm, Olafur, Nicolas Jaar, Juana Molina, and you know, at certain moments, if you have a big passion, no matter how asleep it is, it rises like butterflies in your chest and wakes you up. So I picked up my old keyboard from my parent's house, fully determined to begin this journey of creating music also with midis and software, at my own time. In the middle of that, I met one of my best friends in the electronic industry who encouraged me to first “understand the DJ mind”. So Djing wasn’t my interest at the beginning but I followed that suggestion and over the years it became one of my biggest passions and therapies as well as composing music. My first professional Gig was in Ushuaia in 2013 in a Club that was called Genesis Glu.
2. How would you describe the Bodai sound, and what are the key elements and influences that bring it to life?
‘Bodai’ is the channel I have found for letting my emotions feel free and from there I share what I love, what I think, and what I learn from life. So the sound, the lyrics, and anything I do is the present state of mind about the different moments of my life. About influences, I have been very connected with orchestras since my childhood, while a combo of pop /electro and house music has always been my favorite genres so as key elements you will find strings, pianos, ambient sounds, also vocals, and groovy basslines.
3. Looking back over your discography, what release or track holds the best memories for?
My 2020’s EP ‘Delicate’ is very special and still very present. So going back to older memories, definitely, my first EP with Dynacom was super special for many reasons. I still remember the exact moment when we were creating “Hibrida”, it was refreshing. I remember playing around with melodies and Exequiel just pressed ‘recording’ and started to add percussions on top of it, everything flowed naturally. The whole idea was created in one afternoon. Many months later it came out as the first release of my label AMITABHA, and all around it was dreamy for me. I am very grateful to the audience, Media, colleagues, and the masters of the scene who supported the project. I was exhausted with my multi-jobs at that time and that EP was sort of renaissance for me.
4. In today's world of social media, how important you is an online appearance on social media sites and how do you see the future of music?
I think social media are extremely powerful tools for any industry and social cause but there has to be a good purpose and be managed with integrity, responsibility, and balance. I also think that anything and anyone that can be super positive, can also turn into super negative; and the stronger the energies you are dealing with are, the more mind-balance you need to have to deal with it healthily. Social media is full-linked to this. In my own experience as an artist, these tools have brought me some incredible life stories around my work that have touched my heart deeply and also kept me going making music. Being able to connect that way with your community around the globe is amazing! But on the other hand, I also get to see the negatives on socials: many users feel unsatisfied and probably confused, which easily leads to anxiety and very often to an obsession. If you allow me a few words to the dear readers out there: Just trust your instincts and follow your passion, whatever it is! Please enjoy what you do, even the smallest thing. Don’t try to be like anyone else; use your time to discover yourself, all the answers are in the real world, where the actual life happens. Remember: you are already unique and meaningful, you are already approved by mother nature, you don’t need anyone else’s.
5. What can we expect in the upcoming period, maybe some new music projects?
I have been releasing a lot of new stuff recently: a progressive house collaboration with Sebastian Busto called “Music” including also remixes from Oliver & Tom, Dynacom, and myself on Moonlight; also a new downtempo single called ”Road To Samahi” on AMITABHA; an organic house Remix called “Lucid” on Minds Alike of USA, and a vocal collaboration with Nicolas Soria called “Aouaka” on AMITABHA. And coming next, a Release announcement that is keeping me very happy and excited this year. I will be able to share some details very soon :)
6. For the end, your current top four tracks are…?
From my released discography, the most popular at the moment is ‘What Makes You Strong’, ‘Delicate’, ‘Road To Samadhi’ and ‘Diligent’.
Check more about Bodai here:
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