PUBLISHED February 3rd, 2017 07:00 am | UPDATED August 19th, 2024 02:39 am
Mendy Indigo is one of Bangkok’s leading female underground DJs. One journey to Nepal changed her life – she discovered a passion for electronic music and has been on a mission to expose her sound to Techno lovers all over the world ever since.
Starting as part of the Loco Crew in her hometown, Korat, Mendy continued honing her craft at the famous Ting Tong bar in Koh Chang. She’s played in notable clubs all over Asia and Sisyphos in Berlin; currently, most of her work involves hosting the monthly DARK & DIRTY at Bangkok’s underground club Glow and curating the line-up for The Sweatbox/Elysium’s Girls Got Groove in Kuala Lumpur.
Despite her busy schedule, Mendy took some time to share tidbits like her first mind-blowing record, how she feels about the dance floor, and the challenges she faced as a DJ on City Nomads Radio. Also, she’s not human – she doesn’t drink coffee.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Bangkok and grew up in Korat.
As a kid, what was the first record that blew your mind?
Ex-Factor by Lauryn Hill – this song absolutely blew my mind. It’s made of different elements of R&B, neo soul, and hip hop soul. I first heard it when I was nine years old; my uncle was playing this song.
What were some of the main challenges when starting out as a DJ and how have they changed over time?
When I started, there were not many female DJs in Thailand. It was quite hard to gain people’s respect, because many people see female DJs as entertaining sexual objects. On top of that, many people in Thailand, especially in my hometown Korat, were not familiar with Techno music, which led me to move to Bangkok, where the audience was more receptive for this music genre.
How would you describe your approach to building a set?
It always depends on the event, the crowd, and the venue. I don’t fix my set in advance, it really goes along with the environment. I would even go as far as saying that the crowd controls the way I build my set. I want to tell a story with my set and take my audience on a journey.
For you, is the dance floor a lonely place where you lose yourself in music or a communal place where you feel connected to everyone?
Definitely both! I love to lose myself in music, but I also love to connect with the crowd and build up a synergy with them. It’s amazing when they can feel my music.
Coffee or tea?
Tea! Because I don’t drink coffee.
If you could converse with anyone, alive or dead, for half an hour, who would you choose to chat with?
My grandfather. He passed away when I was young and I never had the chance to tell him so many things.
[mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/citynomadsradio/city-nomads-radio-31-mendy-indigo/ width=100% height=120 hide_cover=1 light=1]
Tell us more about this curated mixtape you’ve put together.
The mixtape reflects my own personality very well and contains a lot of my current favourite tracks. It’s a composition of melodic, dark and energetic beats. I also included vocals, which I think keeps the audience curious for more.
Any shouts?
I’m really happy to see the music scene in Thailand getting bigger. A lot of great festivals and electronic music events are happening, which also helps to present many talented local DJs, like Marmosets, DOTT, Sarayu, Ellie, Junesis & NT66.
I’m also really proud of my good friend Dan Buri and his new record label Neverest. He gives talented local DJs a platform to showcase their music to a new and wider audience.
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To keep updated of Mendy Indigo’s upcoming gigs and latest mixes and tracks, follow her here:
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