IN CONVERSATION WITH GLIA

Interview by Samo Šajn

Photography by Franco McGreechin

GLIA is a Berlin-based DJ and producer from Slovenia, known for her hypnotic, groove-driven style of techno infused with unexpected twists. She is also a label owner and promoter who has gained strong support in recent years, with releases on respected labels such as Suara, Bipolar Disorder, Adroit, and Diffuse Reality. Her distinctive sound and approach have earned her growing recognition across the European scene and beyond. This summer, she joins the lineup at We Can Dance Festival, bringing her signature energy to the beach.

You've been in electronic music for 10 years now. How has your sound or style changed since you started?

I feel like my style hasn't changed but rather developed. I love exploring new things as they come up-there's so much new music being released all the time, sometimes even too much to keep track of. Still, no matter how many new tracks I play, I keep hearing that initial sound I was drawn to back when I started. So, despite the trends-which of course influence everyone I think my core sound has remained consistent. When it comes to music production, which is a very different process from DJing, it took me a long time to be able to produce the sounds I like and make tracks that genuinely excite me. I think I'm quite a broad producer within my niche-I can go deep into different genres, vibes, and atmospheres. But the red thread is my sound: sticky, hypnotic, deep and crispy. 

You recently released a compilation on your label featuring only female producers. Why was that important to you? 

It was important to me to showcase female talent because women are still underrepresented in this field. As a female engineer, DJ, and producer, I've unfortunately experienced a lot of negative situations and stereotypes with male colleagues. I wanted to offer a platform for female producers-one with fresh, harmonious energy, stripped of ego, and focused on talent that often goes unseen. It was also personally important because when I was developing my own production skills, networking or getting feedback-let alone validation-from male peers was so much harder. I wanted to offer that support to other women. It's important to me that women feel empowered to be creative, nerdy, and share their ideas with the world. 

You just quit your full-time job to focus fully on music. What pushed you to make that decision, and how has it changed your day-to-day life? 

To be honest, I felt like a hypocrite-always moaning to my friends and colleagues about how much music means to me, while never giving it 100% of my attention. Who was I kidding? Definitely myself. I was also overworked-juggling a full-time job in sales, running events and a label, trying to produce tracks and perform as much as I wanted. You can only do that for so long before you burn out from the 9-5 rat race. Now, I feel much more aligned with my values, and I feel incredibly privileged to have the time and energy to focus on something creative. My day-to-day has completely changed I no longer stare at Excel sheets for 10 hours a day, I stare at my DAW instead. And somehow, that makes me feel so much happier. I had so much creativity bottled up, and over the past few months, I've been producing like crazy-finally releasing all that energy from my "previous life." 

You've played in so many iconic venues like LoFi Amsterdam, Griessmuehle, and soon Tresor. Is there one place that's felt the most special to play? 

I'm so happy and grateful to have had the chance to play at all these amazing venues. Each place carries a unique energy, atmosphere, and intensity. I love every gig where I feel a strong connection to the audience-that's the main reason I love DJing. One of the most memorable moments was at an illegal rave in an old bike factory in Slovenia in 2019. It was a raw warehouse space that held around 1,000 people. The energy was wild, the crowd was super open, and they received all the music with full hearts. It's still one of my all-time favourite experiences. More recently, one of my favourite club sets was at Jasna 1 in Warsaw, where I closed after Schacke. The crowd stayed so long that we extended the set until almost 7 AM. People were dancing on the speakers, shouting, hyping up the vibe-it was insanely hot and just unforgettable! 

When you start a set or a track, what's your mindset? Do you follow a mood or let the moment guide you? 

When I start producing, I sit down and the ideas just flow. I often lose track of time and come out half a day later with a finished track. I love being creative while always keeping the dancefloor in mind. Sometimes I've made tracks that are good, but not necessarily dancefloor ready. Lately, I'm in a phase where I'm producing exactly the kind of tracks I would love to play. I often feel a gap between the music I find when digging for tracks and the vision I want to create with my DJ sets, so I have to create what I imagine myself. The scene feels a bit grey to me right now, so I'm trying to channel 15 years of musical influence into a five-minute experience. For DJ sets, the process is more about digging-finding new releases, tracks from friends, stuff I've heard in podcasts. I look for music that excites me and helps guide people into a flow. My mindset is to create an experience that lets people let go, dance, and feel something. I always want to bring elements of surprise and emotion-something that keeps people on the dancefloor and takes them on a journey. 

From releasing music on Suara, Adroit and Diffuse Reality to having your tracks remixed by artists like Bailey Ibbs, what has been your proudest moment in production so far? 

My proudest early moment was getting my track featured in Numero's Calvin Klein editorial. That track, The Art of Losing Yourself from my debut album, still holds a very emotional and meaningful place in my heart-it truly came from the soul. I wrote the lyrics, composed the melody with my analogue synth, recorded the video on my iPhone, and even sang on the track-and I'm definitely not a singer! Lately, I've been focused on more dancefloor-oriented music. Collaborating with Adroit and having artists like Bailey Ibbs remix my tracks meant a lot to me. I also started working with Bipolar Disorder Records recently, and they've shown so much love and support for my upcoming EP-that's been a major highlight of the year. For a long time, I felt insecure about my production skills-not because I wasn't skilled or creative enough. I've worked as a sound designer, so I never doubted my technical abilities. However, it's such a male-dominated field, and I didn't receive much constructive feedback from my peers. Now, seeing more and more well-known artists playing my tracks, it finally feels like I'm on the right path. I'm creating something that resonates with people-and that means everything. 

You’re wrapping up your time with Mozaix and starting something new on your own. What’s driving that change and what can we expect from this solo project? 

I co-founded the Mozaix label and collective about a year and a half ago, but a lot has changed since then. What brought us together eventually started to shift—our tastes evolved, our artistic visions clashed, and the energy we once shared naturally faded. I found myself compromising on quality. Music has always been sacred to me; it's a space where I aim for depth, truth, and excellence. I couldn’t keep compromising without losing the core of why I make music. That’s why I’m now starting something new. A project that’s fully mine, rooted in my artistic identity. Quality over quantity. Always. The project will kick off with a residency at Klub K4 in Ljubljana for the 2025–2026 season. I’ll be curating events featuring artists I admire, alongside emerging talents. I’ll also be launching other activities that highlight the current state of the scene—how deeper values are replaced by algorithms, hype, and empty trends. My intention is to create something meaningful. A space where people can reconnect with the essence of this culture: high-quality music, inspiring events, and a sense of community that isn’t driven by spectacle but by substance. 

You're about to play at We Can Dance Festival. What can people expect from your set? 

I'm so excited to play the Numero stage-it's one of the most beautiful stage designs I've ever seen! Since it's set on the beach, you can expect a high-energy techno set, full of grooves and surprise elements, with a deep, hypnotic, hip-moving feel. It's going to be the perfect soundtrack for shaking those gorgeous bodies under the sun. 

What do you think about this year's denim theme at We Can Dance Festival? 

I think it fits perfectly with the whole vibe-summer, denim, bikinis, cool hats. I'm expecting to see lots of fun and creative outfits. That denim blue will look amazing with the ocean, the sand, and the sunshine.