Click here for more information and tickets for the 360 Degrees with Gabrielle Kwarteng on 27 January at BIRD.

BIRD takes a peek into the record bag of a musical soulmate. This time it's the turn of rising star Gabrielle Kwarteng, who comes to BIRD on 27 January for a new edition of 360 Degrees to showcase her wide mix of sounds to Rotterdam.

In New York, she first encountered all forms of music, and during her student days, Gabrielle Kwarteng had her own radio show. It took off from there. She became increasingly interested in different sounds, moved to London, but when she returned home to New York, she felt restless. She wanted to DJ more, got a residency with The Lot Radio and moved to Berlin to further her path in Europe as a DJ.

The past year has been a great year for the New Yorker. Shows in Berlin (Panorama Bar), four shows during ADE (including a set at AMPFEMININE, the Rotterdam collective for more inclusivity in nightlife). She was present at the reopening of De School last September, and attended a long list of leading festivals, including Melt.

This year promises to surpass that. We ask Gabrielle Kwarteng about her favourite moments from the past year, what she likes to do on a free Sunday morning and about her radio show she would set up during her college days with friends.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in the Bronx. What is a track for you that defines this period of your life?

I always find it quite difficult to choose a favourite song, but here I definitely have to go for The Ha Dance (Pumbin’ Dubb) by Masters At Work. The Ha Dance is a New York ballroom anthem! In my late teens, when I first started going to clubs, I was influenced by a very broad assortment of music. I often followed my male-gay friends to parties that played ballroom and vogue. Because of this, it quickly became my favourite genre and it still is to this day.

The Ha Dance (Pumin’ Dumb) – Masters at Work

You had a radio show during your college years. This was where you first started DJing. Did you play a lot of music during these radio shows, and what song reminds you of this time?

Yes, I was indeed a radio host at my college radio station: Skidmore College Radio 91.1 fm. In my second year, I was given a slot from three to five in the early morning – a very challenging time because my next class would start at nine in the morning. This meant I had to give up my night show but got a much better slot a few months later.

Additionally, in my fourth year, I started a new radio show once a month, on Friday afternoons, with my two best friends; Around the World with Chocolate Thunder. In it, we would choose a country or region in the world to highlight during that broadcast. I particularly enjoyed doing the research. One of my favourite songs from that time was Odessa by Caribou; a true classic now!

Odessa – Caribou

What was the first record you bought at the record shop, and which record shop was it?

This wasn't really my first record that I bought, but one of the many records I purchased when I first went crate digging as a DJ. The record is by Marta Acuna and it's called Dance, Dance, Dance. It's one of my all-time favourite disco tracks and I first came across it at Superfly Records in Paris. I was visiting friends, and at the last moment got an all vinyl booking for a show the following weekend in New York. It would be my first all vinyl set, so I quickly dived into Superfly Records and bought a whole heap of records, including Marta Acuna's Dance, Dance, Dance.

Dance, Dance, Dance – Marta Acuna

Looking back at your past year as a DJ, where we finally could go all out again with a magnificent festival season followed by a strong club season. What is your most memorable moment of this year and which track belongs to that moment?

One of my most memorable moments as a DJ happened very recently. During my New Year’s set at Panorama Bar, I played I Want Your Soul by Armand van Helden. I remember the moment I looked up at the crowd when the vocals came in, and I saw so many smiling faces around me. People started hugging, kissing, and laughing. It was a massive satisfaction for me, knowing that I would contribute to the happiness in the experience of all these people that night. Music is an enormously powerful medium that can connect us, and this moment showed me that greatly.

I Want Your Soul – Armand van Helden

What is the track that describes an ideal Sunday morning for you, and what does your ideal Sunday morning look like?

My ideal Sunday morning (when I'm not on the road for a show) is one where I can completely relax. It would consist of books, a brunch, meditating, and watching films. I play jazz quite often; at home or when I'm walking. One of my favourite tracks is In a Sentimental Mood by Duke Ellington & John Coltrane. For whatever reason, this track always takes me back to New York, especially when I miss the city and its people.

In a Sentimental Mood – Duke Ellington & John Coltrane

You played last New Year's Eve during the 58-hour long party at Panorama Bar, and this coming weekend you're among great names at the Nachtiville Festival on the shores of Germany. Do you have a track that sums up last year as a DJ for you?

Dr. Drum by Antoine Clamaran featuring Vibration Inc. It's a great track: percussive house that can drive the crowd wild every time. It's a pumping track that almost obliges you to dance. There's a long break in the track, which sometimes causes the crowd to momentarily lose concentration. I love to see that during the build-up to the climax, people are surprised by the final drop. I love the element of surprise; it's something I aim to provide as a DJ and something I want to see in a DJ when I'm in a club myself.

Dr. Drum ft. Vibration Inc. – Antoine Clamaran

Especially for BIRD, Gabrielle Kwarteng selected five more tracks that describe the world at this moment for her as a person and as a DJ.

AceMo – Heaven (2020 Mix)

Strick – Headbutt

Player – Space Invader II (Agent Rackitt & Chicago Loop remix)

G-O-D – Shake It Up

Lyric Hood – Hard 2 B N Love

Gabrielle Kwarteng will be performing next Friday, 27 January, for 360 Degrees in BIRD's club. Tickets are still available and can be found here!

Buy your tickets here!